#76. Friendliness Isn’t Friendship: What Expat Women Learn the Hard Way Part 1

<p>A conversation about belonging, friendships, and rebuilding yourself in a new country.</p><p><br /></p><p>I sat down with Natalie Chu, who moved from Taiwan to the U.S. with a childhood dream and found herself facing the emotional truth expat women rarely say out loud. She talks about the “friendly but not actually your friend” moments, and the shock of realizing that belonging doesn’t show up just because you arrived.</p><p><br /></p><p>Natalie shares what she misses most about home — the morning markets, being known — and how different it feels to build community in the Bay Area.</p><p><br /></p><p>We talk about navigating safety in San Francisco, learning American social cues, and the moment she stopped chasing inclusion and started defining belonging on her own terms.</p><p><br /></p><p>This episode is honest, grounded, and deeply human. If you’ve ever moved countries, cities, or chapters, you’ll hear yourself in the tension, the ache, and the small wins that make starting over possible.</p><p><br /></p><p>A grounded conversation about connecting, community, identity, and the truth of starting over abroad.</p><p><br /></p><p>Natalie is the founder of a new podcast, Built Young, examining the journey of young entrepreneurs - Under 25. Over 1 M, and the ethics we can learn from them.</p><p><br /></p><p>Expat women immigrant women Taiwan Bay Area culture shock belonging loneliness move abroad identity homesickness community starting over migration stories international students migration USA friendship homesick</p>