Introducing Borderline: a podcast for defiant global citizens

Some say you haven’t done lockdown right if you don’t come out of it with a new skill, a fit body or a novel. All I managed was deep anxiety and precious little writing. But a few weeks ago, as the pandemic started to recede and I was able to return to my London home, anxiety gave way to creativity again. I had ideas. Better yet, I had the energy to pursue those ideas. I hadn’t felt that way in months. Isa was back!

It is my pleasure to introduce you today to the first of those ideas: Borderline, a podcast for defiant global citizens.

If you know me at all – and readers of this newsletter do a little – you know I’ve been a podcast fiend for years. It was past time I start my own. Its theme was also a no-brainer. I’ve lived on four continents and I will defend to the grave a life that is not bounded by borders. I believe we are enriched by experiences and people from every horizon. I believe we all sit, more or less comfortably, between multiple identities. Some of us just have a few more than average.

We global citizens are not very popular right now. All the more reason to make a stand. Borderline will discuss both the philosophical and the practical, the hardships and the joys in the lives of immigrants, expats, international students, global professionals, third-culture kids, nomads… I intend to keep this broad so no one gets bored. Especially not me. I hope Borderline will be a community: my experience is a tiny subsection of the global life, and I want to hear from many listeners about their own lives and ideas. You can go to borderlinepod.com to leave a voicemail that may air on the show, or simply comment here or email me back.

You’ll notice this newsletter got a bit of a rebrand. It will now be a companion to the podcast. (I’m not ruling out unrelated essays when the mood strikes.) That means you’ll hear more from me. Over time, I will turn on various monetization options, including a paid tier on this newsletter. I have been away from work for six months now (!) and it is time to figure out a sustainable way forward. If nothing else, this difficult year is bringing home for me the importance of entrepreneurialism and self-reliance.

There will, however, always be free content – and a lot more of it – for you. I am very grateful to this early audience for your support and feedback through the past meandering few months. So without further ado, I’m hitting publish on the first episode of Borderline just for you. This week, I’m talking with Zach Honig, editor-at-large at The Points Guy. Zach is the kind of traveler who makes me feel like a homebody: he went 10 times around the Earth last year alone. This year, not so much. We talked about the super weird new way to travel, what it takes to fly safely and whether we’ll ever travel as we used to.

Have a listen, subscribe and let me know what you think.
(It’s on Apple, Spotify and many other platforms. Google still pending.)

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