Can you imagine yourself living abroad? Maybe even set up a business abroad? Well, Jalila couldn't either until she made her first move to China. Then, she started a podcast to tell other people's stories too.
Hey Jalila,
Thank you for spending the time on the interview today.
We recently jumped into a call to record an episode of your podcast where we discussed setting up my supplement brand whilst living abroad.
I only got to know a little bit about your story and how you ended up living in China after moving from the US.
So, Jalila, I am keen to know your story, and how and why you started your podcast.
It would be great to get a little background information from where you were born to where you live today. What’s your backstory?
So I was born in Panama (Central America) and currently living in Shanghai China. I was living in America before I moved to China (first Beijing) in September 2019. I was comfortable but extremely unhappy in America.
I really did enjoy living in America but I was missing out on knowing so much about the world, like truly knowing different cultures, languages, food, people, and experiences.
I always regretted not studying abroad and when the opportunity arose I said well maybe the Universe is speaking to me and this is my chance to not regret it anymore.
You were in the Police Force in the US, what was your experience and how come you left after 10 years?
Yes, I was a police officer and felt exhausted emotionally, physically, and mentally, and knew that I needed a drastic change. There is no end to crime and no end to violent crime. So many people needed help and many times really just help with their lives.
It wasn’t the right career for me as I once thought it was.
I was a victim of an armed robbery, a man early one morning in North Miami exited the passenger side of a two-door vehicle, opened the gate that I was standing behind while waiting for the school bus at age 13, pulled out a knife, put it to my throat, and said: “Dame la cartera” (give me the purse).
I screamed and struggled, which of course later on I would be telling women not to do until he was able to pull away from the purse, jump back into the waiting car and drive away.
My mom was tired from work as an ER nurse and she was sleeping upstairs in our duplex apartment. She came running downstairs and we went to the Miami police department to report the crime. I met with a black female detective and I always tell people, that it was like the Batman movie, the experience, the person who helped me, it imprinted.
I knew I wanted to fight crime from then on.
Funny thing, a career test in College said that was the last career I should undertake because of the rigidity of the job, the lack of creative expression, and the monotony.
Gosh, was that test accurate.
I loved helping people but it really drained me. There is more that I could say, but it’s a former life, and it definitely made an impact because I saw behind the scenes of the policing and the criminal justice system, how poverty and race play a role, and at times I was saddened by that.
So after I left policing I wasn’t really sure what I was going to do for work when I left policing, but my boyfriend who I was living with said that I loved to read, so suggested that I find a job around books.
I laugh now when I think about that, I was like really like I’m wouldn’t be the typical library employee, I don’t like being quiet, and when I talk, it’s loud and exciting and I would probably pressure people to read many different kinds of books instead of what they came in looking for.
I’m always reading and always thinking that I’ve stumbled upon the next great book.
Actually, right now I’m reading The Law of Success by Napoleon Hill and Where you are is not Who you are by Ursula Burns, because I’m getting ready to move to Colombia and I like to think about success and finding your path, will cloak me with words of wisdom and a mindset that all will work out tremendously.
Anyway, I really enjoyed working at the library, yes, they hired me because they said they actually want to change the perception of the library (later on I don’t know if that meant hiring an Afro-Latina former police officer or just someone very enthusiastic and vocal about many different types of books.
At times it seemed like the former rather than the latter, but no matter, I created various events for the library and people attended. Yes, libraries in America have events that the community can attend, it’s really one of the last free public spaces, besides like a Church.
I’m really great at connecting with people, public speaking, and organizing events, and it was a great experience working there.
What made you move to China in 2018 and had you traveled outside of the US much before?
I attended a woman of color podcasting event and met a woman named Jenaya (episode 2 on my podcast) and when I mentioned hanging out since we had such a great connection, she said that she was moving to China in a few days but we could keep in touch on Facebook.
I asked her why China and she explained the cost of living was low compared to the salary she would earn and pay off her student debt and also she would travel.
The travel part was what interested me and I did keep in touch with her after 6 months, from October to April, I decided that this was the road I was going to take, to live the life I had only imagined, living abroad.
Jenaya sent me the name of three companies to check out, training centers, in China, which would make sure the visa process was done correctly, and train me to work with kids, teaching English to them.
I recognized only one company, Disney English (yes, Disney company had training centers in China but in June 2020 because of Covid they shut down). I applied on April 26th, was given a contract I think on the last day of April and after plenty of paperwork, received my visa in my passport from the consulate in August, and the plane e-ticket a few days later.
I had traveled to many places, including France, England, Spain, Belize, Costa Rica, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, before moving to China, but I knew that traveling was going to be different from living in another country.
Also, two to three weeks' vacation wasn’t enough, I would come back depressed, wishing I could’ve stayed longer. Thus, living in China would be my chance to really know a country, not just vacation, the good and the bad, and that’s been the case and I’m so happy I’ve done this.
You started a podcast that shares expat stories about living abroad that gave you the idea for the “Are we home yet?” podcast?
I was extremely down in November (2021).
I felt lonely and lonely and directionless.
I hadn’t found a consistent intimate partner/boyfriend during my entire time here and I really didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life.
I didn’t know why I was still in China. I had only traveled to Switzerland and Liechtenstein right before the pandemic occurred in January 2020, but once I returned from vacation, which was Chinese New Year, I hadn’t traveled anywhere from 2020 to 2021 because of the pandemic and China’s closed borders.
I started going on expat Facebook groups and talking to other groups, and funny enough I met many expats feeling the same, weighed down by the stalemate we all were in because of Covid, unsure if living abroad was still right for them, uncertain about their future career, wondering what the next step to take was.
And therein the idea for the podcast was born.
How do you make a home somewhere that is not your original home, how do you make friends, raise a family, get a job, start a business, and relate to others, locals, in a way different than you were used to back home.
What does home mean when you are building something new when everything is strange and you have more questions than answers?
I wanted to talk about these things and I wanted others to hear these conversations and to see that many struggle to move abroad, but there’s a profound reason that we go someplace new, the life, the community, the culture, the freedom, the growth, we just weren’t getting that back where we came from.
I was on one of your podcast episodes and have to admit it was one of my first and so a little nervous. It was fun and easier than I thought it would be. You are a natural interviewer. Did you follow any courses or literally just jump in?
Thanks so much, I feel nervous at first during each interview, but you did great, you really did.
I haven’t taken any courses, and it sounds naive but I just wanted to have a good conversation.
I have enjoyed listening to Snap Judgment, This American Life, and Sporkful podcasts and they always seem so chill and having a good time talking with their guests and I wanted to be like that, that’s about it.
I love good stories and I’ve done storytelling and organized storytelling events here in China. I wanted my interviews to be that good story that people lean in to listen to.
There have been a number of new bloggers and podcasts in the last few years because many of us have been in lockdown. What’s your strategy for getting guests and growing the business?
From the end of December to the beginning of March, I interviewed people I found through Facebook expat groups, but now it’s branched into guests from Instagram because I follow #expat and a few people have come from referrals, someone knows someone else who would like to tell their story.
I’m always looking for the next guest even though I’ve interviewed more than 100 people because there’s always that next opportunity to connect and learn from that next guest.
What’s been the biggest challenge in getting the podcast started?
The biggest challenge was just making sure that I was organized.
What order were the guests going to go in, having a list of questions for the guests, getting everything edited and aired on time, blogging about each episode, making sure the website, OMG, the website was running smoothly, things like that.
It was such an undertaking and I initially worked with a company, which I don’t work with anymore, but they provided some guidance which was helpful in the beginning.
I now just work with a sound editor and he helps me with the sound and posting to the podcast hosting platform Captivate.
I feel like I have more of a handle on things after a few months now and working on creating another podcast, where I would talk about independent and foreign films, but it would just start out as a monologue show and maybe eventually invite guests on to talk about films and tv shows that have touched them, changed their life path, maybe that they’ve created.
What’s been the number one thing you have learned since starting?
I have learned that I needed to relax and something just go with the flow, it’s okay if I have to redo an interview or change the order of the episode, or ask a different question.
This podcast project has opened doors that I had not thought of, such as being a paid writer.
People have told me they’ve enjoyed my blogs, and encouraged me to sign up for paid writing opportunities.
I see how connected we are and that if I ask for help there will be people to say yes, I will help you even though I don’t know you, because we’re out here figuring it out just like you.
I’ve learned that it’s true that you find your passion in what you already do naturally.
I have always enjoyed talking to others, asking questions, being curious, and hopefully in time money will result from this endeavor, but so far, in the beginning, it’s been wonderful learning so much, creating and running the podcast and website, and blog.
Where do you see yourself in the next 1-2 years?
Well, I’m working on moving to Colombia next month, so I look forward to being there for a few years. Colombia’s cost of living is low and I would like to adopt a child and should be able to do so there as a single unmarried woman.
As a parent, I’ll be able to raise a child there and have time to spend raising that child, so not necessarily work full-time but still have a good quality of life.
I want to finally travel again, and get to know South America for several years to come.
And I want my first podcast, Are we home yet?, and my second podcast, which is still being worked on, to really reach people, touch them, inform and inspire them.
There are so many things I want to do in life, but that’s about it for the next 1-2 years.
https://arewehomeyetpodcast.com/