If you Love the show and you’d like to support it directly you can tip the host here https://imperfect-adulting.captivate.fm/support
In this episode of The Art of Imperfect Adulting, Amy Stone speaks with Jennifer Sontag about navigating radical life transitions, from divorce and empty nesting to international relocation and career transformation. Jennifer currently calls Sicily, Italy home. Listeners and viewers will learn about the reality of moving abroad, how personal crises can lead to unexpected opportunity, and why adaptability matters more than ever when adulting gets messy.
Jennifer Sontag is the founder of ViaMonde, a relocation agency which helps Americans relocate to Spain and Italy. Jennifer has always paved her own path, at just 19-years-old, Jennifer opened her first maternity boutique, The Stork’s Nest, that at the age of 28 she would sell to Macy’s — she’s always known how to turn a leap of faith into a thriving enterprise.
Main Topics Covered:
Quote from the Episode:
“I have journals, and so I know it was hard because I’ve read the journals. I’ve got the receipts… so I know that I was feeling down at that point and that it was really hard, but I don’t remember it.” — Jennifer Sontag
Timestamps:
01:14 Jennifer shares why she calls Sicily home and the joys of living there
02:10 The triple upheaval: divorce, kids launching, career change
03:08 How all major changes happened simultaneously
05:03 Moving from Cleveland back to St. Louis, then onward to China
06:44 Jennifer’s reflection: journaling, memory, and finding silver linings
08:10 Deciding to move abroad for personal growth and adventure
11:54 Downsizing, leaving with two suitcases, and planning a “bridge year”
13:13 Arriving in China: discovering job scams and quickly pivoting
15:27 Landing on her feet: transitioning to teaching business management
16:57 Adapting expectations at midlife—why adulting abroad is different
18:34 Finding expat community and a new teaching career in Shanghai
22:01 Navigating COVID, Health setbacks, and the evolving global landscape
27:22 About ViaMond: helping Americans and others with expat journeys
34:23 Common expat misconceptions—especially among Americans
41:06 Jennifer describes her perfect day of relaxation by the sea
45:30 Wrapping up: reflections, takeaways, and how listeners can connect
ABOUT THE SHOW: The Art of Imperfect Adulting elevates the voices of experience by sharing real stories from real people figuring out adult life. Every episode features honest conversations about life’s choices, changes, and challenges—interviews with individuals (not celebrities) who share their personal experiences and insights. Through these authentic stories, listeners find validation, motivation, and inspiration for navigating their own path through modern life. Because there’s a big difference between expert advice and shared experience, and hearing another person’s lived experience helps us feel less alone in our own situations.
CONNECT WITH THE GUEST: https://www.viamonde.eu/
Join the conversation on social. Find the Art of Imperfect Adulting on Instagram @theartof_imperfect_adulting YouTube @imperfectadulting and TikTok @imperfectadulting
We invite you to join our email community and let us bring the podcast directly to you! As a subscriber, you’ll receive notifications about new episodes, exclusive offers from our amazing guests, and easier access to any of the important links mentioned on the show—no more scrambling to write down websites or remember special codes.
Why subscribe?
Are you ready? Join us at https://www.imperfectadulting.com
If you have a story to share and you’d like to be a guest on The Art of Imperfect Adulting, here are the steps for how you can make that happen. Pitch yourself at https://www.imperfectadulting.com/be-a-guest
Here are a few resources that Amy uses to make all this great content. These are affiliate links 🙂
For livestreaming and recording ECamm https://www.ecamm.com/mac/ecammlive/?fp_ref=amy69
Podcast hosting and distribution: Captivate FM https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=ntczmwi
Website hosting with Siteground https://www.siteground.com/?referrer_id=9115590
Ai Transcription Tool: Castmagic https://get.castmagic.io/ugrmjjrt8ofj
For Email I recently switched to Beehiiv https://www.beehiiv.com?via=Amy-Stone
before that I used Kit.
Books I like and books written by show guests on Bookshop.org https://bookshop.org/lists/podcast-guest-authors
If you Love the show and you’d like to support it directly you can tip the host here https://imperfect-adulting.captivate.fm/support
In this episode of The Art of Imperfect Adulting, Amy Stone speaks with Jennifer Sontag about navigating radical life transitions, from divorce and empty nesting to international relocation and career transformation. Jennifer currently calls Sicily, Italy home. Listeners and viewers will learn about the reality of moving abroad, how personal crises can lead to unexpected opportunity, and why adaptability matters more than ever when adulting gets messy.
Jennifer Sontag is the founder of ViaMonde, a relocation agency which helps Americans relocate to Spain and Italy. Jennifer has always paved her own path, at just 19-years-old, Jennifer opened her first maternity boutique, The Stork’s Nest, that at the age of 28 she would sell to Macy’s — she’s always known how to turn a leap of faith into a thriving enterprise.
Main Topics Covered:
Quote from the Episode:
“I have journals, and so I know it was hard because I’ve read the journals. I’ve got the receipts… so I know that I was feeling down at that point and that it was really hard, but I don’t remember it.” — Jennifer Sontag
Timestamps:
01:14 Jennifer shares why she calls Sicily home and the joys of living there
02:10 The triple upheaval: divorce, kids launching, career change
03:08 How all major changes happened simultaneously
05:03 Moving from Cleveland back to St. Louis, then onward to China
06:44 Jennifer’s reflection: journaling, memory, and finding silver linings
08:10 Deciding to move abroad for personal growth and adventure
11:54 Downsizing, leaving with two suitcases, and planning a “bridge year”
13:13 Arriving in China: discovering job scams and quickly pivoting
15:27 Landing on her feet: transitioning to teaching business management
16:57 Adapting expectations at midlife—why adulting abroad is different
18:34 Finding expat community and a new teaching career in Shanghai
22:01 Navigating COVID, Health setbacks, and the evolving global landscape
27:22 About ViaMond: helping Americans and others with expat journeys
34:23 Common expat misconceptions—especially among Americans
41:06 Jennifer describes her perfect day of relaxation by the sea
45:30 Wrapping up: reflections, takeaways, and how listeners can connect
ABOUT THE SHOW: The Art of Imperfect Adulting elevates the voices of experience by sharing real stories from real people figuring out adult life. Every episode features honest conversations about life’s choices, changes, and challenges—interviews with individuals (not celebrities) who share their personal experiences and insights. Through these authentic stories, listeners find validation, motivation, and inspiration for navigating their own path through modern life. Because there’s a big difference between expert advice and shared experience, and hearing another person’s lived experience helps us feel less alone in our own situations.
CONNECT WITH THE GUEST: https://www.viamonde.eu/
Join the conversation on social. Find the Art of Imperfect Adulting on Instagram @theartof_imperfect_adulting YouTube @imperfectadulting and TikTok @imperfectadulting
We invite you to join our email community and let us bring the podcast directly to you! As a subscriber, you’ll receive notifications about new episodes, exclusive offers from our amazing guests, and easier access to any of the important links mentioned on the show—no more scrambling to write down websites or remember special codes.
Why subscribe?
Are you ready? Join us at https://www.imperfectadulting.com
If you have a story to share and you’d like to be a guest on The Art of Imperfect Adulting, here are the steps for how you can make that happen. Pitch yourself at https://www.imperfectadulting.com/be-a-guest
Here are a few resources that Amy uses to make all this great content. These are affiliate links 🙂
For livestreaming and recording ECamm https://www.ecamm.com/mac/ecammlive/?fp_ref=amy69
Podcast hosting and distribution: Captivate FM https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=ntczmwi
Website hosting with Siteground https://www.siteground.com/?referrer_id=9115590
Ai Transcription Tool: Castmagic https://get.castmagic.io/ugrmjjrt8ofj
For Email I recently switched to Beehiiv https://www.beehiiv.com?via=Amy-Stone
before that I used Kit.
Books I like and books written by show guests on Bookshop.org https://bookshop.org/lists/podcast-guest-authors