One day after signing for a football club in England, Matt Hodge’s leg was broken in half. And he never played football again.

From there came a summer camp in America, two years in New Zealand, a PE classroom in Liverpool and eventually a one-way ticket out with his partner Beth.

Now he’s on the Sunshine Coast of Australia, under the guise of @WheresHodgie. Talking about young men’s mental health and how discomfort is the point.

His story is as much about discovering new places as it is about uncovering opportunities that lie in unexpected exchanges.

#CrossingThePondPodcast #MensMentalHealth #LifeTransitions #ExpatLife #WheresHodgie #CampAmerica #PETeacher #SunshineCoast #TravelPodcast #DiscomfortIsThePoint

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Gary's guest this week was born on a plane somewhere over New Orleans, and his life hasn’t really touched down since.

Chef Karl Wilder has dubbed films he’d rather not name. He spent three years in Italian kitchens because of a misunderstanding over a risotto, cooked for Barbara Walters without ever meaning to become a caterer, and won Chef of the Year in New Orleans off the back of a nudist wedding. All of it comes down to one rule: unless it’s scary or dangerous, say yes.

These days Karl lives in Berlin and runs The Chef Tours. He also sits on the board of Secret Street Tours in Dublin, which trains people who’ve experienced homelessness to become tour guides. You learn the history of the city, and you learn where your guide used to sleep.

That’s where this conversation really goes. It’s about the people most of us walk past without a second look: how they got there, why it could happen to almost anyone, and what one cold night in an abandoned building did to the way Karl sees all of it.

#CrossingThePondPodcast #SecretStreetTours #HomelessnessAwareness #Dublin #ChefLife

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Ever kept quiet about what you’re carrying because everyone’s got their own battles? This week Gary talks about the guilt of leaning on people, and why it isn’t your call to decide whether someone wants to listen. Put it to them. If you feel strong enough to speak, speak.

Plus: why you should never overlook anyone, a look ahead to next week’s episode with Chef Karl Wilder, and a reminder to stop and appreciate your friends and how far they’ve actually come.

#crossingthepondpodcast #mondaymood #speakup #itsoktonotbeokay

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