The More Candid Layer Behind My Public Life-Abroad Stories
The Expat Backroom is the private section that continues after selected public articles on Substack. It’s where I share the part I left out, what I think really happened, and the more personal lesson behind the story.
Most Expats Planet articles will remain completely free.
The public article gives you the complete story.
The Backroom gives you the story behind it.
What Stays Free
Every public Expats Planet article remains complete and free to read.
I’m not cutting articles in half or locking the conclusion behind a paywall.
I hate that!
When you see a lock symbol, it usually means there’s an additional Backroom section after the public article has ended.
Free readers continue to receive:
- Complete public articles
- Life-abroad stories and cultural observations
- Practical lessons from 27 years abroad
- New articles delivered by email
What Backroom Members Get
Paid subscribers receive the private Backroom section after every new public article published on Substack.
Depending on the story, that might include:
- The personal part I left out
- A mistake I’m less comfortable admitting publicly
- The sharper lesson behind what happened
- A more direct opinion about life abroad
- The story behind why I wrote the article
The tone is simple:
“Okay, here’s the part I probably wouldn’t say quite so publicly.”
Backroom members also receive one monthly resource connected to life abroad. Monthly resources remain available to regular paid members for 30 days before moving into the Founder’s Vault.
Membership
The Expat Backroom
$9 per month or $79 per year
Includes every new Backroom section, monthly resources, and occasional private commentary added to older articles.
The Expat Backroom Founder’s Vault
$197 per year
Includes everything in the regular Backroom, plus permanent access to:
- Archived monthly resources
- 14 unlisted Expats Planet ebooks and guides worth more than $250
- Private case files and future downloadable materials
- Everything added to the Founder’s Vault while your membership remains active
The Backroom is the private room.
The Founder’s Vault is the locked cabinet in the back.
Who The Backroom Is For
The Backroom is for readers who enjoy my public stories but want the more personal version underneath them.
It’s for people who know life abroad can be incredible while still being awkward, frustrating, lonely, and occasionally ridiculous.
You may be thinking about moving abroad. You may already be abroad and having second thoughts. You may simply enjoy candid stories from someone who has spent 27 years living through the parts that rarely make it into travel brochures.
How It Works
Read the complete public article for free.
When the article ends, paid members can continue into the private Backroom section.
That’s it.
No unfinished public stories. No conclusions hidden behind the paywall. Just an additional, more candid layer for readers who want to go further.
If the public articles are the stories I can tell in the open, the Backroom is where I share the part I almost kept to myself.