Meet Urmi: From Italy to Montreal, Finding Home Across Cultures

Meet with Urmi,

an Italian with Bengali roots who grew up in Italy, spent time in the UK, and has now been living in Montreal, Canada for the past decade.

Urmi is a Third Culture Kid, and her story is one of navigating different identities. Growing up with Bengali parents in Italy, she experienced a “dual life”: one version of herself at school and another at home. She shares the challenges of feeling both Italian and not quite Italian, while also feeling different within her Bengali community.

We follow her journey from Sicily to Northern Italy, then to the UK as a teenager, before she eventually made the move to Canada — this time entirely by her own choice.

Montreal turned out to be a surprising fit. Urmi talks about discovering a city that is deeply multicultural and bilingual, where she now works in French despite having studied in English. She also shares the little things that help her recreate a feeling of home.

We also dive into working in Canada, including some important advice for anyone hoping to build a career in Montreal. Urmi explains why networking, LinkedIn, professional references and mentorship can be particularly important in the Canadian job market — and why being able to work in both French and English can make a major difference in Quebec.

And as a TCK, does she see Montreal as her final home? Not necessarily. We talk about the idea that once you've grown up moving, you may always keep the door open to another country, another opportunity and another adventure.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Growing up Italian with Bengali parents

• The challenges of having a dual cultural identity

• Life as a Third Culture Kid

• Moving from Italy to the UK as a teenager

• Discovering multicultural Montreal

• Finding a job in Canada as an expat

• Finding pieces of Italy in Montreal

• Why TCKs may always feel ready for another move

📍 Urmi's Montreal recommendations:

• ☕ Café Italia — a 70-year-old Italian café where Urmi goes for coffee, Italian conversation and a taste of home.

• 🍕 Pizzeria Gemma — for Italian-style, thin-crust pizza.

• 🍰 Casa di Totò — a Neapolitan family-run spot for Italian treats including cannoli, coda d’aragosta and sfogliatelle.

🎵 Urmi's Expat Song:Perdono — Tiziano Ferro

🎙️ Urmi's podcast:Stories Beyond Borders— a podcast exploring immigration stories, Third Culture Kids, identity and the meaning of home.

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Credits:

Intro outro Ice tea, Not the king

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