Unscripted Abroad
Life Between Cultures Through Applied Improvisation
A 4-week online workshop for expats, immigrants, returnees, international professionals, and globally mobile people who want to feel more connected, confident, and at home in the spaces between cultures.
Does this sound familiar?
You moved abroad expecting an adventure.
Or perhaps you returned home and discovered that home no longer felt quite like home.
You find yourself explaining where you’re from, where you’ve lived, and where you belong.
You miss conversations that feel easy.
You second-guess yourself in unfamiliar cultural situations.
You wonder why something as simple as making friends, speaking up, or feeling understood can feel unexpectedly difficult.
If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone.
Living between cultures can be exciting, meaningful, and transformative. It can also be isolating, confusing, and exhausting.
Most people are taught how to learn a language, find housing, navigate transportation, or build a career abroad.
Very few are taught how to navigate the human side of living between cultures.
Unscripted Abroad is a practical, experiential workshop that helps participants build the skills needed to thrive in unfamiliar environments through applied improvisation, reflection, and connection with others who understand the experience.
This is not therapy.
It is not networking.
It is not a lecture.
It is a place to practice being human between cultures.
The Five A’s
The workshop is built around five capacities that help people adapt, connect, and flourish in unfamiliar environments. These concepts were :
Attention
Learning to notice what is actually happening rather than the stories and assumptions we create about it.
Acceptance
Meeting uncertainty, ambiguity, and cultural differences with curiosity rather than resistance.
Appreciation
Recognizing strengths, opportunities, and moments of connection that are often overlooked.
Action
Taking small, meaningful risks even when confidence is incomplete.
Abundance
Moving from scarcity and isolation toward generosity, possibility, and community.
Together, these five practices create a foundation for living more fully wherever you are.
Who Is This For?
This workshop may be helpful if you are:
Living abroad
Returning home after living overseas
Working internationally or across cultures
An immigrant adapting to a new environment
Part of an intercultural family
Building a life between multiple countries, languages, or identities
No improv experience is required.
In fact, many participants are people who initially believe they would be terrible at improv.
Who's teaching this?
I’m Vince.
For more than twenty years, I’ve lived and worked between cultures, spending much of my adult life in Japan while maintaining deep connections to the United States.
I’ve worked as an educator, coach, university instructor, and facilitator, and I’ve spent nearly four decades teaching and studying improvisation.
I created Unscripted Abroad because I kept meeting thoughtful, capable people who felt unexpectedly disconnected after moving abroad, returning home, or navigating life between cultures.
Many of them believed something was wrong with them.
Usually, nothing was wrong.
They simply lacked opportunities to practice the skills that help people connect, adapt, and belong in unfamiliar environments.
What we'll practice
Each session combines simple exercises, guided reflection, partner conversations, and group discussion.
No acting.
No performing.
No pressure to be funny.
Just practical ways to develop greater ease and connection.
Week 1 — Attention
Noticing What Is Actually Happening
Learn to recognize assumptions, expectations, and cultural stories. Practice paying attention to the present moment instead of the narrative in your head.
Week 2 — Acceptance
Working With Uncertainty
Practice responding to unfamiliar situations without needing to control or immediately understand them. Develop greater comfort with ambiguity and cultural differences.
Week 3 — Appreciation
Finding Connection Across Difference
Explore ways to recognize strengths, opportunities, and common humanity in yourself and others. Practice being seen and seeing others more clearly.
Week 4 — Action & Abundance
Creating a Life Between Cultures
Integrate the skills from previous weeks and practice taking meaningful action. Explore how generosity, curiosity, and contribution help create belonging and community.
What Happens In Each Session?
Each 90-minute session follows a simple structure:
Check-in and reflection
Interactive exercises and activities
Partner and small-group conversations
Group discussion and insights
Practical applications for daily life
Everything is designed to be welcoming and accessible.
You are never required to perform, compete, or be put on the spot.
The goal is practice, not perfection.
What If I Miss A Session?
Life happens.
Each session builds on the previous one, but missing a session won’t leave you behind. If the group agrees to recording sessions, recordings will be made available. Participants are also welcome to reach out between sessions with questions or reflections.
What You’ll Gain
After the workshop, participants often report being better able to:
Build connections in new environments
Navigate uncertainty with greater ease
Speak up without overthinking
Adapt to unfamiliar situations
Feel more comfortable being themselves
Develop a stronger sense of belonging
Create community wherever they are
The goal is not to become fearless.
The goal is to become more present, adaptable, and connected.
Still not sure if this is for you?
Email me at citystages@gmail.com and we'll talk. If after the first session you decide it's not the right fit, I'll refund you in full — no questions asked.
To learn more about Improv and how Vince works, check out this recent podcast with Jennifer Tarle, host of RealWork podcast.
SOME reflections from past participants
"I finally stopped trying to get it right and started showing up as myself. That shift changed how I talk to people."
- Keiko, Tokyo
"Vince created a space where I could take social risks without feeling judged. I'm more relaxed—and more me—around others now."
- Derek, Menlo Park
Ready to join?
FALL 2026 Session
Wednesdays, 6:30–8:00 PM PT
November 4 | November 11 | November 18 | December 2
All sessions via Zoom • Limited to 8 participants
Investment
Early-Bird (through October 7, 2026) $175
Standard (October 8–27) $225
Last-Minute (after October 28) $250
Ready to join us or have questions?
Not sure yet? That's okay. Email me anyway. We can talk about whether this course is right for you.