A Gathering for International Women Building Community Abroad
Moving to a new country changes more than your address — it shifts your sense of belonging, identity, and connection.
That’s why Almost Local hosts monthly Coffee Circles in St Heliers, Auckland — intimate gatherings created for international women and expats navigating life between countries.
These are not networking events.
They’re not business meetups.
They’re spaces to exhale.
What Is the Almost Local Coffee Circle?
The Almost Local Coffee Circle is a small-group gathering designed for international women living in Auckland who are building a life in New Zealand while carrying pieces of somewhere else.
Each session is:
• Hosted in St Heliers, Auckland
• Limited in numbers to keep it personal
• Designed around guided yet relaxed conversation
• Focused on belonging, identity, and life abroad
We explore themes like:
- Feeling “in between” cultures
- Building friendships in a new country
- Missing home while creating a new one
- Rediscovering confidence abroad
It’s a space where shared experience becomes connection.
Why I Created Almost Local
Hi! Nice to meet you! I’m Maria Barciela, founder of Almost Local and host of the Almost Local Podcast.
As an international woman who has been living in New Zealand for over 10 years, I know how layered the experience of living abroad can be. You adapt, you grow, you build community — and yet parts of you still belong somewhere else.
Almost Local began as a podcast exploring real, unfiltered stories of life between cultures. Through conversations with expats and international residents, one theme kept returning: we need spaces to connect beyond surface-level small talk.
That’s how the Coffee Circle was born.
→ You can read more about why I created Almost Local here
→ And listen to the podcast here
Who Is It For?
The Almost Local Coffee Circle is for:
• International women living in Auckland
• Expats adjusting to life in New Zealand
• Migrants building a new chapter
• Women who feel “almost local” — but not quite
Whether you’ve just arrived or have lived in Auckland for years, the emotional experience of living between cultures often continues quietly in the background.
This is a space where that experience is understood.
A Different Kind of Community Event in Auckland
There are many events in Auckland.
The Almost Local Coffee Circle is different because it centers on emotional connection and shared storytelling — not performance, not business cards, not small talk.
Just honest conversation and meaningful connection.
Through small, intentional gatherings, we’re building a trusted space for international women in Auckland to feel seen, supported, and less alone in their journey.
Where & When
📍 Location: St Heliers, Auckland
☕ Format: Small-group Coffee Circle
📅 Frequency: Monthly gatherings
👥 Hosted by: Maria Barciela, Founder of Almost Local
Spots are limited to preserve the space’s intimacy.
Booking is essential.
You can reserve your spot here → Book my Coffee Circle spot.
Belonging doesn’t happen by accident.
It grows through shared spaces and intentional connection.
If you’re living abroad in Auckland and longing for a deeper connection, you are warmly invited.