Securing asylum in the Netherlands proves more challenging for Lior than for many others, mostly on account of her time in the U.S. military. Her path will take her into Kazakhstan and Russia before she makes her way back to the Netherlands.

Born and raised in the capital city of Azerbaijan, Lior discovers two things at a young age: she's meant for a life abroad and she wants to know more about her Jewish roots. Our conversation is as much about her refugee story as it is her nearly lifelong pursuit of a Jewish life. After finishing her college career and spending time abroad studying in the U.S. Coast Guard, Lior returns to Azerbaijan and finds that she's no longer welcome there. She's jailed and released, seeks asylum and knows the situation will escalate if she doesn't find a way out.

"Here. Now." This is the meaning of the tattoo that Lina bears on her right arm and the mantra that guided her through her journey away from Kyiv.

We resume Lina's story as she's fleeing her home. It's February 2022 and the war in Ukraine has begun. Lina is headed west with a group of others she's just met in a bomb shelter in Kyiv. We follow her journey into Poland and, ultimately, to the Netherlands, where she contends with insomnia, an unexpected confrontation with a fellow Ukrainian and her desire to help those in need.

Lina spent her childhood living in western Ukraine before moving to the capital city of Kyiv for university. She remained in Kyiv working in public relations and then took up freelance photography. Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2013 was a devastating blow for her country and for Lina's family, who'd spent many summers at their home in the peninsula. Less than a decade later, Lina awoke on February 24, 2022 to a world irrevocably changed.

Arriving in the Netherlands, William discovers that his newfound freedom comes with its own set of risks and dangers. He spends a year navigating being a part of the refugee system and, soon after, alters the course of his career as the war in Ukraine begins.

Growing up in a very conservative, repressed country and culture, William had difficulty coming to terms with himself and the ways he was different from those around him. Championed by his grandmother, his sensitivity led him to change his name early on in his life and take a new one that felt like a much better fit. Despite rising to fame in the theater and on television, William's growing awareness of his sexuality and the associated shame he felt ultimately led him to make a very difficult decision.

Youssef has more to tell about his seven-month stay in the Egyptian prison system: what it was like from day-to-day, how the experience changed him and what he learned. In this short bonus episode, Youssef responded to my follow-up questions with a series of voice notes about the terrible treatment he received and his reasons for staying hopeful in the face of very challenging circumstances.

Youssef is in danger and must flee Egypt soon to avoid being detained and imprisoned again. As he journeys further and further from home and from the people he loves, he focuses on resuming and completing his studies and finding a place where he can live in safety.