What happens when motherhood unfolds thousands of miles from home without your village, your culture, or your familiar rhythms of life?

In this honest, globally rich conversation, I sit down with Rosamaria Mancini, an Italian-American mother, author, and expat who shares her journey from growing up in New York to building a life across Europe. In a life of moving to Rome for work, marrying her Italian husband, and later raising two children in Germany, Rosamaria found herself wrestling with loneliness, identity shifts, and the emotional weight of motherhood abroad.

During one of her most isolating seasons, podcasts became an unexpected lifeline, offering connection, companionship, and a reminder she wasn’t alone. That experience ultimately inspired her to write a book exploring how listening to podcasts helped preserve her mental health and sense of self while living far from home.

This episode is an engaging listen for expat moms, military spouses, mothers navigating isolation, and anyone who has ever felt unseen during a vulnerable season of motherhood.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• What it’s really like raising children as an expat mother

• The loneliness and identity loss many moms experience living abroad

• Creating emotional connection when your support system is far away

• Turning personal survival into a story that helps other mothers feel less alone

Who This Episode Is For:

• Expat and internationally living mothers

• Moms navigating loneliness, isolation, or major life transitions

• Women searching for connection while raising children far from family

• Podcast lovers curious about the emotional power of audio storytelling

Rosamaria’s story is a reminder that even in the quietest, loneliest moments of motherhood, connection is possible and sometimes it arrives through a pair of headphones when you need it most!

🎧 Listen now to hear how podcasts helped one expat mom survive loneliness abroad and why her story may resonate more deeply than you expect.

Connect with Rosamaria:

Her website (& great book!)

Find her on LinkedIn

Follow her on Instagram

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Want to be a guest on The Motherhood Experience? Send Val Kleppen a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1758742098661627c9cc46f40