This week, I’m sitting down with someone you’ve heard me mention before but probably don’t know nearly enough about

Mia was born in Ukraine and has now lived in America longer than she ever lived in the country where she was born. That simple fact sparked a conversation neither of us expected to go as deep as it did

What started as a discussion about nationality quickly turned into something much bigger. We talk about identity, belonging, survival, independence, childhood, and what happens when the place that shaped you is no longer the place where your life exists.

Mia shares stories from growing up in a small village in eastern Ukraine, navigating an unstable childhood, learning to survive at a very young age, and eventually adapting to life in an entirely different country and culture. Along the way, we explore how those experiences continue to shape the way she sees relationships, independence, trust, and herself today.

This isn’t really an episode about geography.

It’s an episode about what happens when you become someone new without fully leaving behind who you used to be.

• Growing up in eastern Ukraine• Living in America longer than her birth country• Childhood independence and survival• Learning to adapt to a completely different culture• Identity, belonging, and feeling caught between worlds• How early experiences shape adulthood• The emotional impact of immigration and adoption• Why independence can become both a strength and a defense mechanism• What “home” means when it exists in more than one place

Some conversations teach you facts.

Others help you understand people.

This one definitely falls into the second category.

If this episode resonated and you want to share your experience, submit a question, or stay connected, everything is gathered here:⁠⁠⁠link.me/marcie_reeves⁠