Moving abroad and building a life in a new country can be exciting, but finding a real sense of belonging? That can be a whole different story. ❤️

In this episode of our Expat Experts series, Amanda and CJ sit down with Raehyun Kim, founder of Link n Learn in Frankfurt, to talk about building community, helping children grow in confidence, and creating a home away from home for international families.

Originally from South Korea, Raehyun moved to Germany almost 21 years ago. After becoming a mother, she began asking herself a question many parents can relate to: What is my purpose beyond being a mom?

That question, combined with her desire to create a welcoming space for her daughter and other international families, inspired her to build Link n Learn — a place where children can explore, learn and express themselves, while parents connect and build friendships of their own.

We talk about:

✨ Finding your our village abroad — Why community is so important for expat parents who don't have family nearby, and why building lasting connections can be harder when people are constantly moving away.

💛 Raising confident third-culture kids — How growing up between cultures can shape children's identities, and why having a space where they feel understood and included matters.

🎭 Helping shy children find their voice — How creative classes, performances and opportunities for self-expression can help children discover their confidence.

🤝 Making connections as an adult — How a community can help parents build friendships, even when striking up a conversation with another mum doesn't come naturally.

💃 The magic of dancing together — Why Raehyun believes dancing brings people closer, creates joy and helps build a stronger sense of togetherness.

🌱 Building a business with purpose — Raehyun shares the challenges of growing Link n Learn, the importance of staying connected to the families she serves, and why protecting her own happiness and boundaries is essential to keeping her passion alive.

Our biggest takeaways

• Community isn't just a nice extra when you're living abroad — it can be an essential part of feeling at home.
• Children thrive when they feel safe, welcomed and encouraged to express themselves.
• Finding your people can make navigating life between cultures feel a little less lonely.
• You don't have to be a confident extrovert to build meaningful friendships. Sometimes you just need a little help getting started.
• Community doesn't happen by accident. It's built, nurtured and held together by people who care.

And Raehyun's beautiful reminder to take with you: “It's not about where you live, but it's about who you're surrounded by. So, as long as you have your tribe of people around you, you can make anything your home.”

🔗 Link n Learn: https://linknlearn.de/

Raehyun is also part of JumaDolls, a dancing duo that celebrates fun, creativity and the joy of moving together.

💃 Find JumaDolls on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=JumaDolls

You can also search for JumaDolls on Instagram and TikTok.

What we've been listening to 🎧

As always, we're sharing a few podcast recommendations at the end of the episode!

• Achieve Your Goals with Hal Elrod — Raehyun's recommendation, inspired by her morning routine and The Miracle Morning.
• The Diary of a CEO — Another podcast Raehyun enjoys.
• Child – BBC Radio 4 — Amanda's recommendation, exploring childhood, development and the science and history of how we grow.
• 28ish Days Later – BBC Radio 4 — Amanda's other recommendation, a fascinating deep dive into the menstrual cycle.

Connect with Amanda & CJ 💕

Amanda Graybill – Mindful Mama Frankfurt

Explore Amanda's work and resources for mothers: https://www.mindfulmamafrankfurt.com/

CJ – Worlds Apart Counseling

For couples counselling with a focus on expat and international couples, visit: https://worldsapartcounseling.com/

Kids’ clothes. Seasonal changes. Hand-me-downs. Rain pants. And… somehow an enormous amount of mental energy. 😂

On the surface, swapping your children’s clothes from one season to the next sounds simple. But then come the questions: What still fits? Do we have rain pants? Where are the winter shoes? What needs replacing? What should we save for the younger sibling?

It’s not just the clothes. It’s the mental load.

In this episode of Expecting Expats, Amanda and CJ talk about the invisible planning, remembering, anticipating and decision-making that comes with changing your children’s wardrobes — and why this can feel even more complicated when you’re raising kids abroad.

We talk about:

👕 Why the seasonal clothes swap is a whole project
🧠 What the mental load actually is
🇩🇪 The expat layer — including German Kita requirements and the infamous Regenhose!
👧👦 Hand-me-downs, siblings & storage
🛍️ Sustainability vs. reality
💬 Whether a fair partnership really means 50/50
❤️ Why recognition of invisible work matters
📅 Small systems that can make recurring tasks easier

And then there’s the emotional load. Because packing away tiny clothes isn’t just about clothes. It’s also a reminder that your child has grown, another season has passed, and time is moving very, very quickly. 🥹

💡 Our takeaway

Talk about what you’re each carrying. Make the invisible visible. Recognize the work that isn’t immediately obvious. And find small systems that make recurring tasks easier.

And if you’re currently surrounded by tiny sweaters, rain pants and piles of clothes that no longer fit… we see you. 😂❤️

🔗 Resources & Recommendations

📖 CJ’s recommendation: Attached
Attached by Amir Levine and Rachel Heller explores adult attachment styles and how they can influence romantic relationships.
👉 https://amirlevinemd.com/books/attached/ (Amir Levine, MD)

🎧 Amanda’s recommendation: In the Dark
Amanda is hooked on In the Dark from The New Yorker. Their current series, The Journey, investigates a mysterious California couple and a shocking surrogacy story.
👉 https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/in-the-dark/the-journey (The New Yorker)

🌍 Amanda’s Work — Mindful Mama
English-language pregnancy, birth and early-parenthood support for international families in Frankfurt and online.
👉 https://www.mindfulmamafrankfurt.com/ (Mindful Mama)

❤️ CJ’s Work — Worlds Apart Counseling
CJ (Camilla Jensen) works with expat and international couples and families around communication, relationship patterns and cross-cultural challenges.
👉 https://worldsapartcounseling.com

💕 About Expecting Expats

We’re here for the messy, funny, beautiful and sometimes overwhelming parts of raising a family away from home. Thanks for being part of our community! ❤️

Watching your kids grow up is one of those beautiful contradictions of parenthood: you can be incredibly proud of who they’re becoming while also quietly wishing you could freeze time.

In this episode of Expecting Expats, Amanda and CJ have an honest, emotional conversation about the bittersweet experience of letting go as our children become more independent — and how that experience can feel even more complicated when you’re raising kids abroad.

Amanda shares what it was like to say goodbye as her nine-year-old son flew to Madrid on a school trip — his first time travelling abroad without his parents. What should have been a moment of excitement and pride also brought a surprising amount of grief and anxiety as Amanda realized that her little boy is becoming a big kid.

CJ reflects on her own smaller, everyday moments of letting go, from watching her four-year-old confidently navigate a doctor's appointment to realizing that her almost-three-year-old can do far more independently than she sometimes gives him credit for.

Together, they talk about:

• 💕 The emotional rollercoaster of watching our children become more independent
• ✈️ Why a school trip abroad can feel like such a huge milestone
• 😭 How two things can be true at the same time — we can be proud and heartbroken, excited and scared
• 🍼 Why milestones like weaning can unexpectedly bring up feelings about our children growing up
• 🇩🇪 How parenting in Germany can encourage independence from a young age
• 🌍 The unique expat experience of raising children who may one day feel at home in multiple countries
• 🏡 What it means to be a “safe harbor” that our children can always return to
• 👣 Learning to support our children's independence without hovering
• 💭 The identity shifts that happen for us as our children need us in different ways
• 👀 The unique experience of being the people who hold the memories of our children's childhood when extended family lives far away
• ❤️ Learning to grieve the little versions of our children while making space for who they're becoming

One of the biggest reminders from this conversation is that letting go isn't one single moment — it's a lifelong rhythm. Our children will continue to need us, but the way they need us will change.

And perhaps that's the heart of parenting: helping them feel secure enough to go out into the world while knowing they always have somewhere safe to come home to.

🎧 What We're Listening To

Amanda recommends:
How to Let Go of What You Can't Control and Redirect Your Energy — Mel Robbins Podcast

CJ recommends:
Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés

💕 Connect With Amanda

Amanda Graybill is a childbirth educator and birth doula supporting international families through pregnancy, birth and early parenthood in Frankfurt and beyond.

Through Mindful Mama, Amanda offers English-language childbirth education, GentleBirth and other support for international families.

🌐 mindfulmamafrankfurt.com

Amanda's work includes online and in-person support for international families, including childbirth education and pregnancy/parenting support.

💕 Connect With CJ

CJ / Camilla Jensen is a couples counselor specializing in expat and international couples.

Through Worlds Apart Counseling, CJ offers support to couples navigating relationships, connection and the unique challenges that can come with building a life abroad.

🌐 Worlds Apart Counseling

You can learn more about CJ's work and book a session through her website.