The Real Work Of Living Abroad And Raising A Bilingual Child with Jodi Cowles

Send us Fan Mail

You can move across the world and still feel like you’re standing in a city that will never fully be yours. That tension is where the real story lives, not in the highlight reel. We talk about the version of you that shows up when language feels like guesswork, when “home” becomes a negotiation, and when daily life forces you to rebuild confidence from the ground up. 

I’m Avik, and I’m joined by Jodi Cowles, co-founder of Blue Hat Publishing and creator of Joyous World, a community for bilingual children and the parents navigating that beautiful, disorienting terrain. Jodi has lived across seven countries, including eight years in Istanbul, and she names the misconception many of us carry: the idea that living abroad automatically reinvents you. We dig into the cultural adjustment curve, the post-honeymoon crash, and why even deep friendships and strong language effort can’t erase certain cultural differences. 

The conversation gets personal as we explore bilingual parenting and multilingual family life through the lens of adoption abroad, distance from extended family, and the unexpected ways community forms when you cannot travel. We also unpack practical language choices, how COVID affected early social interaction, and what it feels like to return to a monolingual culture and fight to keep a minority language and “heart language” alive when your child pushes back with “Speak English.” 

If you’re living abroad, planning a big move, or raising bilingual children, listen for a grounded view of culture shock, belonging, identity, and what resilience looks like in the in-between spaces. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s navigating expat life or heritage language learning, and leave a review so more families can find the conversation.

Support the show

Want to Be a Guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life? 👉  DM me on PodMatch 

💬 Want to come on the show? Be a Guest 

🌐 Explore the full network  | 📨 Newsletter | 👥 LinkedIn Community

This isn't self-help. It's self-honesty.

💼 Sponsor Our Show | 🎬 Check Our Services

Intro Music Credit: Lumen Sound | Dmitrii Kolesnikov | Pixabay 

📌 Disclaimer This episode is for educational and informational purposes only. Guest views are personal and do not represent the host or Healthy Mind by Avik™. The Network does not verify or endorse guest statements. Nothing here is medical, legal, financial, or professional advice, please consult a qualified professional. Engage critically. Third-party content referenced under fair use. Guests are responsible for their own statements. Concerns? ...