In this episode, I sit down with Anna Skorobogatowa, a powerhouse diplomatic spouse, mentor, and founder of Not Just a Spouse. Anna shares honest stories about juggling career aspirations, raising three kids, and handling life’s curveballs - including sudden evacuations and living apart as a family.

We explore the unseen resilience it takes to support a family across borders, navigate parenting separately at times, reinventing yourself during constant change. We also underline the vital importance of community and sharing with each other. 

The episode is a shout out to diplomatic spouses, who sometimes also live geographically separate. 

Here are 3 key takeaways for anyone navigating a life that’s anything but ordinary:

• Community & Safe Spaces: Anna talks about why she created both in-person and global meetups for diplomatic and expat spouses: to tackle isolation, share the unspoken challenges, and offer real, judgment-free support.
• The Realities of Time Apart: Anna opens up about juggling a demanding degree, parenting three young children, and how repeated separations—sometimes due to emergencies—stretched her to her limits.
• Survival Mode & Self-Care: Both Anna and I reflect on those “crawl-through-the-day” periods. Anna emphasizes the lifesaving power of support networks and why giving yourself permission to ask for, pay for, or creatively source help is not a luxury, but a necessity.
• Adapting and Reinventing: Hear how Anna’s experience of multiple moves, solo transitions, and even evacuations forged a deep adaptability and strategic mindset—plus practical examples of how she made life work (like moving into a fully furnished home rather than starting from scratch)!
• The Importance of Validation: Anna and I validate the challenge and resilience it takes to hold the fort abroad. You’re not “just” anything: you’re resourceful, adaptable, and deserving of support.

Join Anna’s next online community event here 

Diplomatic and expat spouses: your resilience, adaptability, and resourcefulness are incredible. Let’s keep lifting each other up and advocating for the support all globally mobile families deserve!

Looking for more?

Check out Anna’s initiative, Not Just a Spouse, and the Unpacked podcast for deeper dives into diplomatic spouse life. 

Contact Rhoda: [email protected]

Receive news regularly on new episodes of HTFA Podcast and on new events and resources. Subscribe to my newsletter.

Buy the book: Holding the Fort Abroad

Your partner's job opportunity in another country seemed like an exciting idea, but lengthy work assignments mean you're holding down the family fort - alone.

OR Your partner is working and living in another country, and you feel like you are shouldering all the home responsibilities alone.

You may be wondering:

• How can we be a family when we're miles apart?
• Can I cope, alone, when troubles arise?

I believe there are answers to the above questions, and the answers start with you. In this context, it's more important than ever to invest in yourself, to care for yourself, to set your own goals and to watch yourself grow. Equally important is to nurture your relationship with your partner and learn to parent together.