YULY: different countries, the same pull of motherhood

Yuly is a Colombian-born, New York- and Florida-raised mom living in Sydney, Australia, with her husband and two children. She moved to Australia eight years ago for what she thought would be a one-year job opportunity—and nearly a decade, a pandemic, and two kids later, she’s still building a life there.In this episode, we catch up about her lifelong love of fútbol, the World Cup, raising a family in Australia, and the differences between Australian and American policies for working parents. But despite the different systems and legal protections, we kept coming back to a feeling mothers everywhere know: there never seems to be enough time with our kids, even as we try to hold onto the ambitions, interests, and parts of ourselves that exist outside motherhood.We also talk about becoming adult women in places we didn’t grow up. Yuly shares what it has taken to intentionally create community, learn a new way of life, and bring her Colombian and American influences into a family being raised on the other side of the world.What we cover:Moving to Australia for one year—and still being there eight years laterRaising children across Colombian, American, and Australian culturesThe differences between parental support in Australia and the United StatesWanting something for ourselves while wanting to be present for everything our children experienceBuilding community as an adult far from where you grew upPreserving family values and cultural traditions in a different environmentHow fútbol keeps Yuly connected to her identity and rootsThis episode is for moms raising families far from home, multicultural and expat families, women learning to build community as adults, and anyone who has felt pulled between being present for their children and making room for themselves.Catching up with Yuly felt like talking to an old friend I hadn’t seen in a while—comparing lives across the globe and finding just as many similarities as differences. Follow her journey @mamensydney