Motherhood, Military Life, and Raising Kids in Japan with Angela Gilmore

This episode is such a special one.

This week on Mom Brain, Big City, I’m joined by Angela Gilmore — a military spouse, mom of two, and incredibly talented photographer who is currently living in Japan with her family.

We talk about what it actually looks like to raise kids while moving around the world, navigating long stretches of solo parenting during deployments, and building a life (and a business) in the middle of constant change.

Angela shares what surprised her most about military life, what it’s like raising kids overseas — including the parts of Japan’s culture that completely changed her perspective on parenting — and how she’s built and rebuilt her “village” in different seasons of life.

We also talk about:

• parenting without a traditional village

• the reality of solo parenting during deployments

• raising independent kids in a different culture

• building a photography business while moving frequently

• how motherhood has shaped her identity and priorities

This conversation is honest, eye-opening, and such a good reminder that there’s no one way to do motherhood.