Motherhood in the Motherland

Grace
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Parenting
  • Updated Weekly

What is it like to raise a family in Korea? And what happens when the country you call your motherland feels both familiar and foreign? Join Grace, a Korean American mom of three, as she explores motherhood, raising a family in Korea, and life as a gyopo navigating two cultures. Through personal stories and everyday experiences, she reflects on Korean culture, family, identity, and the surprising ways our differences shape how we live. Whether you're raising kids in Korea, part of the Korean diaspora, planning a move to Korea, or simply curious about life beyond your own cultural lens, Motherhood in the Motherland invites you to look closer, ask questions, and find connection in the everyday.

  1. 4d ago

    The 20-Minute Doctor's Visit

    A doctor's visit can tell you more than you expect. In this episode, Grace talks about a seemingly ordinary doctor's visit in Korea and the questions it left her thinking about healthcare, efficiency, and culture. What does it mean when getting medical care can be so quick and accessible? And what might the way we structure our everyday lives reveal about what we value? Sometimes, the smallest experiences can make us look at the world around us a little differently. Head over to Grace's blog www.place-of-grace.com or email Grace at: motherhoodinthemotherland@gmail.com with any questions, comments, and feedback! Music by AudioCoffee (@audiocoffeemusic)

  2. Oct 4

    How Do We Raise Good Men?

    A gentle content note: This episode includes discussion of sexual assault, rape, consent, and sexual violence. If these topics are difficult or triggering for you, please take care of yourself as you listen. You are always welcome to pause, skip, or step away from this conversation. In this episode, Grace asks: How do we raise good men? After receiving an unexpected compliment from her son’s teacher, Grace begins reflecting on the thousands of ordinary moments in which we shape our children—not just through the “big conversations,” but through what we model, notice, and practice every day. She shares stories from her own parenting journey, including moments on a soccer field, lessons about consent and respect, and something her father told her early on: “Study parenting like it’s your job. Study your child like it’s your job. Observe him.” But noticing our children also means learning to notice ourselves. Grace reflects on the pressure of having to model the kind of person we hope our children become, while remembering that we are human and will inevitably get things wrong. She talks about rupture and repair, a conversation with her nail technician about repairing relationships with her own children, and why perhaps the first step in raising emotionally healthy children is learning to notice and care for our own inner lives. What if part of parenting is learning to notice the small things that are already happening? Head over to Grace's blog www.place-of-grace.com or email Grace at: motherhoodinthemotherland@gmail.com with any questions, comments, and feedback! Music by AudioCoffee (@audiocoffeemusic)

  3. Oct 2

    Why I saw "The Odyssey" Twice

    In this episode, Grace explores why she was so captivated by Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey that she went back to the theater to watch it twice—and why the movie sent her down a rabbit hole about excellence, creativity, and the choices we make in pursuit of something meaningful. From Christopher Nolan’s devotion to doing things the hard way to Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000-hour rule, Grace reflects on her lifelong feeling of being a “Jane of all trades,” her evolving relationship with excellence, and what she is discovering about herself as she enters a new season of pursuing podcasting, writing, and art. Beneath the spectacle of The Odyssey, she finds herself thinking about something much more ordinary and personal: What is worth giving our time, energy, and devotion to—and what might excellence look like in our own lives? Head over to Grace's blog www.place-of-grace.com or email Grace at: motherhoodinthemotherland@gmail.com with any questions, comments, and feedback! Music by AudioCoffee (@audiocoffeemusic)

  4. Aug 28

    What BTS gave me

    In this episode, Grace shares how falling down the BTS rabbit hole unexpectedly became about much more than music. From BTS’s decision to forge their own path and their choice of Arirang as an album title, to the complicated experience of being Korean American and growing up feeling like she constantly had to explain her identity, Grace reflects on Korean creativity, culture, belonging, and what it means to be proud of where you come from. She also shares the unexpected story of being offered a ticket to see BTS in Boston—and why saying no ultimately gave her something she didn't expect: a reconnection with an old friend. This is an episode about BTS, but it's also about FOMO, social media, success, identity, friendship, and learning not to let fear or someone else's definition of "enough" determine the life you're living. Sometimes, the greatest gift isn't the thing we thought we wanted. Sometimes, it's what we discover along the way. Head over to Grace's blog www.place-of-grace.com or email Grace at: motherhoodinthemotherland@gmail.com with any questions, comments, and feedback! Music by AudioCoffee (@audiocoffeemusic)

  5. Aug 14

    On Community: Becoming Part of a Place

    What if community isn’t something you find, but something you slowly become part of? In this episode, Grace reflects on moving from Seoul to a smaller city in Korea and the unexpected ways community has grown around her—through school, church, the local library, neighbors, and the everyday people who have quietly become part of her life. She also shares about comparison, FOMO, and the temptation to measure our relationships against what we see on social media. Maybe community doesn’t always look like the friendships we once had or imagined we would have. Sometimes, it looks quieter, more ordinary, and even more intergenerational. A reflection on belonging, staying, showing up, and learning to notice the community that may already be around us. Head over to Grace's blog www.place-of-grace.com or email Grace at: motherhoodinthemotherland@gmail.com with any questions, comments, and feedback! Music by AudioCoffee (@audiocoffeemusic)

  6. Aug 9

    SAHM v. Working Mom - What I've Learned From Being Both

    In this episode, Grace shares her personal journey of being both a stay-at-home mom for seven years and having transitioned into full-time work outside the home and recently back to SAHM LIFE.  So often, "SAHM v. working mom" is framed as a comparison - but Grace shares her lived experience and the truth seems to be much more nuanced. The emotional weight, the guilt, the tension of wanting to be fully present in every role - it exists in both seasons, just in different ways.  Grace opens up about the realities of her current season: the constant juggle, the shifting identity, and the quiet questions of being "enough".  Whether you're at home with your kids, working outside the home, or somewhere in between- this conversation is an invitation to step out of comparison and into grace.  Head over to Grace's blog www.place-of-grace.com or email Grace at: motherhoodinthemotherland@gmail.com with any questions, comments, and feedback! Music by AudioCoffee (@audiocoffeemusic)

  7. Feb 27

    The Quiet Grief of Motherhood

    In this episode, Grace reflects on the quiet, unexpected grief woven into motherhood. Sparked by viral “last time” videos and her son turning nine, she explores why even beautiful, wanted growth can ache — how every new stage quietly means letting go of another. Grace unpacks the bittersweet paradox of raising children, why we grieve even the hard seasons, and how love and loss are more intertwined than we admit. With warmth and honesty, she offers gentle permission for moms to name their grief, hold gratitude and sadness at the same time, and learn how to grieve well as their children grow.  Head over to Grace's blog www.place-of-grace.com or email Grace at: motherhoodinthemotherland@gmail.com with any questions, comments, and feedback! Music by AudioCoffee (@audiocoffeemusic)

  8. 07/21/2025

    Motherhood: Working ourselves out of a job?

    In this episode, Grace shares about how parenting and counseling are both "working yourself out of a job". She talks about the struggle of letting our kids struggle but how ultimately, struggle is not a bad thing. Listen in to stories of things that have recently happened to Grace that have taught her about how letting kids struggle can bring deep, genuine learning and growth, both for our kids and for us as parents!  Head over to Grace's blog www.place-of-grace.com or email Grace at: motherhoodinthemotherland@gmail.com with any questions, comments, and feedback! Music by AudioCoffee (@audiocoffeemusic)

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5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

What is it like to raise a family in Korea? And what happens when the country you call your motherland feels both familiar and foreign? Join Grace, a Korean American mom of three, as she explores motherhood, raising a family in Korea, and life as a gyopo navigating two cultures. Through personal stories and everyday experiences, she reflects on Korean culture, family, identity, and the surprising ways our differences shape how we live. Whether you're raising kids in Korea, part of the Korean diaspora, planning a move to Korea, or simply curious about life beyond your own cultural lens, Motherhood in the Motherland invites you to look closer, ask questions, and find connection in the everyday.

Information

  • Creator
    Grace
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    21
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Motherhood in the Motherland
  • Show Website
    Motherhood in the Motherland

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