Episode Details

In this episode—5,400 miles from home—I sit with my new friend, Anna Avstriyskaya. She's an anthropologist who is passionate about people, cultures, borders, and migration.

Born in the Soviet Union, Anna was raised on the Estonia/Russian border and lived in Moscow for 13 years. We discuss what it was like growing up in a place caught between worlds—Estonian on paper, Russian in culture—and how that shaped the way she views identity, language, and belonging.

I ask about the Stalin-created famine in Ukraine in 1930s aka Holodomor. You'll hear stories about life in Moscow, opposition leaders being assassinated, and what most concerns her about the Russia/Ukraine War.

Anna also opens up about how hard (and rewarding) it is to be a single mom. She discusses the lack of support from the father of her 2-year old and how difficult it was to lose her own mother shortly after her baby was born.

From anthropology studies to her dream destination, Anna’s story is one of quiet resilience and determination.