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This week it's Part Two of my conversation with social media influencer and author Brianna Madia, whose new memoir Homesick Nomad is out now. In this second half of our conversation, Brianna and I talk about how solitude — such as living off-grid alone in a trailer in the Utah desert — builds coping skills, self-regulation, and accountability. Brianna explains her long-held decision not to have children, shaped in part by a ruptured ovarian cyst at 19 and by realising parenthood is a choice, and challenges claims that child-free lives are meaningless or selfish. The episode also centers on her deep bond with her beloved dogs, the unconditional support and love that pets provide, her grief after losing Dagwood in November last year, and why pets can be profoundly fulfilling, especially when you dn't have children.

03:12 Choosing Childfree Openly

03:49 Solitude in the Desert

04:45 Learning Self Soothe Skills

07:24 Why Living Alone Matters

12:14 Medical Wake Up Call at 19

14:14 Kids Are a Choice Not Default

17:30 Meaning Without Motherhood

19:18 Freedom Versus Feeling Trapped

21:47 The 'Selfish' Myth

23:21 Misery Loves Company Pushback

25:25 Realities of Parenting Up Close

28:10 Overpopulation vs Birth Panic

29:09 Procreation Isn’t Purpose

31:20 Pets as Real Family

33:58 Grief and Perfect Love

Buy Bianna's new book, Homesick Nomad: https://www.briannamadia.com/homesicknomad

Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briannamadia/

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  Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked'
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And thank you so much for listening!