When I came across Lina Molina’s social media, I immediately knew she had a story our community needed to hear. Not just because she’s a Latina mom living in West Africa, though yes, that alone had me hooked, but because of the quiet intentionality behind everything she does. Lina is an engineer, a licensed soccer coach, a Colombian-born mother of three, and the creator of @latinamomtravels and @latinamomcoaches. She is proof that you can travel the world, plant roots in the most unexpected places, and still raise children who know exactly where they come from.
A love story, a job offer, and a one-way ticket to Saudi Arabia
Lina grew up in Bogotá, Colombia. Her husband, born in Colombia but raised in Queens, New York, came back to his homeland as an adult to reconnect with his roots and extended family. That’s where they met. Shortly after finishing university and getting married, he came home one day with news: a job interview in Saudi Arabia. “I didn’t know what to think about it,” Lina told me with a laugh. But he got the job, and together they decided: let’s do it. That leap of faith launched a life of global living that has taken their family through Riyadh, Chiang Mai, La Paz, Bogotá, and now the West African coast.
Starting from zero – again and again
One of the most honest things Lina said during our conversation was this: every time you move to a new country, you start from zero. Your routines, your people, your community, everything you built has to be rebuilt. For a Latina raised in the warmth of a Spanish-speaking culture, Saudi Arabia was a cultural shock. But once she found a Latino community in Riyadh, and even joined the city’s first female soccer team; things began to feel manageable.
“As soon as I found my Latino community, it got very easy for me. That’s my advice to anyone moving abroad: find people like you, people who speak your language.”
All three of her children were born in Thailand, a season she describes as “really special” but also deeply challenging. Without parents nearby, without that generational support system that Latina families rely on, she navigated pregnancy and newborn life largely on her own, while building a found family of expats and locals who became her village.
Raising global kids without losing the cultura
If there’s one thing Lina is fiercely intentional about, it’s language. Her kids speak Spanish and English fluently and right now, the whole family is learning French together as they settle into life in Francophone West Africa. “If my kids don’t speak Spanish, they can’t talk to my parents,” she said plainly. “My parents don’t speak English. The language is the connection.”
Beyond language, Lina preserves Colombian culture through celebration. The family marks las velitas on December 7th, gathers for a big Christmas party on the 24th, and shares stories of where they come from. “I try to tell them a lot of stories. It’s really important for me that they understand where we come from, so they can embrace that global mind they have.”
What she wants every mami to know
For the mamas in our community who are curious about this life but scared, Lina’s message is clear: the kids will be okay. “Kids are really adaptable. They’re better than us,” she said. It’s the adults who struggle more — because we’ve already built something, already put down roots, already have people to miss. But she promises the first hard months give way to something beautiful: new friendships, new perspectives, and a family that knows how to show up for each other anywhere in the world.
“Just have faith. If you are supporting each other during that transition, it’s gonna be difficult but at the end, it’s gonna be worth it.”
When I asked Lina what she hopes her children will one day say about their childhood, she paused and reflected the way only a mother deep in her purpose can. She wants them to remember that the world is big, that it’s a place to appreciate, not fear. And that home, wherever it is, is simply where they are together.
Show Notes
In this Mamis Abroad series episode, I sit down with Lina Molina, a Latina mama of three who has been raising her family across continents. Lina shares what it really looks like to pick up your life, move to a country you know nothing about, and still show up as a grounded, intentional mother.
We talk about building community from scratch, raising trilingual global kids, keeping your cultura alive far from home, and redefining what “home” even means when you’ve lived in five countries. If you’ve ever dreamed about moving abroad but felt scared, this episode is for you.
What you’ll hear:
- How Lina and her Colombian-American husband went from Bogotá to Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Bolivia, and now West Africa
- The real challenges of giving birth and raising three kids abroad without family support
- Two go-to strategies for building community anywhere in the world
- How to preserve your culture and the heritage language at home
- Why home is not a place but it’s the people you’re with and the connections you build along the way
Follow Lina Molina on Instagram:
About Our Guest
Lina Molina | Latina Mom Travels, Latina Mom Coaches
Lina Molina is a Colombian engineer, licensed soccer coach, and Latina mother of three who has spent the last decade raising her family across five countries – from Saudi Arabia and Thailand to Bolivia and now the West African coast.
Born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia, Lina and her husband made the bold decision to embrace a life of global living, and she has since built a community of mothers and athletes who are doing the same. Through her Instagram platforms @latinamomtravels and @latinamomcoaches, she documents the real, unfiltered journey of motherhood abroad, from preserving cultura and language far from home to empowering young athletes through the game of soccer.
Lina is on a mission to show Latina mamas everywhere that the world is not a place to fear, but a place to explore, and that home is wherever your family is together.
