The Pressure to Be the Perfect South Asian Daughter with Ashika Mehta Ombe

What does it mean to belong when you've never truly belonged to just one place?In this episode of Stories Beyond Borders, I sit down with Ashika Mehta Ombe, an Indian-American Third Culture Kid and working mother.Having lived across the United Kingdom, Bahrain, the United States, and now Spain, Ashika’s journey has been shaped by constantly navigating different cultures, expectations, and versions of herself. Through her experiences as a daughter, wife, mother, and immigrant, she shares what it means to build an identity when you have roots in multiple places but don’t fully belong to just one.Together, we explore growing up between South Asian traditions and Western culture, the pressure to meet cultural expectations, marrying outside of her community, and the lifelong journey of finding belonging without feeling the need to choose one identity over another.We also dive into motherhood, burnout, people-pleasing, and the quiet identity crises that many women experience while trying to balance career, family, and personal expectations. Ashika shares how her move to Barcelona became a turning point, inspiring her to slow down, redefine success, and create Tiny Becoming—a space dedicated to helping women rebuild themselves through small, compassionate steps.Through journaling, intentional habits, and self-reflection, Ashika encourages women to reconnect with who they are beyond their roles and responsibilities. Her mission is to create a community where working mothers can explore identity beyond motherhood, navigate midlife transitions, and learn to realign their lives from the inside out—one small moment of clarity at a time.In this episode, we discuss:Growing up as a Third Culture KidNavigating multiple cultural identitiesSouth Asian family expectations and breaking generational patternsIdentity, belonging, and self-acceptanceMarriage, relationships, and cultural differencesMotherhood, burnout, and rediscovering yourselfThe importance of choosing yourself without guiltHow small habits can create meaningful transformationWhether you are a Third Culture Kid, the child of immigrants, a working mother, or simply someone trying to reconnect with who you are beyond society’s expectations, this conversation is a reminder that you do not have to fit into one box to belong.Connect with Ashika:https://www.instagram.com/re.writing.me/If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who might find comfort in this conversation. Your support helps Stories Beyond Borders continue sharing meaningful stories of identity, culture, migration, and belonging.