For Christy Carlson Romano, moving her family from California was one of the best decisions she made.
The former child star and her husband, Brendan Rooney — the masterminds behind podcast company PodCo — moved to Austin, Texas, in 2020 with their two young daughters, and Romano tells PEOPLE that the move felt “right.”
“I like that the girls can be outside of the Hollywood area,” she admits, noting that many people often ask her if her daughters will follow in her footsteps in the industry. “I love California, we have our PodCo offices there. And I really feel at home in Austin. I have a really strong community of friends there and I’ve really found a way to put down roots.”
Christy Carlson Romano attends the opening night of the 2023 ATX TV Festival Stateside at Paramount on June 1, 2023 in Austin, Texas.
Hubert Vestil/Getty
Daughters Isabella, 7, and Sofia, 5, keep Roman busy, along with the podcast company he runs, plus all the work that goes into running his own podcast. Vulnerablewhere he often talks about his life and former days as a Disney Channel star.
“Something I’ve realized is that my daughters think it’s normal for people to approach me because I’m so friendly to my fans,” Romano says. “My fans, especially since I started doing YouTube and podcasts, have been giving me a lot of support and love. And so my girls, I don’t think they’re intimidated by it because it just feels like I’m talking to someone I know.”
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And although Romanov’s children are of a different generation than her fans, at least they are familiar with them one mom’s famous characters.
“Kim Possible is my avatar on Disney Plus, so they know I’m Kim Possible,” Romano says with a laugh.
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Christy Carlson Romano (L) and Kim Possible (R). Michael Tullberg/Getty Images; The Disney Channel
Still, raising the next generation of women is a big responsibility, and Romano admits parenting can be “scary” and comes with a lot of “stuffy” questions.
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“How will I be a parent? How will I afford it? Will I have more than one, if at all?” she says. “I have multiple children and I work, so I always want to make sure they have a very balanced life.”
Perhaps the biggest difference between Hollywood and Austin is “the slower pace,” says the Even Stevens star, although he notes that the city “still has all the things that [the girls] might need.”
“I’m really happy we live there,” she says.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education