On more than one occasion, I have found myself at the same location, a changed person with ideas, attitude, awareness, perspective, hopes and dreams so different. I’m not even sure that I would have recognized myself, if current me were to have waved hello at past me. It is a gift to revisit and re-know…

Some of you may have seen this before, but it still holds true, every Summer, when many of my friends leave, ready for the next steps on their adventure. One of the hardest things about being an expat is seeing your “new” friends pack up and go.  We all know this is inevitable, from the…

Crisis My best friend here is moving. I know all of the ladies out there will understand what this means. My confidant, friend, cheer leader, coach, and yoga teacher will no longer be a 5 minute car ride away from my house. I cannot call her up and go for coffee or drop by and…

Ok, so I can’t draw, but if I could… Pregnancy Badge You survived 9 months of your body morphing into almost unrecognizable form, mood swings, hemorrhoids, nausea, exhaustion, peeing when you sneeze, and listening to unsolicited advice from everyone from your mother to complete and total strangers. Labor Badge You survived whatever type of labor…

Cuida Tus Hijas (take care of your girls) He lurks in his own darkness, ready to steal their smile, their song, their dream, their light– at any age with a word, a look, a touch, an other. Does he realize what he does? Does he care? No Cuida tus hijas. Teach them to be strong.…

An international move can be challenging, but doing so with an infant can be especially challenging.  When we moved here, our daughter was 2 months old.  These are some of the things I did to try to make it easier on everyone (mostly me) LOL. Hope you find some of the info useful. Sometimes, packing…

Make sure to try to make arrangements to have someone watch your kids, so that you can shop blissfully uninterrupted. Get out the approximately 12 inch long list you’ve been compiling for months on your Iphone or the dog-eared paper list you’ve been carrying around in your purse for months. Stop to look at what’s…

“Mommy you are so soft and warm” -My five year old I am a skinny and tall person. Others have described me as boney. I used to get made fun of on the bus in 9th grade, “here comes stick woman.” I have never wanted to be boney, but with lots of food allergies and…

Dear Maid, I appreciate all that you do and am fully aware that you are a luxury I could never afford in the states. I am very grateful for everything that you do for us and could never thank you enough for the many things you do every day to make my life here run…

This is an oldie, but a goodie, from a few years ago.  My “baby” is now 5. How did that happen?  The days are long, but the years are short. Enjoy the entertainment that you find along the way, my dear fellow parents, and keep your sense of humor–it is without a doubt the most…