My kids have spent Halloween in France, when Halloween didn’t exist there yet. By the end of our time in the land of wine and cheese, the holiday was slowly finding its way into the culture, but in a very…
Reality: Pass the Water
Imagine not doing a single piece of laundry for three years, or never having to put gas in your car because it magically gets washed and detailed daily without you even noticing. Picture coming back from vacation and your suitcase…
Moving, again.
In Congo we talked about buying a new house once we got settled in Canada. The house we bought before we were married was waiting for us in Calgary, and was a great little starter home, but the configuration of…
Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho, It’s Back to Work I go!
If you’ve been following my stories for awhile, you likely may know that when we left Canada to move abroad, I was an Assistant Principal of an Elementary School in Calgary. I dabbled in the idea of teaching when we…
Reverse Culture Shock and Multiple Personalities
Preface It was the first night in our mostly empty house in Canada. ‘Mr. Lisa’ was still in Congo and I had that weird feeling of heavy responsibility of being in a new house, with new sounds and smells, in…
The Return to Canada
It’s a random Wednesday night and I’m sitting with a glass of wine beside me, typing away on my laptop while my husband showers, getting ready for an impromptu date night. The house is silent. There isn’t a child’s voice…
13 Suitcases, 2 Kids, and a Trip to Paris: How I Managed, Logistically.
“Just so you know, I think you’re totally insane for wanting to do this.” That was my husband’s reaction as I lay out my plan for my journey back to Canada with our daughters.But let me back up a bit.…
Repatriating: Where I’m at.
It was nearly sunset and we were all sitting around lounge chairs at a rustic, beach-front surfer bar late Friday afternoon. Our driver had dropped us off, then he’d leave the car for my husband who would join us for…
Peter Pan Syndrome
I woke up with all the Friday feels and once again, looking forward to the weekend. You’d think the weekend would be anti-climactic when you live in Congo. Generally speaking, we’re isolated and there’s not much going on where we…
Hotel vs AirBnB
I often get asked about travelling with kids and one thing that seems to come up regularly is questions about where we stay. I have a hard time giving a direct answer to that question because depending where you are…