Being Grateful in the Middle

I have been awfully quiet, mostly because I didn't really know where to start. This 6 month transition has been a roller coaster... some great, some bad and a little bit of everything else. But here we are, settled in and loving our new normal. We made it, and while I have many drafted blog …

Transitioning, Again.

Part of the journey is the end.  Here we are again.... packing up our belongings and sorting through the many memories we have made here.  It's time for pack-out and we are preparing to live transitionally for the next few months.  While I am often overwhelmed by the amount of to-do's in this phase, my …

Growing Up Expat: Going Home

So here we are.  We have told the kids that we are moving home.  They are both excited, but not entirely sure how this new life at home looks just yet.   It is home, but it will also be a new house, new schools, and new routines. We are sub 30 days and I …

More of Less: Minimalism Overseas

I recently watched the minimalist documentary on Netflix and it got me thinking about coming home.   We sold off and gave away many of our processions when we moved overseas knowing we would be living in a much smaller apartment.   After living out of 9 suitcases as a family of four for about …

Big News…

We found out this week, we are headed home come the holidays.   We were never sure if it would be an option at the end of this experience.   So when the opportunity came, we knew it was meant to be. It is hard to imagine all of this being over.  I have never …

An Ode to the Tall House

I have always felt a special connection to my homes.  More than most maybe, but I feel the energy and love we have put into them and I can recall the ways the shadows danced on all my walls.  So it is no surprise that this house I don't own, in a country that is …

On Having Help

I have wanted and waited to write this post since we first got here 2 years ago.   I knew I needed more time to sort it all out and to experience the true impact in our household.  There is a lot of conversation and thought that goes into how I will write this post, …

Winding Down…

I have been busy traveling back home, but I wrote this out before I left and never got around to publishing it.  I think it's still relevant to where we are. As another school year comes to a close, I get the chance to reflect on this year in comparison to others and how I …

Today, I found my groove.

Today was the first day since arriving back in Cartagena that I felt in sync with everything going on around me.  I feel like I hibernated a bit after we came home, trying to process the transition back. When people ask me about living in Colombia, I often talk about the quality of life you …

Playing the Tourist

With family visiting, we got the change to revisit some of our favorite places in Cartagena.  The list is getting longer and it's so fun to show off some of the special places we love.....  Here is a photo recap of our past week in no particular order:   From Thanksgiving to lazy island beach …