My Love Letter to Cartagena

This is my love letter to Cartagena.   This Caribbean town that was never on my radar until it was.  A place I never knew I wanted to visit, let alone live.    To Coffee and Coco Rice, and all the Arepa's in between.  To the many new friendships I have made, who will soon …

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 …

Pack for a Purpose

Have you heard of Pack for a Purpose?  This past weekend, I had to the chance to learn firsthand what their program was all about. From their website, you search out your vacation destination and find a list of non-profits that you can choose to help.  You will then be able to find a list …

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 …

Book Review: Misunderstood

I am reading a new book, Misunderstood by Tanya Crossman, a more modern version of the classic Third Culture Kids.  I have bookmarked so many amazing and relevant subjects in this book.   It seems every other page, I am nodding away in agreement. Understanding the unique situation of transitioning in and out of an …

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, …

2 Years In…

This was by far the smoothest transition back into life in Cartagena that we have had yet.  I know it is different for everyone, but the longer we are here the easier it is to come back from a break. My kids started school in the most normal way possible and we jumped back into …