And selling everything has commenced. Again. Eight years ago, we emptied cupboards and drawers and closets with reckless abandon and sold everything not nailed down. This time is different. We’re excited to get back, but I feel like I’m doing everything while walking knee deep through molasses. Yeah, we’re 8 years older. The temperature is… Read More I’m (trying to be) #grateful.
When we left the US for the Philippines in 2011, we had one way tickets. The only return date I ever had in mind was after Andrew graduated high school, five and a half years later. We had already moved the kids once, and didn’t want to shuffle them repeatedly throughout their high school years.… Read More New Seasons and All That Stuff.
Longshan Temple is one of the top tourist destinations in Taipei. Built in 1738, it was a gathering place for Chinese settlers to worship, and continues to be a place of worship today for Buddhists, Taoists, and other deities. I always have mixed feelings about visiting temples. I love the intricate architecture, as well as… Read More Longshan Temple: Finding Cultural Balance While Traveling
This is our first Christmas alone in 20 years. Our first Christmas was 16 days after we were married. Dan bought me an aquarium, I bought him a Tigger sweatshirt from the Disney Store. I think he finally surrendered it when we moved overseas, cuffs frayed and the whole thing faded. It would have made… Read More Christmas 2.0
Deep in the canyons of northeast Taiwan, a sleepy little town on the railroad tracks has a unique set of social issues. Like many, it is the tale of economic decline and with that, some rise and some fall. Here is the story of the cats of Houtong. We recently had a chance to visit,… Read More The Cats That Control Houtong, Taiwan
We arrived in Taipei around lunchtime. When we were planning our trip, we agreed to mainly “eat local”, even if it stretched us. While wandering through the neighborhood near Longshan Temple, we spotted a packed restaurant and figured it must be the place to go. Lines are always a good sign. It was loud, bustling,… Read More Pink Slip or Yellow Slip? (Surviving) Eating Out in a Foreign Culture
Two days ago was the six year anniversary of our family of four arriving overseas with nothing more than a handful of suitcases and stomachs full of butterflies. The past six years have been a double edged sword of emotion and experiences. We’ve had some incredible highs, and experienced things we never would have dreamed… Read More Cheers to the Next Chapter!
We just passed our one month anniversary of being official empty nesters. It’s weird. For over twenty years we’ve looked forward to being young, kid free, financially secure, with the world open to us. Nothing is ever what you think, the image people have of empty nesters doing their thing is usually something like this:… Read More Party of Two
Who read this as a kid? Alexander had a bad day, made up of little things like waking up with gum in his hair, not getting a toy in his cereal box, and having to eat lima beans. He threatens to move to Australia repeatedly, because he knows it must be better “anywhere but here”.… Read More Mars and Her Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.
“I’ve had offers to move to other parts of the world. But, I’ve been in Hong Kong almost 40 years. It’s home to me.” – Larry Rashmi, Rashmi Tailors. A custom suit has been on Andrew’s bucket list for several years, so after some research, we decided to make an appointment for him and Dan… Read More The Best Tailor in Hong Kong.
Beware the Comfort Zone! 