Category: Travel
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The familiar adoption world
“You love adoption, right mommy?” Asks ivy holding a bunch of pages she has drawn on. “I drew a book about adoption. Will you help me staple the pages?” She proceeds to walk me through the five beautiful drawings. She is 6 years old and she will be an architect. She practices every day. She…
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Ivy’s encouragement
I took the kids on a spa trip. Sure enough they complained here and there. Or maybe they expressed their discomfort, confusion, tiredness. We still work on better expressing our emotions without burdening others. Unnecessarily. On our way back, as we ordered some food from a restaurant we like to stop by every time we…
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Travel disappointments
It’s increasingly difficult to make travel plans. Booking, Airbnb and other sleeping arrangements have changed their cancellation flexibility. In the last year I had three trips canceled last minute. First of them, we were already passed through security. The flight got all together cancelled. Due to understaffing. Due to strike. Due to technical issues. That…
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Smoking in the airport
In line to board the plane. A young woman starts smoking an e-cigarette. First impulse is to move away to not smell it. There isn’t much room to move. So Conrad asks her to stop smoking. She replies childishly: no. Conrad’s got dad reaction kicked in. He yanked the e-cigarette out of her hand and…
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The purpose of traveling
If you leave home to go spend money, to feel rich, then more power to you. I have never traveled without a tight budget limit. It’s in my blood to pinch pennies even when we have money in the bank account. We buy our airline tickets then we find a hotel in easy distance with…
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The effort
Livia shows up. I see her. She sees me. It has been a year of brokenness and exhaustion. Sometimes we can’t articulate with all the words the darkness we felt. But in it, there was a light. Steady. Bright. Why did you come? Why are you going? What’s here to do? What’s there to do?…
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Mudslide
It felt like a whirlwind, a mudslide of noise, opinions, decisions. Spending money is the sauce for extra stress. And this month I had to pay our property taxes, rent income tax, health insurance, and there are a few trips coming up. We bought equipment for hiking in Austria, and my biggest burden this fall,…
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Back home
Something reset in me in the hospital. I hate the fact that I’m so predictable and dramatic medical events manage to get me out of myself. I had to stop being admired in the hospital with my daughter. The law not only allows but encourages parents to be admitted in the hospital and stay with…
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First brunch with friends like family
Feeling at home with introverts Socializing is like an out of body experience. As of late. Even if I meet people, and I’m polite and engaging, I reached a new level of numbness. First joy disappears. I’m not sure if not feeling fully present / awake/ engaged is a step towards healing or a sign…
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Reflecting on the wild 2022 ride
I’m slowing down slowly. Regaining my balance is tedious work. Right now the more I rest the more I need rest. I anxiously put out of my mind the thought of returning to life as it was before the holidays. In retrospect we lived 2022 with a baggage of fear. Last year before Christmas Conrad…
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Delight
I’m an empath. Overly aware of people emotions, even when they try to come across as nice, if deep down they don’t enjoy my company, I feel it. For this reason, the summer I spent with mama Gloria, as a daughter, I was treated with such delight, generosity of heart, and the elegant simple room…
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Talents burnout
Or what happens when your gifts bring you to the brink of burnout. I am action oriented as I received amazing freedom as a kid. I always anticipated needs and was one step ahead of adults’ expectations because I hated to be told what to do. Even the first time. I never had to be…