From September 2016 through June 2019 my family and I lived in Shanghai, China. As an American who had never traveled Asia before our move, this was a time of great excitement, education, and frustration. This change coincided with leaving a 15-year career behind while simultaneously going through the first years as a mother. Needless to say I had a lot of thoughts on this season of life!
Time of my life
I’ve been trying for weeks to put into words how I feel about leaving SH. It’s been two months of goodbyes, last time at this restaurant or last date night or last friend coffee, and I have to say I am exhausted by it all.…
Keep reading
The language of fun
We attended our last SH birthday party over the weekend. As I stood there listening to the Spanish being spoken all around me, it clarified something for me. SH is not just about speaking English or Mandarin. It is not a black and white experience…
Keep reading
Tokyo, revisited
We returned to Tokyo last week for a final family vacation. Previously it was one of the places we thought was the least kid-friendly to visit, but for several reasons we decided to give it one last go. We had two days visiting traditional Japanese…
Keep reading
Our last has his first: happy birthday, Zach!
Our baby boy turns one today. It was a year of crazy ups and downs, phases that felt endless and stages that pass in the blink of an eye. After your first child you think you’re ready for it all, but there are always new…
Keep reading
A tale of two Singapores
We just came back from a family vacation in Singapore. It was a quick trip, ostensibly just to see the zoo and to revisit a few of the places that we had enjoyed on our first trip to Singapore two and a half years ago.…
Keep reading
Making friends, saying goodbye
This post originally appeared on Shanghai Mamas. Spring. The dreaded time of year in Shanghai when we tally up all the friends who have just told us they are leaving as soon as school lets out. And every year it seems like a bigger number…
Keep reading
Travel tips for families: part 2
A few days ago I gave you my best travel tips, and now I want to share some thoughts on Asian holiday locations with kids. This list is, of course, totally subjective, and opinions change wildly depending on the age of your kids, who you’re…
Keep reading
Travel tips for families: part 1
After three and a half years and over 60 flights(!) with kids, we’ve become efficient with our travel process. I wanted to share a few tips I find helpful when flying/traveling with little ones, as well as some places we loved with kids, and some…
Keep reading
Highlights from our travels in Asia
As our time as expats winds down, I can’t help but think of all our adventures throughout Asia during our three years here. Below are some of my favorite shots from some of the coolest sites we saw. I will have a “best of” post…
Keep reading
International Women’s Day 2019
This post originally appeared on Shanghai Mamas. Happy Women’s Day, Mamas! March 8th marks the 110th International Women’s Day, and countries like China are celebrating with lectures, lunches, and sometimes even work holidays for women. In the last decade, International Women’s Day has become a…
Keep reading
A snapshot of Shanghai
Shanghai is both brand new and incredibly old-world at the same time. These are images culled from our time here in this amazing Chinese city.
Keep reading
Shanghai Mamas blog post: A time for reflection
Below is a piece I wrote for Shanghai Mamas. If you are a mama in Shanghai and haven’t yet joined the Shanghai Mamas tribe, now is your chance! Head on over to their site and check out all the great events they put on and…
Keep reading
Resolutions: the start of year three
Last week marked the two-year anniversary of our arrival in Shanghai. So much in our lives has changed since that first lonely week in our new home. We returned from a summer in the US and easily settled back into the school/ayi/work/activities life we had…
Keep reading
Abroad in Australia
I started this blog to talk to moms in Shanghai who are in a similar situation as me—away from family and friends, potentially for the first time, and trying to figure out how to make a life for themselves in a totally foreign land. After…
Keep reading
The holiday hurry-up
The end of the year always brings with it the anticipation of family holidays, the rush to see friends at holiday parties, and the excitement of opening presents with little ones. As an expat, I feel a need to hurry up and get into the…
Keep reading
Happy birthday, son
My son is 2 today. I simultaneously feel that he has been a part of my life forever and yet I am still overwhelmed every time I realize that the little boy calling me mommy is looking squarely at me. He looks to me for…
Keep reading
1 year in
Yesterday was our one-year anniversary of living in Shanghai. I thought it would feel more momentous somehow, and it ended up being just another day. But I think that’s good. I think it means I have finally stopped thinking of myself as someone who just…
Keep reading
Saving “mianzi”
When I first moved to Shanghai, I was so excited to be connected with a woman around my age and in my neighborhood who could introduce me to Shanghai. We’ll call her Alexa. Alexa was bubbly, always ready to offer tips on places to buy…
Keep reading
An Ocean Away 