Category: Inspiration
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Second summer abroad
I eagerly anticipated our summer plans for months, and now they’re all in the rearview mirror. As I look back on the summer, I am grateful for all the friends and family we spent time with, especially those we hadn’t seen in several years. Since we first moved to Philadelphia in May of 2013, we…
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Too late for a new start?
It’s obviously a little late in the year to post a “new year, new goals” post, but nothing in 2024 went as planned, so why should 2025 be any different? Let’s take our cue from the lunar new year instead. To be honest, I have been reluctant to commit my goals to paper for fear…
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Who says you can’t go home?
Somehow, summer has come and gone (again). In June, 10 weeks stretched out before us and felt like a lifetime, and now I look back on all we’ve done and cannot believe we’re beginning the next school year tomorrow. I’ve already recapped our time in the West of Ireland in late June, but our major…
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The first months back
Well, it’s been five months since we repatriated back to the US. For so long all I thought about was what life would look like when we returned, both professionally and personally. I felt so ready for the change, but I think I forgot to properly prepare everyone else for the up and down emotions!…
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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. We have had some truly memorable moments over the past…
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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 where you interact with either people who speak your native…
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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 worries that crop up, and each child has different innate…
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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 lot higher profile as we continue to fight for women’s…
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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 the advice they have for expat moms. We are coming…
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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 carved out for ourselves over the past two years. Everything…
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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 everything—from the moment he wakes up and wants to start…
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Abroad for the second time: what a repeat experience means for a Shanghai ex-pat.
When you live abroad, you encounter people at all different stages of life. This type of lifestyle lends itself to a more adventurous person, and many of people I meet are on their second, third, or even fifth ex-pat assignment. For those with multiple countries under their belt, the prior experiences can really shape what…
An Ocean Away 