Top 5 Things I Missed About Europe

It’s been a little over a week since I’ve been an expat in Norway and I gotta say, so far so good! I haven’t burned down the house with our fire-hazard corner of transformers and extension cords, my kids aren’t starving in protest to the different food and I haven’t gotten lost.

I’ve been to Europe and Scandinavia a decent amount of times, and there’s a few cultural differences that I always forget about until I return. And they always make me smile, like when … Read more ...

Visiting Yellowstone National Park in less than a day

When it was clear Hubby and I were going on what felt like a once-in-a-lifetime road trip, I checked our route for any “must-see” spots from Portland to Chicago and Yellowstone National Park was incredibly close.

Since I’ve always wanted to go and saw this as my chance, I laid it on thick with the hubby: “Yellowstone is one of those things that if I’m on my deathbed and I’d never seen it, I’d say, ‘I wish I had gone to Yellowstone.’”

His response: Blink. … Read more ...

Road triiiiiip! Our adventure from Portland to Chicago

I’m feeling like I’ve got a little transcontinental whiplash. It was only weeks ago that I moved to Norway, and now I’m back in the U.S.

I returned largely to help my husband wrap up our lives in Portland, then we decided to take a cross country roadtrip to our beloved Chicago to visit family and friends. Plus, we’re finally and sadly getting rid of our Audi TT. Some of you remember how much I love Hubby’s Other Black Beauty.

A view of the road traveled so far in eastern Oregon.

A view of the

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Relax, Relate, Release: The Friends in Barbados

Every year a group of women who met in college fly from all over the U.S. to, as Whitley Gilbert said, “Relax, relate, release!”

And I’m so fortunate to be counted among this tribe. Three years ago, we went to Bermuda, then it was Belize, and last year was Turks. I didn’t go to Turks because we had recently moved to Portland and it just wasn’t a good time for my family.

But this year, it was awn! Wild dogs couldn’t keep me away. … Read more ...

Escaping to Hood River for the Hopsfest

It’s been too long. It really has. It’s been too long since I’ve written. My writing is the lifeblood of me and I’ve been too caught up in my busy-ness that I’ve been neglecting it and thusly me.

We were in Hood River this past weekend, seeking a nice respite from the demands on our time and attention. Hubby had been in India for nearly two weeks, and when he came back last week, he immediately jumped into work. I’m not sure how he does … Read more ...