As I sat outside for lunch, the sky darkened, and I looked up to see a large outline of my friend who worked in the middle school Design Department. “We need you,” he said. I thought back to my own middle school experience full of big teeth with braces...
It’s the People.
The first time I met you, I was 19 years old. I am sure you had been up for hours as Doug and I emerged from the basement, looking for coffee. You welcomed me into your home with a smile. Little did I know then, that you would become...
Just Another Thursday
Normally, well, any normal year, I would be in the lounge by now, helping myself to the first of many glasses of champagne. Waiting to board our flight back to Beijing after weeks of fun with family and friends…New Year’s Eve. A tradition we have shared for the past...
Auf Wiedersehen
Interesting time of year in Beijing. School is coming to an end, with a huge crescendo. There are finals. Final everything. Final exams, final projects, final dance recitals, prom, graduation and puberty week. And if this weren’t enough, there are “the transitions.” Kindergarten moves to the Elementary School. The...
Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day. One of those holidays that I have never really enjoyed. I have always wondered why we need to stop and celebrate someone for one day- when we should be celebrating each other all the time with how we treat each other and the kindness we show. I...
Forever is a long time.
I think the first time I noticed it was when he was in first grade. We had just moved to China, and he began having trouble at school. At first it was confusing…my sweet boy involved in almost daily fights. Really? Do you have the right boy? I was...
So, what’s your story?
Of all the wonderful things there are to be thankful for while living abroad, one of my most treasured things is my best friend and partner in crime. I am so grateful for speaking to her that day at the pool…..so long ago. She was standing there in a...
The Thanksgiving Turkey Head
The older I get, the more importance I put on being kind and realizing that things you might say to another person could have a profound impact on them. The way you treat people says a lot about you. It says a lot about your character and about how...
The parent of a teenage expat
An interesting concept and one I hadn’t really thought through. I hadn’t thought about the impact it would have on my family- having a teenage expatriate. When I was a teenager, I lived in a college town in the heart of Illinois. I used to refer to it as...
Third Culture Kids
“Third culture kid (TCK) is a term used to refer to children who were raised in a culture outside of their parents’ culture for a significant part of their development years.” I haven’t used this term….in fact, I really didn’t know that it was commonly used until I found...