We are living in a time of tremendous uncertainty. The Stoics would argue that we always live in times of uncertainty, but in this moment, when the familiar world has been overturned in a matter of weeks, the uncertainty seems loud and clear. We don’t know what the future holds, whether you’re talking about a […]
In the fall of 2014, I gave an orientation for new international staff at the Dutch university I worked at. In designing the program, I called on 5 years of experience teaching Intercultural Awareness and more than 15 years of experience living abroad. By then, I had lived in 6 countries on 3 continents. I […]
This post is based on an introduction to the film Women that I gave at the Focus Theater on behalf of Arnhem Together in Arnhem, The Netherlands on International Woman’s Day 2020 I went to college at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. If you aren’t from the US, you probably haven’t heard […]
February was a big, thick books month. I’m often hesitant to read thick books because it feels like a speed bump in my reading highway. But, they’re also good challenges and why be afraid of a challenge? Sapiens was a book club choice this month. In order to make sure we don’t get in a […]
During a workshop, a participant asked me if using their audacious goal was honest. As she put it, “If I tell people then I am going to cure cancer am I lying to them?” The short answer is that it depends on your phrasing and situation. If you tell them you’re going to cure cancer […]
Are you ready to start working on your personal-professional story? It’s the story you develop to introduce yourself in a professional setting. Only this story isn’t just built on your CV, it’s designed to incorporate the rest of your life as well. Read my blog post about the structure for an introduction. The first thing […]
Last week, I promised you an article about setting goals this week. I’m putting it off. First of all, I came up with a brilliant idea for a giveaway that I want to take time with. Also, I have been on a more serious reading bender than usual and wanted to share what I’ve been […]
About three years ago, I was on vacation with my family staying on the German-Austrian border. We were visiting Neuschwanstein, the castle that inspired the Disney castle at the tail end of a family road trip from the Netherlands to Croatia and back home. My husband was working on a grant application at the time […]
Every fall, I need a new babysitter. Since my babysitters tend to be busy and hard-working, I usually need a couple. I find them by posting a request on my expat Facebook group. My post gets anywhere from half a dozen two dozen responses every time. After I’ve eliminated anyone who doesn’t meet my basic […]
I wrote this article on a writing retreat I took a couple of weeks ago. It was my first writing retreat and I used some new technology. I wrote the first draft of this blog post in a hotel room, talking to my computer ! I felt like a fool, at least as foolish as you […]