Category: Travel
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Chicago’s German Christmas market – context gives pleasure
The young German sipped a mug of gluhwein and chatted with his American buddy. Standing behind us, he spoke with a thick German accent. “You can go to L.A., New York, you don’t see a Christmas market like this.” There you have it. America’s Second City boasts the country’s largest, most authentic German Christkindlmarket. The…
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Parental pride at the President’s house – Monticello, Virginia
On the east coast of the United States historic sites are as numerous as the dust bunnies on my floor. There are a lot. And instead of cleaning my house and sweeping dust wads, we are being intentional about visiting some of those sites. Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s home, was our most recent victim. Little Peanut…
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Cheap* mom art project OR Kid’s travel art in six steps
The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, a boat ride on Scotland’s Loch Ness, Mozart’s house in Vienna and Mont Saint Michel. What do they all have in common? A ticket stub. A ticket stub begging to be beautifully arranged in an archival quality, acid free, plastic-page-covered scrapbook the family will cherish for generations. What a great…
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A TCK gives birth
By the grace of God and with the expert coaching of my husband, I gave birth to a beautiful, healthy boy in September. He was eight days “late,” but they come when they come. The labor was, of course, excruciatingly painful. But it had a beginning and an end – and a completely worthwhile reward.…
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Baby due in two weeks. . . and I forgot what I NEED
I lived in Africa off and on for years before I had children. Then I returned with my husband and 9-month-old for a visit in 2010. My eyes were opened to things I wouldn’t have noticed before. Having kids does that – gives you new perspective. We visited Mozambican friends in their tiny, one-room abode.…
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Model alien in the front yard
We all know we travel or live abroad to expose ourselves to new foods, cultures, people and ways of life. I wouldn’t generally say I travel to expose myself to new insect experiences. But sometimes those experiences can’t be avoided and it’s all I can do to turn them into a positive educational experience for…
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American Road Trip (Part IV): Passionate handworking
We met people enjoying, relishing, yea, even thriving, doing work with their hands. There’s something pleasantly appealing about people who work slowly, steadily and are rewarded with a visually stunning piece of handiwork. We met several such artisans this summer as we crossed the country. Some had small craft shops, some were simple hobbyists and…
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American Road Trip (Part III): the National Park Tour that wasn’t
When we found out we were moving crosscountry, we intended to stop and stay in at least six U.S. National Parks. Travelers come from across the the globe to visit and enjoy some of the greatest (in every sense of the word) national parks in the world. We do not take them, or our tax…
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American Road Trip (Part II): Coffee in the shadow of the Little Bighorn Battlefield
On some days of this trip our goal is to cover miles, not stop at every point of interest. We do have to get to our final destination this summer. . . But we couldn’t pass up the National Historic Landmark at the Little Bighorn Battlefield. Americans are taught about the historic events that took place among…
will travel with kids 