Journey to Global Community
Having a 30 before 30 bucket list has been fun. I have never mentioned this before, but I have reserved the right to change my bucket list as I see fit. I’ve decided to use that right today. THIS. MAY. SHOCK. YOU. (Or maybe it won't...) I am taking off number 1: “Go to Disney World and Harry Potter Land.” A couple of days ago, Brian suggested we take this long awaited trip...and I didn’t want to go. I can’t put my finger on the sudden change of heart. I asked the … [Read more...]
“Doesn't it seem to you," asked Madame Bovary, "that the mind moves more freely in the presence of that boundless expanse, that the sight of it elevates the soul and gives rise to thoughts of the infinite and the ideal?” ― Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary … [Read more...]
My cousin Whitney and I are having a great time in Carmel, but one of us is breaking the law. Do you know who it is? Answer: I am. It is illegal to wear heels over two inches in Carmel. Rarely (if ever) enforced, it was created for liability reasons due to tree roots creating very unleveled sidewalks. Another random fact: they do offer free high-heel permits at City Hall! … [Read more...]
Today we’re packing up and heading to Carmel and the Bay Area to visit family! Beach, sun (maybe...you never know up there), and community! But first... Packing. I hate packing. Hate it...probably because I’m terrible at it. Since we’re driving, I cheat a little. We bring black garbage bags full of the boys dirty laundry and then do it at my parents’ house. (Apparently, I never grew out of that college habit.) My make-up now lives in a plastic ziplock that originally made … [Read more...]
<--back to page one In our case, Time wasn’t necessarily advocating for anything, so the next most identifiable person or thing to that cover would have been the subjects on the cover. That, mixed with a subjective interpretation of the image created a modern-day witch hunt. Most took the tagline that accompanied the image as advocacy for a certain style of parenting, and they assumed that I would say my style of parenting is superior to mainstream society, which isn't true of my … [Read more...]
After our two recent posts about my best friend, Bryan, we received an overwhelming amount of emails inquiring about his romantic status (among other things). So, in order to answer the questions more efficiently, and add to the embarrassing factor for him, here is a post that will do just that. Commonly asked questions: “Is Bryan single?” He is single and ready to mingle. “Is Bryan heterosexual?” Yes. Unfortunately, that limits some of the inquiries, but the heart wants what the … [Read more...]
Part 1 of this story *disclaimer* If menstrual cycle talk freaks you out - click away immediately. Bryan and I landed in Addis Ababa well rested thanks to the upgrade, and I thought the trip might go off without a hitch from here on out. I knew that time of the month was starting in a day or so and I put on a pad to be safe. Unfortunately, what I forgot to think about was the fact that the medication the travel doctor had given me actually changed my entire cycle. We walked … [Read more...]
After Brian and the boys left to go back to the US, I stayed in South Africa and met up with my best friend, Bryan. Bryan has been my best friend since I was 13, and is familiar with being my roommate on random road trips, but this was the biggest trip we ever did together, and he, in my mind, is almost a saint after what we put up with. When rooming with someone who is essentially a brother, there are still (at least for us) some gender specific boundaries that would be weird to cross, … [Read more...]
Brian, the boys, and I spent part of the weekend in Ojai, CA with some friends for a little getaway. I realized on the way there that this time of the month was not one I was prepared for and I asked Brian to stop once we got into the small town and run in and buy some tampons. Brian found my bounty and was in line to make the purchase when a rugged mountain man behind him (buying Coors Light, no less), leans in and asks Bri, “Did you find the right … [Read more...]
We have been overwhelmed with responses and inquiries about family African safaris since we returned from our trip to Lion Sands. Here are some of my recommendations and suggestions for taking an African safari as a family. Stay long enough for it to count. For this kind of trip and the distance we had to travel, I wouldn’t stay any less than two weeks. It will take you (and the kids!) at least a day or two to recover from the travel, and at least another day or two to get geared up for … [Read more...]
Our hope is that people will get a chance to see a family that may look a little different, but is as close and loving as a family that meets the stereotypical ideal. It is time to break barriers, stop making assumptions, and realize that families come in all different shapes and sizes and can still define the term. Find Out More ››
