Published inILLUMINATION·PinnedMember-onlyLife In Europe Is InconvenientAnd it’s making me healthier — When most people hear me talk about my life in the Netherlands, they probably think it sounds inconvenient. I know my mom does. They hear that I walk or bike to the grocery store and usually their first reaction is “Really?” Most days…Travel5 min readTravel5 min read
Published inGlobetrotters·Oct 4Member-onlyMy Seven Days in Crete: The Perfect Blend of Adventure and RelaxationA week on the island and we barely scratched the surface — When I mentioned I was planning a trip to Crete, my friends sent me a flurry of texts. “Go to Falassarna Beach.” “You must go to Elafonissi Beach. It’s a pink sand beach.” “Try Restaurant To Stachi in Chania. It’s brilliant!” Many friends offered recommendations for amazing beaches and tasty…Greece10 min readGreece10 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·Sep 29Member-onlyYou Don’t Need to Be Fluent to Speak the LanguageThe pitfall of many language-learning journeys — There is no perfect in language learning. Unless you are a UN interpreter, the pursuit of perfection is the enemy of learning. You don’t have to be perfect to be good. The other day, I stood in my kitchen over a bag of corn husks. You hardly find raw, whole…Life3 min readLife3 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·Jun 29Member-onlyForget Creativity — Midjourney Is Great for People-WatchingIt’s fascinating to see what people are creating — I’m about a year late to the Midjourney party, which is not saying much because the tool is still so new. I’ve recently dived in and started prompting away. I’ve failed a ton, but I’ve kept at it and prompted some more. …Midjourney4 min readMidjourney4 min read
Published inMaking of a Millionaire·Jun 6Member-onlyWho’s the CFO in Your Relationship?P.S. I hope it’s you — Tax time. Time to pay bills. Taking time to set up that automatic transfer to the savings account. Yes, managing money can take a lot of time. Even if it’s not the time you are physically sitting at a computer doing the actual work. It’s also the time and mental…Money4 min readMoney4 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·Jun 1Member-onlyThe Hidden Shame of Many Long-Term ExpatsSomething we should be talking about, but would rather not because it’s too embarrassing — As an expat living in Europe, I’ll tell you about a recurring conversation. Random stranger: So, how long have you lived here? Me: Almost five years. Random stranger: Oh, that long? So you must be fluent in the language? Me: No, I don’t really speak it. I can’t tell you…Language Learning6 min readLanguage Learning6 min read
Published inA Parent Is Born·May 25Member-onlyWhen That Annoying Kid Running Wild in the Restaurant Is YoursYet another reminder that you have to be realistic as a parent. — I had the worst restaurant experience the other day. Okay, maybe that’s a little too dramatic. The other day, I was frustrated. Here I was trying to enjoy my lunch at a restaurant and this little boy was just running around the restaurant. He was ignoring the great play kitchen…Parenting3 min readParenting3 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·May 24Member-onlyThis Tradition Reveals That Dutch Moms Are Not Squeamish About BugsLet's just say I was completely unprepared for this tradition — A few weeks ago, a new message pinged in the app for my child's school. One word stood out as I first glanced at the message: luizen. For those who don't speak Dutch, which is probably 99% of the readers, luizen is the word for lice. Yes, lice! Oh my…Parenting4 min readParenting4 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·Apr 21Member-onlyYou’re Cordially Invited to Date Night: 8:30 pm, Our Dining Room, No KidsThe invitation we should all be writing to our parenting-partner-in-crime — Parenting4 min readParenting4 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·Apr 6Member-onlyHow Investment Banking Prepared Me for ParenthoodAnd I had no clue at the time… — My days are a lot different than they were a decade ago when I worked in investment banking. I’ve replaced cleaning up Excel spreadsheets with wiping clean sticky fingers. However, the funny thing is, if you zoom out, these two sections of my life look eerily similar. Replace the demanding…Parenting4 min readParenting4 min read