The Revolving Door of Hello + Simple Apple Tart
I distinctly remember walking into each of our four new homes, fresh off of a 24-hour journey. One was bigger than expected. One was so white (freshly painted walls), paired with hospital-grade light bulbs, I felt blinded. One was so dirty it turned my toddler’s feet black within a few steps. Yet with each unique […]
How to Welcome Her Back
Your loved one is coming back! After time in a place you couldn’t pinpoint on a map before she fell in love with it, she’s coming home. You will pick her up at the airport, feed her good home cookin’, take her shopping to update that…ummm…wardrobe. Man, is it going to be great to have […]
How to Say Hello When You Have an Aching Heart
Goodbyes feel like death because they are death. Goodbyes are the death of what has been. It will not be again. Even if you see this place, this person again, it will not be as it is now. When I was a young parent, our lives were full of goodbyes, and I made the mistake […]
You say “Hello” and I say “I’ll Stay”
Sometimes the greatest culture shock we experience comes from our interaction with other expats and teammates on the ground. We have just arrived, have a thousand questions, and don’t know where to start looking for a place to live. We know people from our host country will be different from us. But we expect (dangerous […]
This Week’s Theme: Hello
Bonjour. Guten Tag. Shalom. Namaste. Hola. Selamat pagi. Xin chao. Hello. Do you remember that first moment when you stepped out of the airport, the smells of unfamiliar spices, noises and sounds your ears didn’t recognize? Those early months of language learning and building relationships, understanding team dynamics. Perhaps you are eagerly anticipating these brand […]