Adventures of Living Abroad

  With each short trip around Bali, our confidence in traveling with our infant daughter steadily grew. So when the Christmas break approached, we felt ready for something bigger — it was time to leave the island. After some back-and-forth, we landed on the South Island of New Zealand: safe, stunningly beautiful, and heading into summer — perfect for hiking and spending time outdoors… or so we thought.  That trip came with its fair share of lessons: splurge on the bigger camper van, pack the breast pump even if you think you won’t need it, and always, always bring more layers and rain gear — just in case. In theory, the camper van was the perfect travel solution. It offered freedom, flexibility, fewer hotel costs, and more time to explore at our own pace.  What we didn’t factor in was that our 6-month-old decided this was the perfect time to start teething. Every night, like clockwork, she’d wake up screaming. And getting her back to sleep? Let’s just say it was not a sw...

 I stumbled upon a small photo album I had titled “Stuff on Motorbikes.” I started it back when I was living in Bali, amazed by the sheer number of people—and things—that locals managed to fit onto a single motorbike. I couldn’t resist capturing some of these moments, so I began snapping photos. Here are a few of my favorites...

This post has been patiently waiting in drafts for over six years. In that time, life swept me up in the most profound ways — I became a mother of 2 beautiful children, navigated a global pandemic, and relocated across countries not once, but five times.  What I remember most vividly from this trip are the breathtaking landscapes and the incredible food. At 32 weeks pregnant, sightseeing took on a whole new meaning — fewer jam-packed itineraries, more strategic snack breaks, slower paced walking, and frequent bench scouting.  Here were some of our highlights:  We rented a car in Taipei and drove 2.5 hour south along the coast to Taroko National Park.  Back in Taipei we enjoyed wandering around the city taking in the sites and eating.  And what meal would be complete without ice cream shaped as a cat.  What is this giant sphere you may be wondering?    Well it's built in to the skyscraper Taipei 101, one of the tallest in the world. This gian...