Over the past 4 years, I have lost count of the number of countries the husband and I have been privileged to visit. What started out as a temporary assignment (1 year, maybe 2) has morphed into something almost semi-permanent. This – working 10 weeks, travelling for 3, community living on a gated compound, no […]
These are my stories
Community
A funny thing happened the other weekend. The husband and I were lolling around the apartment, doing nothing in particular – when the power went off. We looked at each other and waited for it to surge back on, but it didn’t happen. And although we didn’t really have any plans anyway, it unnerved us. […]
The Strangeness of being an Expat
It had been close to two years since we last set foot on Aussie soil when we landed in Sydney shortly before Christmas. Two years – our first Christmas off the island in 5 years. As we transferred terminals from international to domestic, Sydney’s humidity hit me not so much like a punch in the […]
What Kind of Traveller are You?
When travelling a lot, one can’t help but notice the other travellers that cross your path. In today’s world, when travel is as easy as ever, you as a traveller are bound to run across all kinds of different kinds of people from all different kinds of cultures from all over the world. And after […]
Extremes
Once of the things I enjoy about travelling is the opportunity it provides for one to experience extremes. Sometimes it’s deliberate; sometimes not so much. In any event, these experiences often stay with you and becomes the subject of comments such as “that’s the [insert adjective]-est I’ve ever been in my life.” Perhaps this will […]
Hunting Rudolph
The husband and I have just returned from a two week exploration of Finland. Finland appeared to be a strange choice for many people when I told them where we were going – I was frequently met with confused expressions and comments such as “that’s random,” “why are you going there” and my favourite “you […]
Just keep walking
Pretty much all my life I’ve been a walker. Well, since I physically started walking anyway. I was probably first exposed to it by grandmother – a notorious, regular walker. And not just a lap-up-and-down-the-street kind, but, a bushwalker. Born in Germany, she moved to Oz with my grandfather after the war. Although it was […]
Hotels, hotels, hotels
It’s no secret that over the past 3.5 years we’ve stayed in a lot of hotels. However, unlike the rest of our generation, we haven’t embraced the world of Air BNB but instead pretend we’re 50 year old baby boomers and stick to hotels run by businesses where you can either book online or, in […]