Hiking in the Negev in Israel is as beautiful as it sounds, and something I’ve wanted to do since we arrived a few years ago. As our time in Jerusalem is growing short, I ditched my spouse and kids, and signed up for a group hike in the HaMakhtesth HaKaton, a small crater in the… Read More Five Things I Learned Hiking HaMakhtesh HaKatan in the Negev
It’s easy to bleed money when we’re traveling. It’s also easy to bleed money living in a city like Jerusalem. Lucky us, there are lots of free things to do in Jerusalem with kids. Explore the Old City The Old City in Jerusalem is beautiful and full of history. Whether you’re exploring the Church of… Read More Free Things to do in Jerusalem with Kids
Chocolate covered dates are an easy beginning to my foray into Palestinian desserts. They’re a special occasion treat, something that I’ve seen mostly in small quantities at iftars or to be sold to tourists at artisan markets. The dates are delicious and rich, a perfect accompaniment for coffee, but not something to be consumed in large… Read More Palestinian Desserts – Chocolate Covered Dates Stuffed with Pecans
Holidays are tough. For everyone. All over the world. I’ve been celebrating the winter holidays abroad for a long time (in 10+ years abroad, I’ve spent three Christmases in the States). Despite that, I’m finding that as this holiday season begins, I’m more homesick than usual. I’m missing friends and family and pumpkin spice lattes.… Read More Celebrating Holidays Abroad – Reasons to Love It
I made all of both my daughters’ baby food for stretches of about six months per child. It sucked at first, but I slowly got into a rhythm that allowed me to make it in large batches. Look, being a working mother is hard (being a mother is hard, period). And I can see why folks don’t… Read More Making baby food in two hours per week (or less, even as an expat)
I don’t write about politics on here because I can’t. I work for the American government, and I serve at the pleasure of the president no matter who he or she might be and no matter what his or her politics might be. I have spent my adult life learning from those who have less than… Read More America is still great, or, thoughts on elections
I am damn pleased to announce that I’ve accepted a handshake to be the Management Officer at Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. We’ll leave Jerusalem next April, spend several months in DC, then arrive in Malabo in January 2018. This is a bit insider baseball to those not familiar with the Foreign Service, but very briefly, just… Read More Next stop, Equatorial Guinea!
I swore last year that I wasn’t going to make the kids’ costumes again, and yet somehow, I ended up doing it again this year. At least I had the sense to buy basic items and make only the logos and accessories. The problem is that I find homemade costumes utterly charming, and also, that… Read More How this Working Mom got Suckered Again, or, Happy Halloween
Machu Picchu is a once-in-a-lifetime hike that everyone should do. The bulk of the ruins are easy walks that can be done with toddlers or parents, and there hikes for the more adventuresome as well. There are a million blgoposts detailing the history of Machu Picchu. Go read them. I’m going to describe our amazing… Read More Machu Picchu
So we’d have enough time to explore the Inca ruins in Ollantaytambo (or Ollanta), we spent several nights there, using it as our base to explore the Sacred Valley. Ollantaytambo was the site of the Inca’s last resistance against the Spanish, and sits at over 9,000 feet above sea level. Yes. That’s high. But not as… Read More Inca Ruins, Ollantaytambo
