How do I use this toilet? Where’s the peanut butter? And what the heck are they saying about me?A book review of Ni Howdy! by Desi Downey
I think all expats ask these questions in the beginning.  In Belize, I had an outhouse, the worst toilet I’ve ever had. Even European toilets have their [...]

Overlooked Ways to Learn or Practice a Foreign LanguageI’ve always been interested in languages, but in my travels (specifically Belize, France, and Germany) I’ve had to learn some basic Spanish, French, and German to just go to the store and to do the everyday things like take the bus or order a pizza.
I’m not fluent [...]

The Chicken Burrito Incident or Which One Of These Does Not Belong In Canada?I knew better.  I really did.  And I thought he knew better.  So when my husband asked me to put his half-eaten chicken burrito hot pocket thing in my backpack on our Air Canada flight just before we got off, I gave [...]

28 Random Things About MeI’m not going to get too crazy personal, but this was kind of fun.  28 random things for the 28 years I’ve been alive.  Any of these surprise you?
1. I once had a gerbil named Peter Harold.
2. I love to eat Cheetos dipped in organic yogurt.
3. I’m an only child.
4. I’ve [...]

10 Reasons To Be Thankful You’re An ExpatIf you’re an American expat, and away from the extended family you’re used to celebrating the holidays with, this time of the year, through Christmas, can really be a bummer.  In some countries you may not be able to find the foods and decorations you’re used to.  And [...]

Why Do We Like Stories That Make Us Cry?I posted this on my homeschooling list, and they were not impressed.   Do you think I’m a heartless mother for letting my child read “negative, sad” stories?  Or are “Where the Red Fern Grows”, “The Bridge to Terebithia” and other kids stories with sad endings [...]

Are You Guilty of Antisocial Networking?What is antisocial networking?  Well, first we have to figure out what social networking really means.  I mean, “social networking”.  Isn’t that redundant?  It sounds like a big party.  Not really.
My son’s American Heritage Student Dictionary says:
social: adj. 1a. Living together in communities or similar organized groups
network: n.1. An open [...]

Memories of ArkansasSome of my best memories are in the backdrop of the natural beauty of Arkansas, especially its parks: Lake Dardanelle, the lodge at Mount Magazine, taking every single out-of-state visitor up Mount Nebo, the little local park at Piney Bay, near where we used to live.  Hours and hours of fishing, family picnics, [...]

Natural Marketing: Or Why You Should Always Take Your Chicken To TownIf you live in a 25-mile radius of Dardanelle, Arkansas, you probably know my mom. If you don’t know her from church, school, or football games, or from reading her weekly column in the local newspaper, you know her as that woman who [...]

The Trans-Canadian Adventure: Or Three Broke Wannabes in a Greyhound BusAlmost two years ago, I was sitting in the basement of my mother-in-law’s house in Germany, discussing with my husband which country we should try next.
US – can’t go there (that’s why we were in Germany)
Belize – too hot. And other issues.
Stay in Germany – [...]