Tag Archives: Travel

Hometown Cards

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When I travel I love to buy postcards and send them to our family. When we were in Mexico, I even got Hubby to send a postcard to his parents.

While I am fairly consistent about sending postcards from abroad, I’ve never really thought about sending postcards from home. In all of my places of residence (Ohio, South Carolina, New York, and California), I’ve never once sent Mom and Dad a postcard from my hometown. So I’ve decided to break that trend now that we are in Oklahoma and bring a global habit home with me.

Unfortunately in the suburbs of Oklahoma City, postcards are not easily found so I had to make my own. With a stack of Oklahoma brochures I picked up at our hotel from when we first arrived, some blank cards, scissors, and clear packing tape, I made some notes worthy of my new city.

The goal was to use what I had…glue stick would be fine too

I cut out pictures from the brochures that represented OKC

Then I placed the pictures where I wanted them and used the packing tape to secure them in place

This one is m favorite – love the wind mills

Fun and free Oklahoma cards to send home!

 

Abroad Blog of the Week: News from a Broad

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I love when I find a blog that makes me think, “Wow, I hope I could do that someday.” This Abroad Blog of the Week definitely falls into that category. News from A Broad is written from the beautiful colonial town of Merida, Mexico by Benne’, an art therapist who picked up her life in Texas and moved abroad. Her blog intertwines art therapy projects, life as an expat, culture experiences, and simple inspiration. Benne’ starts each post with a quote and from there, paints a picture with her words. I was fortunate to connect with Benne’ through the blogosphere and ask her a few questions about life in Mexico as an expat.
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You took some time to explore Mexico before you settled down. What was your criteria for your new home town?

Yes, I explored most of Mexico over 20 years before I discovered the Yucatan Peninsula.  I was looking for a city that had colonial charm, an international airport, contemporary arts & music spaces, as well as deep cultural roots.  Merida is steeped in historical connections between the Maya and Spain.  Having grown-up in New Orleans, Merida captures my love of Spanish and French architecture.

Now that all of your belongings have made it to Merida, what were you most glad to have back?

Two years is a long time to have things in storage.  Even with a detailed manifest, I don’t think I had a solid memory of my own belongings.  When I opened the tote with pictures of my children, spanning their entire lives, I was emotionally flooded.  I had visited with both of them just a two weeks prior.  We are all in our adult lives!  Their images took me to times when their little toes looked like nibblets of corn – precious enough to bite!

How has art therapy helped you adjust to your new life?

I’ve been an artist my entire life, and an art therapies for half.  I find that my creative processes has given me a way of manifesting, through my own creation, the life that I want for myself.  The last six years of my career in the US was spent counseling children in very high risk living situations.  Taking a one-year hiatus to build this life in Mexico has given me an opportunity to recover from the vicarious trauma therapists often experience when working with trauma victims.  Looking at every step required to make this move as creative acts, and particularly the steps over the last year, has helped me allow the process of immigration to unfold without my help!  Art Therapy often pushes us out of our own way.

Do you think it is ever possible for an expat to feel like a local in their adopted city?

I do think that it is possible for expatriates to feel fully integrated.  I had many friends in Austin, Texas that did the reverse of what I am doing.  We crossed the same river, with similar dreams.  I have an increased level of compassion for those friends, and to be honest, my comprehension of how daunting the process can be, has left me in a state of awe.  Those friends made incredible journeys.  They arrived with minimal language, and limited resources.  Under these conditions, they shaped their own experience, and marked the lives of those around them.  I suspect, that an immigrant will always be a bit of an outsider simply because there are cultural was of understanding words, that a language class can never capture.  However, at the root of all people is a core that side steps words, and that is where the deepest connections exist.

What advice would you give someone who is contemplating the life of an expat?

It will lower the stresses of daily living if you have at least a rudimentary understanding of the language of your new country.  You will have more fluid interactions, a wider selection for friendships, and a much easier time adjusting to the cultural differences.  Visit your adopted country as often as possible before you make the final move.  I know a few people who just made that leap of faith and have done fine, but the majority of those that have decided to start over, and by that I mean shedding all connection with their former lives, end up unhappy, never fully adjusting to their new life.  Go beyond expecting change from your move!  Make the efforts to court the dynamics that will alter you.  By this I mean take risk like getting lost on a drive, learn to ask for help, and just revel in the vulnerability!

News from A Broad Quilt

Global Reading for Kids

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My favorite part of being home in Atlanta is spending time with our nephews and niece. We may be bias, but they are quite possibly the cutest kids ever and we love playing with them. The week has been filled with games, the pool and reading books. With my mom being a kindergarten teacher, reading and storytelling was a part of our daily routine growing up and she has definitely carried on the tradition with her grandkids. She has a pretty great children’s book collection and this year for her birthday we helped internationalize it a bit more. Both Mom and the kids have enjoyed these bite-sized global reads:

The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf is an oldie by a goodie. Teaching kids about classic Spanish culture from the perspective of a peaceable bull, this is one you may see on may 1st grade reading lists.

Tickle Tut’s Toes by Julie Appel and Amy Guglielmo – a tangible way for a little one to experience ancient Egypt. My 2-year old niece loves it.

Olivia Goes to Venice by Ian Falconer and Zen Shorts by Jon J. Muth are perfect for the 4-7 year old globe-trotter. With real pictures of Venice and good moral stories from Stillwater the panda, both will be enjoyed by kids and adults alike.

The Korean Cinderella by Shirley Climo is one of several cultural make-overs of the classic fairy tale. For your princess-loving kiddos, these are a great way into incorporate other cultures into their reading.

I finished off the gift with a little bit of creative wrapping by printing pictures or patterns that represented each country.

  • The Story of Ferdinand – Spanish Flag
  • Olivia Goes to Venice – picture of a gondolier
  • Korean Cinderella – Korean calligraphy
  • Zen Panda – red polka dots for the Japanese flag
  • Tickle Tut’s Toes – hieroglyphics

Abroad Blog of the Week: Folded Cranes

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If you are looking for a good daily dose of worldly inspiration, I would highly recommend this Abroad Blog of the Week – Folded Cranes. I’ve now been following the posts of the blogging duo, CIA & PJD, for a little more than 6 weeks. The couple’s posts are interesting and diverse ranging from architecture, food, art, and music all infused into their international adventures. Now living in the heart of Europe, this couple who hails from Australia and New Zealand frequently finds themselves traveling and exploring cities far beyond the guidebook recommendations and folding cranes as they go. I was able to catch up with CIA & PJD for an interview about their blog and travels. Be sure to read their tips at the end!

1. Where are you now and where are you off to next?

We’re currently living in Leiden, The Netherlands. We’ve been here for almost two years now, and it’s a great little city to live in! One of the things we really love about living here is the rich depth of history in what surrounds us – daily we walk by buildings which date from the 1500s and 1600s, which just seems incredible to us having moved here from New Zealand, where such a sense of ancient history isn’t tangible. Here, windmills, canals, bicycles and stroopwaffels are daily parts of life! Leiden is also known as a museum city – because of the density of museums located here. This works really well for us because we love exploring museums, be they history or art museums, or on some other obscure focus! One of our favourites is the SieboldHuis Museum, which showcases Japan and Japanese culture, highlighting some links to the Netherlands. Recently we went to an exhibition there of origami work by the Grand Master of Origami – this was amazing for us! We also love to spend time in the Hortus Botanicus,  incredible botanic gardens in the heart of the old town, established in 1590. The range of unusual plants there is incredible, and there are lovely spaces to while away the afternoon in the sunshine or snow, depending on the season!Leiden is a great place to live as well because of it’s proximity to other cities in the Netherlands via the train links – 30 minutes and we’re in Amsterdam or Rotterdam, 10 minutes to the Hague, and 45 minutes to Utrecht. Oh an 15 minutes to the international airport if we are heading off to explore somewhere else in Europe! Our next travels are to Switzerland for a weekend in August to hang out at a music festival that we are super looking forward to, as a chance to hear some of our favourite bands play live is always something we both love.

2.  You said once that you had started a blog before. What’s different about Folded Cranes that works for you?

Yes! We used to have a tumblr, but we found that the interface didn’t quite work for us so well. We set up that blog after we moved to the Netherlands – mainly as a way to post a few photos and words about what we were up to for our family and friends back at home. But we found that after a while we didn’t post as much as we wanted to, and we also wanted to write about things wider than what we had originally begun the blog for. So it evolved, and we decided a refresh was in order, that’s what led to us starting foldedcranes.com. We resolved that we’d try to post every day or at least once every two days, that it would have a broader focus and would be a chance for us to collect things that inspire, intrigue and interest us, and that we’d put ourselves out there for a (potentially!) wider audience. It’s been great to hear so many encouraging comments from our readers, and to share and swap ideas.

3. Since you’re blogging together, how do you decide what to post?

Blogging together is a great way to run a blog for us, because we have so many interests in common, but also many areas where we have different interests. So the blog is a way that we can bring all these together, which hopefully leads to something interesting and that people will enjoy! It’s also a nice record for us – we are heading towards 100 posts on foldedcranes.com now and it’s going to be nice to look back at some of the things we have written about and discussed over the past few months, and to think about all the ideas and things we want to include in the coming weeks and months! We don’t have a strict timetable of who posts what – it’s more of an organic process, that when one of us has a post idea they go for it, and sometimes we toss around ideas together. Generally we try to keep it fairly balanced with posts from each of us day about, but if one of us is particularly busy with other commitments that means they can’t post that day, then the other is always more than willing to pick up the post for the day. Occasionally we write the odd post together – which is always a really nice process too, making sure that both of our voices and ideas come through in the content that’s eventually posted online!

4. What do you do with all those cranes?

Ah, that is a good question! Well, many of the cranes, we have collected in a couple of clear glass containers/vases in our house, they make a nice centrepiece and are just nice to have around as inspiration! When friends and family visit, they are always intrigued by them. Sometimes, a crane ends up keeping us company on our desks at work, and sometimes they are given away to friends. Earlier this year we folded a heap of cranes for a very special occasion: our wedding! Each guest got a crane folded by us, which most people seemed to find quite special. We’ll be sure to write about this lovely day on our blog one day soon so stay tuned if you’d like to see more…

5. What advice would give someone trying to decide where to go on their travels?

Ah, we could probably talk all day on this topic! But we can boil it down to a few main tips, ten to be exact:

1. Open your mind when you travel: be ready for new experiences, and try to embrace them – especially new cultures, sounds, sights, smells, tastes. Be willing to go with the flow and adapt to unexpected situations – they always happen when travelling!

2. Be respectful of cultures that might be different to yours, and recognise that its a privilege to be able to travel into places that are completely different to your home. Learning a little of the local language, even if just a few phrases, really does go a long way, and will stand you in good stead if you run into any trouble!

3. Try and get local tips – even for good places to eat, or sights that might be a bit more off the beaten track and less touristy. These can often be the hidden gems that really make your trip! We also really like a couple of online travel guides that give tips from a fairly local perspective: for example the website http://www.spottedbylocals.com for various European cities can have some good tips, as can http://unlike.net/ which goes wider than Europe (some Asian and American cities). We also like the travel tips  and stories on the Guardian’s travel section: http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel.
4. Tip 3 above notwithstanding, make sure you do see some of the major sights that might be more traditionally touristy – they are usually so popular for a reason! But if possible, try and check them out at non-peak times when they’re likely to be less crowded.

5.  Do your research before you travel – but don’t over-research, sometimes it’s nice to be spontaneous as well as being well-prepared! Also, it’s really handy to always check opening hours of that particular musuem or sight that you just can’t miss – before we started doing this we had a few well-remembered instances of getting somewhere only to find it had shut because of changes to seasonal opening hours or a particular day of the week when it was not open. Checking ahead can help avoid travel-disappointment! Some also will have free opening times that can be handy to take advantage of!
6. When the unexpected does happen, take a deep breath, keep calm, and recognise that it’s probably not the end of the world…

7. There’s a time and place for rushed travel, when you just have a few short days and you want to tick off some key places. But on the whole we prefer to take a slow-travel approach – spending a few days (or as many as possible!) in one city or place really does allow you to take time to walk around lots and to soak up the feel and atmosphere of the place.

8. For short or weekend breaks, e.g. in cities in Europe, many offer great deals on city passes which give access to public transport and museuums, art galleries and other sights. Sometimes these are really worth investing in and can save time and money. We’ve taken advantage of these in Paris, Stockholm and Berlin, and not been disappointed. In Paris especially, we loved that the pass allowed us to skip the (often long!) queues at places like the Louvre, and go straight on in!

9. Travelling alone can be exciting and a great way to explore the world. It can be a way to really grow as a person and we have both enjoyed this in the past. Now though, we love to travel together. Our advice here though would be to make sure that your travelling companion is someone on the same wavelength as you, and who you know you can rely on to have fun with!

10. As well as capturing it on film, make sure you take the time to enjoy the moment – soak it up as much as you can, as well as spending some time looking through the viewfinder on your camera! Oh and remember to try and post a few postcards home to family and friends – they’ll love to hear how you are and to share in your travels vicariously from a distance.

Thanks Folded Cranes!

Talking to Strangers

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Stranger, if you passing meet me and desire to speak with me, why should you not speak to me? And why should I not speak to you? – Walt Whitman

My husband has always said that I can talk to a wall. He loves bringing me with him to parties because he knows I can small talk. However, my skill is also a frequent topic of jest as I do not limit it to parties. I find random people to talk to at grocery stores, airports, the line at the DMV, etc. Part of my problem is that I’m naturally nosy. I often listen in to other people’s’ conversations and jump in if I have something to say. For example, when I was standing in line to board the plane a few weeks ago, the guy in front of me asked another passenger for advice on what to do in San Diego. I couldn’t resist chiming in. (Plus, all the other guy said was to go to Sea World…REALLY?)

Fortunately my nosiness frequently gets me into some pretty interesting conversation. Like on Friday, I overheard the accent of another passenger on the train. She was visiting from Adelaide, Australia and we got into a great conversation about studying abroad. She was actually in the States visiting a friend who had studied abroad at her school. We talked about her impression of the States and how she loved San Diego but was overwhelmed by New York . We talked about how travel changes once you have friends in the location you are going to visit. She was absolutely lovely and I can’t tell you how glad I was that I talk to strangers.

When we are traveling abroad or being global from home, I think talking to strangers is something we have to push ourselves to do. It’s the way we learn. I think back to all the times I refused to ask a stranger a question and I’m immediately filled with regret. It reminds me of when I was in Switzerland and would not ask anyone how to purchase a tram ticket. Instead I spent the whole trip on foot because I was too scared to ask for help. There was also the time I went to the Asian market and quickly dashed through the store rather than stop and ask questions at the different counters and really learn how the market is set up. When I’m too scared to ask, I think I miss out on so much.

With our move coming up this Friday, I think this is a good reminder. In order for me to learn the lay of the land, get involved, and make friends, I need to throw the time-old advice of not talking to strangers out the window. I just hope I meet some good people along the way.

Graphic courtesy of whoischick.com

Coming Home

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For pretty much everyone that goes abroad, you eventually come home. While California is certainly not abroad, this is the first time we’ve been home in 6 months. In fact, this is the longest both Hubby and I have ever been away from Atlanta.

When we prepare students to study abroad we tell them there are 4 Hs of culture adjustment – honeymoon, hostility, humor, and home. From experience I can say the 4 Hs applied to my transition to San Diego. At this point a year ago, I had been in San Diego for a week, was unemployed, lonely, and hating the 3 hour time zone difference and the small parking spots. I definitely was hostile. But today, I felt the duality of the home stage. I was coming home but felt I was leaving home all at the same time. It was bitter-sweet.

I never really thought much about coming home today. I definitely didn’t think about reverse culture shock, so it snuck up on me. Today as we walked into my in-laws home we were immediately surrounded by 60 members of my husband’s family to celebrate his grandmother’s birthday. I was overwhelmed by a plethora of fried southern food, deep southern accents, and the number one question: How was California? I found myself reverting back to the same routine from when I studied abroad where I repeated the same statement over and over. I probably said, “California was great” about 37 times today.

What is unfortunately is that California was more than great. It was a place where I grew both professionally and personally. It’s where I had the best of jobs as a study abroad advisor to fantastic students. It’s where I met 4 incredible women who became very close friends. It’s where I started this blog. Although my stent in California was shorter than I wanted it to be, my time there was transformational.

I always tell my students that it will take some time to put into words what studying abroad really meant to them. I guess that is where I am right now. Currently, I know that this past year has been life-changing, but I’m not quite sure how to completely explain that. Hopefully I’ll get there soon.

 

 

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

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Tomorrow we leave San Diego for last time as residents. Hubby will drop me off at the train station with three suitcases, two carry-ons, and large painting covered in bubble wrap. He will then drop our car off to be shipped to Oklahoma, take a taxi to the trolley, and then take the trolley to the train station. We will then take a train to LAX where we will catch a bus to the airport and then a red-eye to Atlanta, where our parents will pick us up tomorrow morning. Whew! I’m already exhausted and the day hasn’t even started.

San Diego, you’ll be missed. You’ve been an incredible place to work, play, and be global from home.

Atlanta, I can’t wait to be home, see family, and sleep!

Oklahoma City, be ready. We’re coming next Friday!

Olympic Insider: Jane’s Olympic Blog

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With the Olympics starting this week, I’ve been searching through Olympic tagged posts on WordPress to gear up! A few nights ago I came upon a blog that stuck out: Jane’s Olympic Blog. Jane is from Bromley, England and her blog is all about serving as an ambassador for Team London. She is a true Olympic insider! Jane was so kind to answer a few of my questions.

What Olympic sport are you most excited to see?

We’ve got tickets to see the table tennis, as hubby plays it (though not to Olympic level!), so that will be the most exciting, I think. Plus of course the athletics – I wonder how many records will be broken and how quick Usain Bolt will run?!

What is the most important thing they teach you in ambassador training?

Our ambassador training provided us with a lot of knowledge about what we’ll be doing – welcoming people to London and providing them with information on places nearby, how to get to where they want to go and what else is going on nearby.

As an ambassador for London, what restaurant would you recommend a visitor to try?

We can’t recommend specific restaurants as there are so many and it depends where we’ll be based, and on individual taste. I will be in the ‘Flying Squad’ which means I’ll get to travel about and provide cover at different Ambassador stations each day. For anyone coming to London, the best place to look for restaurants and read their reviews is http://www.timeout.com/london/.

Definitely check out Jane’s blog for the inside scoop on the London Olympics.

Abroad Blog of the Week: Born Again Brazilian

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Although a little later that usual, I am proud to bring you the Abroad Blog of the Week! I found Born Again Brazilian about a month ago and since then have been fascinated with her project of becoming Brazilian. This American-born blogger moved to Sao Paolo from NYC about two years ago with her Brazilian husband and little girl. But on January 1st of this year, she took on a new challenge – do one Brazilian thing every day and blog about the venture. She is now +203 days into her journey and has even survived being Brazilian in Chicago (I’d say that’s is pretty global-from-home-worthy). On top of all that, Born Again Brazilian was so gracious to give me a last minute interview. THANK YOU!!! Here’s what she had to say:

Now that you are +203 days into your Brazilian Challenge, what is your favorite challenge so far?

While the travel experience and the food tasting challenges are the most fun, my favorites are the ones that are really kind of scary and challenge me in both the culture and language. So I’d have to say that my very favorite is “The Exams” when I spent the morning experiencing the Brazilian medical exam center system and learning all sort of new vocabulary.

You’ve been State-side for almost six weeks. How hard has it been to be Brazilian in Chicago?

Harder than I thought. Chicago doesn’t have a large Brazilian community like New York and Los Angeles, so I’ve been limited on food, art and entertainment venues. But it has forced me to test my Brazilian behavior skills, which gets me closer to the original goal of my blog – to become more Brazilian.

What do you prefer: Brazilian parenting styles or American parenting styles?

That’s difficult because parenting styles vary within both cultures. But I feel like American parents are much more involved in the details of their children’s lives. Brazilians tend to put less importance on day-to-day participation and feel it is acceptable to pass tasks, like bathing and feeding, off to others. My mothering mindset is more aligned with the American way, probably because of my American upbringing. But I have witnessed a few American expat mothers adapt into the Brazilian parenting style quite easily.

Who speaks better Portuguese, you or your daughter?

My daughter. Hands down.

What advice would you give someone trying to assimilate into another culture?

I just published “10 Tips for Surviving Sao Paulo,” on my blog. I think all ten pretty much apply to anyone assimilating into another culture. But the one main clue to adaptation is to know that you need help. Most larger cities have organizations for expats and I would highly recommend seeking out those groups for information and support.

Abroad Blog of the Week Nominations

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With moving, Mexico, and a residual stomach bug I am a bit off this week and now I’m running behind. While I’ve been emailing with a few bloggers, I have no abroad blog (yet) for this week. Bummer. But like the greeting card says, “When life gives you lemons, stick them in your bra.”  I figured I could use this opportunity to get some nominations for future Abroad Blogs of the Week. So here is the deal:

Criteria to be an Abroad Blog of the Week:

  1. The blogger must either be about to go abroad, currently abroad, or recently returned from abroad
  2. The blog must predominately be about culture/travel
  3. Posts should be fairly regular (at least once or twice a week).
  4. It has to be interesting

Requirements to be an Abroad Blog of the Week:

  1. Let me ask you 4-6 questions via email
  2. Send back your responses by the following Monday
  3. If you want (i.e. this is not a requirement), welcome any new readers from Global from Home the day I post our interview.

Easy, peasy.

If you would like your blog to be an Abroad Blog of the Week or know of another blog you think I should scope out, let me know! You can comment on this post or email me at elisehblalock@gmail.com.

Want to learn more about the Abroad Blog of the Week? Check out these previous editions: