It felt like the absolute worst time to take a trip. Our son was home from college for the summer, our oldest daughter had just gotten married, and our youngest daughter had graduated from high school and was preparing to leave for college in late August. Everything in me wanted to soak up every minute
Ever since becoming a mom 12 years ago, most of my work has been freelance. Being self-employed has always been the only way I could work, as my partner has no flexibility in his job, we haven’t had family who could consistently watch the kids, and I couldn’t afford to put my three kids in
Every time my kids asked to watch TV, I had to prepare myself for battle. My 2-year-old should not be experiencing decision fatigue, yet I watched her grapple with the impossible choice of which Bubble Guppies episode to watch every single day. And when she would finally pick, it wouldn’t even hold her attention. Three
When I started planning our family’s Disney and Universal vacation, I knew it wouldn’t be cheap. Our six-day Orlando trip for a family of five cost about $8,620, including airfare, hotels, theme park tickets, airport transportation, meals, and other travel expenses. So, I started looking for a way to offset some of those costs using
“Hey, great party!” a parent laughed while wiping mud off their daughter’s happy face. My own grin stretched wide as I thanked them for coming and made my way upstairs, dodging kids in animal costumes sprinting down. I made my way to the platform and poked my head into each room until I found my
Nine days into 2025, I stood at gate G7 in Amsterdam waiting to board my flight to Cape Verde to build a nomadic life on my own terms. A year and a half later, strangely enough, I’m still here. The temporary adventure turned into a life, complete with friends, routines, and a man who, after