Family Globalisation: A Journey of Hope

Sydney
It’s not your typical vacation.
Clive’s daughter K, whom I wrote about in ‘Living in Royal National Park, Sydney’, is spending her limited annual leave (vacation) time on a volunteer education project in Rwanda.
K is with a team from Hope Rwanda, an organisation that works in cooperation with the Rwandan government to equip and empower the Rwandan people. [...]

Dual Citizenship and U.S. Tax Torture

Sydney, Monday
I try not to get angry and frustrated over the way the U.S. taxes citizens who live abroad.  I’m not always successful.
No-one likes paying taxes, but most of us do pay them and I think most of us pay them honestly.  We try to maximise whatever legal tax advantages we have.  Then, even [...]

Christmas Together and Apart: Tables Turned, Lessons Learned

Sydney, Sunday
I’ve been thinking a lot about family globalisation and change, specifically related to how, where, and with whom I’ll be spending Christmas, Boxing Day, and New Year holidays this year.
I know change is part of growth and life, and I try to be mindful and appreciative of the gift of time we have on this [...]

Family Globalisation: A New Way to Stay Connected

3 More Things to Take, but Small, Light, and Worth It

Sydney
We found a new way to stay connected on our recent three-month trip.  The technology is still evolving, and we’re not sure it’s the best solution available, but it was a huge step forward in our ability to communicate, conduct personal and professional business long-distance, and [...]

End of an Era: 54 Years and 4 Generations in 31 Days

Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey, U.S.A.
   
It is done.  The house my mother lived in for 54 years is clean and empty, on its way to having a new owner.
 
It started last May and June, when we spent 6 weeks here due to my mother’s emergency hospitalisation and unplanned move to assisted living.  In September we returned for [...]

The Fields of Bannockburn, Scotland

Bannockburn, near Stirling, Scotland
Before meeting Clive and traveling to Stirling with him, I didn’t realise Scotland’s greatest battles for independence were fought in this area. In 1297, William Wallace regained Scotland’s independence from England at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. Victory was short-lived, however, and in 1314, at the Battle of Bannockburn, a small Scottish [...]

Home Is Where You Make It

New Jersey, Friday

We’ve been here for just about 24 hours, and already Paris seems like a dream, Sydney even more so. What is it about one’s childhood home that has such a pull on the memory and the psyche?

Inherited Places
I feel very much like I’ve jumped back into the center of my “inherited life.” At [...]

London 2012 and Beijing 2008 Olympics

International Herald Tribune 25 Aug 2008  

Sydney, Monday
I love this photo from the International Herald Tribune.  The closing ceremony was fun to watch, and it should be interesting as the focus for the next summer Olympics shifts to London 2012.
Maybe we’ll find a London 2012 pin on our upcoming trip, as tourist trinkets and official merchandise become more and [...]

Helping Hands in Washington, D.C.

Sydney, Sunday
My son’s moving-in is going well in Washington, D.C., except for the usual challenges of service providers not showing up and a particularly large Ikea bookcase that needed two people to assemble.  Our friends M and R saved the day by lending a helping hand.    
Thank you, M and R! 

Dual Citizenship and the M Word (Money)

Sydney, Saturday
Every 6 months, I have to pay income tax to one country or another.  Australia runs on the financial year, 1 July to 30 June, and income tax returns are due by the 31st of October each year.  We have an overseas trip coming up, and I need to complete my Aussie taxes before [...]