It came out of nowhere. Alex just looked at me and said, almost casually, that he likes playing with me more than anything. No big buildup, just a simple fact. It hit me harder than I expected. As parents, it is so easy to fall into the trap of thinking our kids need more. We stress about filling their rooms with toys, filling their schedules with after-school activities, and securing a high-class education. We convince ourselves that t ...
I used to think that moving to the countryside meant giving up convenience. You know the cliché: living in the middle of nowhere, driving an hour for a loaf of bread, and dealing with internet speeds from the dial-up era. But after settling into The Cotswolds, I’ve realised that "remote" doesn't have to mean "disconnected." In fact, it’s quite the opposite. I was looking at our daily routine recently, and it hit me just how easy everything is ...
This half-term, Florence’s parents asked if they could come over and help us with Alex. Of course, we said yes. They stayed for ten days. It was a bit crowded in our tiny flat but, believe me, it was totally worth it. With them around, we could suddenly do so much more as a couple. It felt like we got our time back. We went to London for a day, then a quick overnight stay in Cambridge, and even ended the weekend at a spa. We kept our weekday ...
I’ve never been a fan of made-up celebrations. For years, I’ve seen things like Halloween or Christmas as just engines for consumerism, days on the calendar designed to make us buy things we don’t need. I honestly paid them close to zero attention. But this year, something shifted. Or rather, someone shifted me. When you become a parent, you start to live on a different emotional frequency. You learn to feed yourself with your child’s joy. ...
Of all the addictions in the world, I’m glad I have the one that involves just stamps in a passport. I was just looking at my travel map, and it hit me. This isn't just a collection of flags on a digital map; it’s the story of my life. It's where all my spare money has gone, every sacrifice has been made, and where I've found the most joy. My savings account might be crying, but my soul is richer than I could have ever imagined. There’s a fun ...
It’s been a minute, hasn’t it? I know I’ve been quiet on here, but this summer has been a whirlwind of adventure, a collection of moments that have left me breathless and with a heart full of memories. From an epic family road trip through Europe to a trek across Transylvania and a romantic weekend away, it’s been a season of exploration, connection, and pure joy. The Grand Tour: A Family Adventure Our adventure kicked off in mid-July, a f ...
A few months ago, Mum said something that will likely stay with me for my entire life. She confessed her fear that she and I were drifting into two entirely different worlds. For context: in Romania, the far-right, pro-Russian parties were gaining alarming ground, becoming more popular by the day, and teetering dangerously close to power. The thought was genuinely unsettling. Then, the news came. Romania had chosen. It had chosen democracy, f ...
Albania. That was the new country for this year's birthday celebration. I'd never set foot here before, which is a bit mad when you think how remarkably close it is to Romania, my home country. And it wasn't just the geographical proximity that struck me; there was something in the air, the people, the flavours of the food, even the contours of the landscape, that echoed with a comforting familiarity, bringing me unexpectedly closer to home. ...
What a nice day we've had! You know those days when you step outside, and the sky is just so blue, without a cloud in sight? Well, today was one of those. We spent it wandering through the gorgeous Cotswolds countryside. It’s days like these I feel so lucky to live here. We ambled past rolling green fields, saw some lovely old farms, and couldn't help but smile at the fluffy baby lambs and majestic horses enjoying the sunshine. Our friends ...
After a wait that stretched over twelve long years, the dream of Zanzibar finally became a reality. And believe me, the legendary Spice Island didn't just deliver; it absolutely enchanted. We’d gone with visions of pristine white sand beaches and crystal-clear turquoise waters, and while Zanzibar offered those in breathtaking abundance, it surpassed our expectations spectacularly, revealing so much more. Our days were a wonderful blur of e ...
