A Californian living in Switzerland
I keep having this dream where I’m on a plane. I’m alone in first class. The lights are dimmed and my seat is reclined. I’m watching a romantic comedy. Something by Nora Ephron. I have a stack of magazines next to me, but none of them are TIME or anything with hard journalism. The flight attendant comes […]
Read MoreThe other day I found myself in a sticky situation. I was at a party, trying to have a conversation and also trying to prevent my toddler from destroying the host’s home, when the question came up “So, what do you do?” After a beat, I said “I’m a writer.” Because I am. Well, kind […]
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I love packing for summer vacations. For each sundress and swimsuit I pack, I imagine a different, idyllic scenario. Strolling down a cobblestoned street with an ice cream cone in hand. Sunning myself on a beach with a good book. And the best scenario of all: Sauntering onto the plane with everything packed into a […]
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Paris may be for lovers, but the 16th arrondissement is for the rest of us: People with toddlers. The western Parisian neighborhood between the Seine and the Bois de Boulogne, runs from the Arc de Triomphe in the north down to the Roland Garros stadium in the south. The quiet quarter, also known as Passy, is […]
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I’ve been lucky enough to visit Paris many times. In fact, it was the first place I saw outside of the U.S. It was the first big city I ever visited. I remember that car ride from the airport as if it were yesterday. Paris was noisy and glamorous and unpredictable. There was music on […]
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History. I’ve never visited a place that so directly and gracefully addresses the most tragic parts of its history more than Berlin. Pictured right above is the heartbreaking Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. The name alone stirs up the still raw emotions from World War II. If you look down while walking around Berlin, […]
Read MoreWhat is the first thing you think of when you hear Berlin? Maybe it’s über modern architecture and graffiti. Perhaps it’s quaint cafes and apple strudel. Probably World War II and the wall. Marlene Dietrich and Angela Merkel. There is no getting around the fact that Germany’s capital has had many lives. It’s resolute resilience […]
Read MoreOne of my favorite stories I heard growing up was about my dad visiting East Berlin as a college student. It’s one of those stories that needs to be heard instead of read, but it ends with a German guard pointing a machine gun at him while he backed away from the Berlin Wall. I’ve […]
Read MoreThe first time we boarded a flight with baby in tow — from Switzerland to Washington, D.C. — he was only seven weeks old. I wrapped him up tightly and strapped him to my chest; effectively creating a human shield between the dirty, scary world and my most precious possession. I was a stressed-out, new […]
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Can you imagine staying in vibrant, bustling London for a week and feeling reluctant each time you leave your hotel for the day? No. That would be ridiculous. London has it all. Surely no one wants to be cooped up in a hotel all day. Then again… What if every time you entered your hotel you […]
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