Is your life … enough? Mine never was. Over the decades I have questioned why. Why does “normal life” sound like a prison sentence? Why did traditional real-life feel like something I was waiting to escape from? As a mother and ex-wife, I wish the answers to those questions had...
It took me ages to decide what to title this piece because I don’t want to hurt my sweet Mommy. She loves Christmas and to this day is the best mom and grandma when it comes to the holiday. In fact, some of the times my mom seemed happiest was...
I’ve been deported from a country twice and blacklisted once. The 1st deportation hit me like a brick. The company I moved halfway around the world to work at in India decided to cut my entire department and not in a gentle way. They tried to let me go without...
Divorcing my Spanish husband to be HAPPY SINGLE versus MISERABLE MARRIED was the best decision of my life. I was 22 and living in Barcelona when we met. I thought I was in love when we married but I didn’t really know him and learned too late what life would...
I met another solo female traveller / L.A. native yesterday and it was FUN! She’s a young woman who came to Pakistan on her own and did it “her way” … not going only to the most popular area (“The North”) but also spending WEEKS in one of the least...
Do you solo travel? If you haven’t yet, ask yourself: why not? If you’re married, a solo weekend away can reinforce feelings of gratefulness in your life. Or if you’re single, it’ll spark a fire to do MORE in life, I promise you. Getting older S-U-C-K-S. I put on weight...
I had no idea that Ali Medical charged me 4,400% more without telling me I had choices.
I didn’t start out as a minimalist who STRESSES OUT when I own more than 3 suitcases full of “stuff” but that’s me today. Who we become is shaped by so many factors. We are all different and that’s what makes this great big world of humans so magical. But,...
IT’S NEVER TOO LATE ❤️ …to do. …to learn. …to become an explorer. …TO DREAM! Doesn’t matter where we’re from or how old we are, we all have dreams. One of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves is permission to follow our heart and follow our dreams. Uncovering and...
10 days ago I had an urgent appendectomy surgery that took me by surprise. I’m a foreigner alone in Pakistan, which plays no part in this except maybe the fact that I am female. PLEASE READ UPDATE 24-AUGUST >> I wrote a 2nd article detailing just how much Ali Medical...
It’s fair to say, sometimes all we want are a few days spent lounging someplace with a view, sipping cocktails, eating deliciously, and (hopefully) being pampered at the spa to recharge the body back to 100%. An island, beach or mountain resort works for that – OR – a luxury...
It was in 2011 when I moved to India for 3 years that I learned not everyone is free to live their dreams. In the U.S. & Spain, trying to follow our dreams was normal, typically just more of a challenge for women than for men. But in some countries,...
At 21, I dropped out of uni and drove my Jeep from California down to live in Puerto Vallarta — lulled by its beauty & warm people … and an ABSOLUTE HUNGER for a different kind of life. A quieter, simpler life. One that filled each day with new sights,...
I have Pakistan on the BRAIN!! For weeks I’ve been plotting scenes, choosing what I’d share and what I won’t share, and starting to write the story of my two years in Pakistan and it’s making me relive A LOT! There were countless wonderful new friends. Millions of smiles. Remote...
E Pluribus Unum. That’s the motto of the USA as established by our founders. Unless someone is Native Indian, every American is the descendent of an immigrant. For the most part, NOT posh foreign emissaries but immigrants (rich or poor) who moved to the USA to live a better (or...
Yesterday more details emerged of the story of two women (one Dutch, one Venezuelan) lured to Lahore, Pakistan under false pretences by business associates they knew, who ultimately kidnapped and tortured them. The intent was to extort the women for money and drain their crypto-wallets. What transpired was much darker,...
Absolutely NOTHING has gone to plan since relocating from an amazingly chilled island in Indonesia back to Islamabad in mid-June. I mean nothing! But it’s both fun and kinda funny. So here’s a very unexciting roundup of month one. FORBIDDEN TO ENTER KP The whole reason I flew to Pakistan...
I had a daughter. I was never a traditional “tv mom” I’m sure, but she was my greatest gift & I love her with my whole heart (yes, love not loved … will explain). When she was one year old, I divorced her father because he was a bully, abusive,...
It’s strange to sit back and do the math and realise that it has been 21 years since my last proper boyfriend but that is how long it has been. The year was 2005 and he and I were like chalk and cheese and it didn’t last more than a...
I mean it in the sweetest way possible but … seriously, what is wrong with Pakistanis!?!? Before you hate on me, please know that I love Pakistan. I have spent over two years travelling & working here (I’m in Islamabad now, my 3rd time in Pakistan) and I have a...
It started back in 2015 if I’m being really honest. I went through a pretty dark time in Hong Kong after losing my job and feeling the weight of responsibility to pay for my daughter’s uni and accommodation fees alone because my ex-husband never paid child support or helped with...
The first time I moved abroad I simply drove across the border from southern California on down to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. It was exciting, life changing, and it turns out … a really bad idea as a single, young 20 year old girl. From there it was Barcelona, then Bangalore,...
If you have been looking to ‘find yourself again’ or rejuvenate your soul … solo travel is one of the best ways to do it. Any time I’ve needed to escape ‘real life’ in order to move beyond times when I was feeling low (a bit like right now so...
I’ve lived in 9 countries and have rented apartments in all of them, including in Pakistan. But nothing prepared me for what I would experience when I moved from my apartment at One Constitution Avenue in Islamabad to Emaar in Karachi. It was ROUGH! The patriarchy didn’t touch my life...
I’m currently planning a fun road trip with my sweet Mommy for when I visit next, so I have USA on my brain. It’s making me think of “what ifs”, like what if I never divorced, never left the U.S., chose a different career, etc. Being able to work from...
If 2 people were ever more opposite, it would be me and my sweet Mommy. This is true down to the base core of who we are. And it’s been our greatest challenge to overcome. The obvious is that I am tall and she is petite or she was born...
I was 20 my first solo trip, road-tripping Mexico. My Mom, in her 70s, recently started solo travelling after my father’s passing and is addicted to it now, too. In fact, she just set sail on another month-long solo cruise today, owning this next stage of her life — living...
You don’t have to be fearless or daring to be a solo female traveller. It doesn’t require any special confidence or skill set. And it isn’t scary or dangerous with just a dash of common sense sprinkled in. Solo travel builds confidence and self-esteem, especially for girls and women who...
On Sunday, a gov official in Pakistan informed me that a formal investigation has finally been initiated to look into the crimes of the man who tried to r@pe me in 2024, Fawad Syed Shahnawaz (who pretended to by a coordinator to the chief minister of Balochistan when I met...
Experiencing the beauty of Ramadan & the joyfulness of Eid is a treat … & extra fun in a foreign country where things are next-level different. Like here. Behind me, there are 10 Muslim families celebrating Eid at a beach bar! I’ve lived in 3 Muslim-majority countries. And it always...
A Story for Ramadan 🌙 I made my 1st Muslim friend in 2011 when I moved to India. She was a co-worker who helped me see the truth of her beautiful religion, and helped me to realign decades of misinformation I had in my head. You see, in the U.S.,...
It’s easier to see CHANGE in others than in ourselves. This year a lot happened and I wasn’t self-aware enough to course-correct the darkness I felt. OR perhaps it’s more honest to say that I let myself lean into it due to a bit of depression. Since January, I experienced...
While trying to secure funding for a project that was approved by Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) last year, I was almost raped by a man pretending to be Balochistan Chief Minister Bugti’s coordinator, a secretary to the Chief Minister tried to extort me for sex, a female politician victim-blamed...
— Since 9/11, I’m the foreigner to explore Balochistan, Pakistan the longest, 50+ days across 10 districts in 2021 (+ 20 days in 2024 = 72 days total). Travelling there was the most fun I’ve had in decades and the closest I felt to a proper explorer since the 90s...
You might think the biggest cultural difference a liberal Californian in Pakistan would experience is around religion but that’s not the case (this is the 3rd Muslim-majority country I’ve lived in, I love them). Where I struggle is around dealing with men. Western women are accustomed to having close relationships...
I was deported & blacklisted from a country once. I had relocated for a chief marketing officer job but ended up striking out on my own, exactly like what I’m doing here in Pakistan. I set up my own company, hired staff, and landed Samsung as my first client. The...
Last week I was talking with a friend about solo travel on our weekly Malaysia travel radio show and his answer was a common one: that as someone in a relationship (married), he doesn’t feel that solo travel is for him. And that makes sense. It could feel hurtful to...
It wasn’t long after my daughter left the nest (and I was deep in empty nest syndrome) that I genuinely – HONESTLY – put thought into a Zombie Apocalypse Plan. Well, for comedic effect, that’s what I called it anyway. It was more like: if the world falls apart, how...
Last week I spent 4 days in a lush Malaysian rainforest, experiencing the first meaningful DIGITAL DETOX of my life. My days were spent between fighting an involuntary reflex to reach for my mobile, heading out on adventures, or enjoying long hours of stillness … and it was great. Mostly....
It’s not often I feel both PURE JOY & ANGUISH so raw. Today I’m the happiest in years, with my life “uncharacteristically responsible” and re-established in my favourite Asian city, Kuala Lumpur. Wonderful clients and (starting next week!) travel adventures that enrich my days. A new radio gig every Friday...
I moved out of Pakistan months ago but still – even TODAY – I’ve had to ban and block 3 men on social media 😡 If you follow my channel, you know I LOVE Pakistan. Pakistan was my favourite adventure I’ve lived in decades. I have only good things to...
It’s 6pm and yes those are pyjamas – the official uniform of many working from home! That’s also a vodka soda with a splash of some yummy Malaysian berry something or other, not tea. I’ve been packing up my temporary condo ‘cuz tomorrow’s a big day. Well, I suppose today...
Wandering. Adventuring. Exploring. That’s the aspirational way I’d categorise the nomadic lifestyle that I’ve just left behind. On paper (or I guess on Instagram) it looks tempting to live it. Seems like it’s full of mostly highs, which like any life it is not. But that life is addictive and...
SHUT UP & GO BACK HOME 😡 Go back to the U.S. Go back to your loved ones Go back to your homeland where you belong This post isn’t about racism yet I am receiving comments like these daily since deciding to share (confess?) more honestly on social media again....
I left home the first time at 20 to travel solo and live in Mexico. From there life has been about exploration, discovery, and living in a way that drove my parents crazy and is far from conventional. Well, now my nomadic lifestyle is in true danger. I’m currently living...
The Attack: 6 April 2020 at 3:45am Today’s #lockdown video is not a fun one. I was woken up this morning at 3:45am by a man in my room wearing a hoodie, mask, and gloves and wielding a machete. Screaming HELP at the top of my lungs woke my neighbours...
I’ve started writing this blog post 10 times, 15 maybe. I’ve even finished it. But that was when I didn’t feel much positivity and those posts were DEPRESSING AS HELL. But that’s changed now so I’m going to try again. The reason I never launched the blog posts I wrote...
When she first left the nest, I had no idea what I was going to feel or ultimately go through. I knew that I’d miss my daughter but … nothing prepared me for the almost literal hell that consumed me after she left. I never understood women who had postpartum...
In this VLOG: How to identify if you have Empty Nest Syndrome How to deal with it as a single mom How NOT to behave with your child because of it I first wrote about the challenges of empty nest syndrome for a single mom when I was living in...
I’m not proud of it, necessarily. It is what it is and I can’t change it. But the fact is that the life I lead today began with me living as an illegal immigrant, or at least illegally. Not in one country or two … but three! Most of the...
I don’t want to wake up one day and regret not taking this chance so the security of my parachute aside, I won’t let fear stop me from living life as an adventure. Who says Gypsies didn’t it right when they embraced a culture of constant change and uncertainty? I’m...
I’ve been an expat, an immigrant, a digital nomad, and location independent. The first time I moved abroad was 28 years ago. The year was 1991 and I dropped out of the University of Irvine in California and drove my Jeep Wrangler down to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. I had a...
I didn’t realise it at the time that I wasn’t really free in India. During the (almost) three years I lived there, I truly thought I was happy. It was a wild time, with a life full of contrasts and amazing opportunities. Yet it was simultaneously the only time when...
Knowing she was leaving didn’t make dealing with Empty Nest Syndrome any easier. It had been just my daughter and I – for the most part – from the time she was one year old. We had lived in Spain, the U.S., and ultimately India, which is where she flew...
While the old adage “what goes around comes around” never rang very true while my daughter was growing up, it’s definitely something I’m experiencing now that she has flown the coop. I first wrote about the challenges of empty nest syndrome for a single mom when I was living in Hong...
That photo with my daughter was taken six years ago and I love it even more today than I did back when she was 13! She is my biggest joy in life and there is honestly no scenario I can imagine where a man or a job or an experience...
First things first, please. Ask yourself…as a teenager were you a parent’s dream-come-true or a total nightmare that cost them hours of sleep and a whole lot of heartache? Well, I was the latter. Not that I’m proud of it but I want to establish my expertise on this topic...
Actually living in a foreign country instead of just visiting it paves the way for a whole slew of fabulous ‘local’ experiences that one wouldn’t normally be able to experience. Like that time I dressed up and performed in traditional Chinese opera makeup and costume! This was a treasured experience...
It seems blissfully fitting that today is now officially the first day of the rest of my life because today is the day that the greatest joy in my life arrived 19 years ago when my daughter was born. While she has been enjoying her very first house party in...
By the time my daughter finished up the final term of her iGCSEs and enjoyed her summer break on the beach in Barcelona in 2011, the cats and I had been settled into life in Bangalore for over four months. The blog I started the first day I moved to...
If you are a regular reader of my blog I’m sure you will be happy to learn that in January – after about 18 months – I finally met a SINGLE smart, handsome Indian power guy (ahhhh the best kind!) who I basically fell head-over-heels coo coo for ‘at first...
I continue to feel humbled to have been chosen to handle social media for Guns N Roses Live India Tour. I grew up in southern California in the 80s so needless to say I was a huge fan from the first day I heard them on the radio (or saw...
So it’s been just over a year since I’ve been writing Angela’s Adventure In Bangalore. I started it just for my friends and family so when the blog started growing, it came as a surprise to me. Growing it also meant opening myself up publicly and engaging with many, many...
I had been living in Spain for 7+ years when the recession hit and I was laid off with half our company. My daughter and I make decisions together so we turned on the computer, opened up Google Maps and started systematically working our way across the globe, short-listing a...
I still remember my first day at work in Bangalore like it was yesterday. My new job started – as they should for some reason – on a Monday and I had moved to the country with three suitcases and into a hotel only the day before. I spent that Sunday...
Until now, the only hate mail I have received has come from angry brides-to-be who find my first Indian wedding experience blog post. Unfortunately these gals had typed in “Sanskruti Silks” or “wedding shoes” or any other combination of words like that and ended up reading my blog post. They were...
Is cheating an accepted practice in India? Do Indian women just turn their back on when they know their husband is cheating on them?
Anyone who has ever lived abroad or traveled outside your home country knows that sometimes it is simply impossible to avoid standing out. India is not the first foreign country I have lived in. I was born in L.A. and raised in Southern California … and over the past 19...
Less than a week has passed since I wrote the post “Are Women Safe In Bangalore?” and I have an update! Honestly, I have pretty much stayed on my high-horse and continued breaking the rules that every single one of my friends, colleagues, and wonderful people who have commented on...
First, let’s talk about dating. I find it so interesting that there are still chaperones to accompany young people on dates today. The first time I saw this “live” was at the park here in front of my flat.
Turns out that Bangalore is not for walking around town at night if you are a woman. It’s just not appropriate for a woman to do.
It hasn’t taken me long to learn that when the sun goes down, that’s when Bangalore really heats up. This isn’t Ibiza or Los Angeles but I have to admit that for such a conservative country like India that the nightlife has pleasantly surprised me.
So imagine this job interview scenario. I had just flown 12 hours from Barcelona through Qatar to arrive in Bangalore in the middle of the night. The first day of my interview was perfect, the other execs and team members are gracious, warm and very funny. The company is poised to grow…in a...