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…
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Life Abroad: I’ve Been Deported Twice, Blacklisted Once
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…
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Divorce & Freedom: Women Don’t Need Men to Survive Anymore
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…
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When 2 Californian Female Solo Travellers Collide in Pakistan
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…
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Should You Be Solo Travelling?
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…
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Update: Ali Medical Islamabad Overcharged Me (up to 4,400% more!)
I had no idea that Ali Medical charged me 4,400% more without telling me I had choices.
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Choosing Single Momhood & Travel Over a Relationship (and Normal Life!)
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,…
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It’s Never Too Late to Follow Your Dreams
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…
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Appendectomy Surgery Ali Medical Islamabad: The Surgeon vs. Hospital Ethics
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…
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Best Solo Travel Planning Tip for an Unforgettable Trip
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…
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Not Everyone is Free: Thinking About Dreams vs. Duty
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,…
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Attacked & Shot At in Mexico: 1st country I lived in abroad
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,…
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Starting a Book About My 2 Years in Pakistan
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…
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Life Abroad: It’s Embarrassing to Be American Now
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…
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Living or Travelling Abroad: Establish a Distress Code Word w Family
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,…
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Living in Islamabad, Pakistan Again: Month One
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…
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In Pain: Ghosted by Person I Love Most in the World
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,…
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21 Years Single by Choice … and I’m Happy
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…
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What is wrong with Pakistanis?
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…
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How Putting On Weight Has Changed My Life
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…
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Life Abroad: Choosing the Best Country For You
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,…
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Say YES to Solo Travel to ‘Find Yourself Again’
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…
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Needing a Penis to Rent an Apartment in Karachi, Pakistan
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…
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Choosing an Unconventional [Digital Nomad] 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…
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Mother-Daughter Challenges & Living Far From Home
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…
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Solo Female Travel: Forbidden to Some
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…
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Solo Female Travel Isn’t Brave
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…
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Police Update: Pakistan Abuse of Power Article
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…
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Comparing Ramadan in Malaysia, Pakistan & Indonesia 🌙
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…
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I Was 40 When I Made My 1st Muslim Friend (in Bangalore, India)
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.,…