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A time to think … and a time to act
Over the last couple of days, I’ve spent a lot of time in my car. Taking my eldest son back to University required a 5 hour car trip (well, the first leg was closer to 6 ½ with construction and traffic) with him – and another one back alone. I really like long car trips with my kids. They’re great times to delve into the “deeper” conversations that teenagers do NOT want to have when you can make eye-to-eye contact. On this trip, we talked about his summer camp job, his aspirations to move up further in the camp management…
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Looking back – way back – at a big adventure
It seems impossible to believe that it is 30 years ago to the week that I started a grand adventure. A scared 18 year old, I boarded a plane on my own, first to Frankfurt and then on to Istanbul, Turkey. I was headed off on a year-long Rotary Youth Exchange Program, preparing to live with another family and go to high school in a country I had only learned the location of some six months earlier. Nervous “Inbounds” in Istanbul: Sept. 1985 The process of being selected to be an exchange student was arduous. The application forms, multiple rounds of… Read more…
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Countdown to chaos
I’m reveling in my last few days of quiet. Not that my kid-free month hasn’t been busy and full – it has. But it has been nice to take a break from 24/7 parenting of teens. Making order from chaos! I’ve been out with friends – restaurants and back yard parties. I’ve strolled through farmers markets and malls. I’ve cooked fish and other seafood for many times, and I’ve even had popcorn for once (OK, maybe twice!) without worrying about what message I’m sending. A business trip gave me a few hours to wander in Montreal. I’ve spent more than one Saturday morning… Read more…
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It’s quiet…very quiet
I’m sitting in my back garden with a glass of icy cold lemonade, listening to the sounds of a lazy summer afternoon. Apart from the buzz of the cicadas, It’s quiet. Eerily quiet. It has been for a week and it will be until the end of the month. Two years ago, I finally managed to get all my kids away to camp at the same time for two weeks. That first year, I immediately got on a plane (literally that evening!) and enjoyed some long-awaited time just for me. Of course, that blew the budget so when the miraculous… Read more…
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New adventures at work
I’ve alluded to it in several blog posts, but late last month it became official. I’ve taken on a new position and while the potential amount of extra work that comes along with it is slightly terrifying, now that it’s real, I realize I’m excited about expanding my horizons. I’ve worked essentially for the same company for almost 10 years and any communicator will tell you that’s a long time. Admittedly, it’s felt like more than one firm during that time; it started as a crown corporation, was then bought by a public company (but kept very separate) and most… Read more…
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Holiday and home again
I’m recently back from a wonderful trip to Turkey with my 15-year old daughter. We had a marvellous time and there’s so much to tell. I set out to tell that story today, but those aren’t the words that came out. That’s not what this post is about. We’ve been home for eight days now. And in that eight days, a lot changed. Just four days after we arrived home, an ISIS, suicide bomber blew up more than 30 young people – and injured over 100 more – in a town called Suruç, on the Turkish side of the border… Read more…
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On the road
I’m exhausted. Five days into a week-long business trip and approaching seven time zones from home, I marvel at the stamina of people who do this all the time. It’s been a productive trip so far. I’ve had good meetings with suppliers and partners and got to witness an important MOU signing in my industry. I’ve had the good fortune to be hosted by my country’s High Commission in London and am headed tomorrow to our Embassy in Bucharest tomorrow for more hospitality to close off another day of industry meetings Canada House is right at Trafalgar Square in England’s… Read more…
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The day I forgot my daughter
I was very excited when my daughter started preschool. With all three kids now spending at least a few hours a week learning outside the home, it now meant I had a little more guilt-free time to spend on my business and more importantly volunteer in classrooms. That fateful day started out like any ordinary day. Grade two son up, fed and teeth brushed. Same for SK son, after the usual battle about whether this was a school day or not – he hadn’t taken well to full-day alternate-day kindergarten. A third checkmark for my three year old daughter and… Read more…
