Life and Adventures as an Expat in Europe
It has been a bit quiet on my blog lately. In August I changed roles at work, and much of my energy since then has been focused on settling in to that role and making the most of my free time outside of work. Writing about those experiences got a bit shoved to the side. … Continue reading Home Again, Home Again
It snowed! In Conwy! The first snow I’ve seen here in the four years since we arrived. I woke up at 7:30 AM (which pretty much never happens on the weekend, especially in winter) and had a feeling that made me get out of bed and peek out the window. There, greeting me in the twilight, … Continue reading Snow!
I just got home from several weeks away, and it was such a pleasure to come home (even though there’s still a definite chill in the air here). All kinds of flowers have come to life while I was away — including a whole army of dandelions! Thankfully, digging up the dandelions gives me an … Continue reading Discovering New Growth
Recently we discovered Vaughan St. Jazz, a monthly (1st Thursday of the month) event at Mostyn in Llandudno. This month was Matt Owens, performing on double bass along with John Ellis (keyboard), Neil Yates (trumpet), Sam Draper (drums), and Ríoghnach Connolly (vocals and flute). One of my favorite songs of the night was “The Aviators’ Ball,” … Continue reading Jazz in Llandudno
I recently had a free weekend and the sudden urge to make pastry. For the first time. Thanks to Ottolenghi’s cookbook, I had a rough puff pastry recipe and the encouragement that it “isn’t so difficult.” (Thankfully, I hadn’t noticed the slightly less encouraging statement at the start of book: “Cakes and pastries can sometimes … Continue reading Making Puff Pastry
… in Wales, and in Iowa. … with my family, and with my friends. … at a meetup with my coworkers, and at a coffee shop with my laptop. … in a tango embrace, and in the middle of a good book. … where I see the sunrise, and where I see the sunset. As … Continue reading Home is …
For all the praise I gave Germany about their recycling-friendly system, I have to say that I much prefer how trash/recycling works here in Wales. There’s a few reasons for that: Convenience: Almost everything is collected curbside on the same day. No more having to save up glass containers and haul them down the street to … Continue reading Trash & Recycling in Wales
