Where in the world do you live? And, are you from there?

I just moved from Vancouver, Canada to a small town outside of Montreal, Canada, which has had its hilarious culture shocks – I am pretty sure I will be moving again. I am actually from all over the world. I grew up as a Diplomatic kid, and never lived anywhere longer than 3 years. The only city I moved in and out of was Ottawa, Canada, our nations capital.

What language(s) do you speak?

I speak English, Spanish and French (sort of), but I am trying to rectify that! I am also so smitten with German that I now listen to it online.

When did you first become a mother?

I like to say that I first became a Mother 3 1/2 years ago to my furry four-legged lady, she brought us good luck, because I became pregnant 2 months after bringing her home. We were told it would be unlikely that I could have a baby; it was fate. I first became a Mother 2 1/2 years ago, to an incredible little man, who has brought nothing but hilarity, entertainment and more love than I ever thought was humanly possible to my life.

Are you a stay-at-home mom or do you work outside the home?

I am sort of both. My husband and I started a Sustainability Consulting and Promotions Company. We don’t have any help, and our son is not in school or daycare, so we take him on full-time, while working full-time from home, and on the road. It is chaotic and hilarious, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. It takes a lot of scheduling, and planning ahead.

My husband and I are full partners and team players in all aspects of our lives, which is not for the faint of heart, but can be taught. Neither of us wanted to miss anything in our sons life, so starting the business meant scheduling moments and being spontaneous on days we aren’t meeting clients. In all, I feel like I am doing everything that I want.

Why do you blog/write?

I started to blog because after years of being a Policy Advisor, I ignored my creative side. By ignore, I mean, I read legislation, 4 newspapers a day, and wrote legal jargon for a living, I was still living in a half packed apartment, that didn’t have a picture on the wall (very typical for a child who has been mobile). My life and schedule was dictated by others, and I was tethered to a Black Berry 24hrs a day. I spent years writing down notes on scraps of paper and journals about my travels and experiences. My husband encouraged me to start a blog and break out of my shell.

I have always been an incredible private person, the experience of blogging has been fulfilling and exciting in a way that my career never was. I was recently encouraged to write a love story of my Father (who passed away after my first year at University) and his mistress (foreign Affairs, not a person) and the man I learned about while I worked at Foreign Affairs (my Father), and the Grandfather I want my son to know. My main passion is travel and culture, I like to observe people.

How would you say that you are different from other mothers?

Like all Mother’s I have anxieties and worries, I don’t think we are all that different that way, no matter where you are from, or what religion you practice, worrying about your children is a given.

I do think that Motherhood can be a very negative, all-encompassing and a competitive place if you let it be, expectations can be set so high that many feel they can’t manage, and can be stuck in paralysis. Staying positive takes discipline and an ability to self analyze.

During my sons first 6 months, I went to a lot of different Mommy and Me groups, women have a tendency to gossip, and what I observed was the ease at which some would trash their husbands, many times openly. I then watched many families disintegrate in a sea of anger, but I felt that many women hadn’t found themselves before having a baby, lost identity was a much bigger factor.

I feel because I came into Motherhood with a career, and a defined self-identity, I didn’t feel the need to turn and blame my husband, nor did I have a sense of loss or what ifs, everything that I have experienced since finding out I was first pregnant has been a bonus, and a gift. Looking backwards doesn’t move you forward.

What do you view as the challenges of raising a child in today’s world?

I am a parent that grew up on the brink of the age of globalization, I remember hand writing essays, then having an expectation that they would be typed the next. I grew up without a cell phone, but remember my Father being issued one for work, then being tethered to one myself. Now I watch kids taking the bus by themselves, listening to their tiny iPods, laptop in hand and texting on their own cellphones. Kids have a forced expectation on them. I watch how competitive parents can be with each other about their children, kids are being scheduled into so many activities and are sitting in front of computers that there is a sense of loss.

Consumerism and technology have created more anxiety and sense of immediate gratification, that I watch new graduates unable to really cope with stress at work, in fact, I had one have a major breakdown in front of me after being told how to answer a phone. Almost like basic life skills were skipped completely.

I hope to help mute the outside noise, and just focus on helping build my son’s confidence in basic skills, I want him to grow up being confident and humble in any situation, as well as building a sense of giving back to his community.

How did you find World Moms Blog?

I found it by accident, I was looking for a network of intelligent Mother’s and found this site, and felt instantly at home.

This is an original post by Travel Lady with Baby from Vancouver, Canada.  You can also find her on her personal site, Travel Lady with Baby.

Photo credit to the author.

travelladywithbaby

Travel Lady with Baby has never had two feet in one city for long, growing up as a diplomatic kid, bouncing around from one country to another became the norm. Born in Canada, but never feeling Canadian, rather a Hodge Podge of cultures and traditions, Mandarin was her first language, not English, and Spanish still comes out of her mouth when trying to speak French. Travel Lady with Baby declared to her Father that a career in the U.N was her future, but settled for a career at Foreign Affairs on an intense U.N file. After several years of non-stop travel, and having never put up a picture on the wall, she and her husband threw caution to the wind and moved to Vancouver, B.C. to work on an Olympic file. Vancouver brought, a dog, a baby boy and a life-altering event that changed everything. It was this event that made Travel Lady with Baby and her husband realize that Vancouver had run its course, so, naturally it was time to embark on another adventure. Packing everything into a small storage space and giving up their condo, they got on a plane for two months to travel with their son. For the first time, they breathed, got perspective, became present as parents and realized what they wanted. Landing back in Vancouver solidified a business plan and a move to a small town in Quebec. Now running a Sustainable Consulting and Promotions Company with her husband, re-learning French (yes, you do lose it if you don't use it), waking up to a toddler that has more energy than a soccer team, juggling clients, a household, research and marketing, and squeezing in blogging about travel has been nothing but exhilarating. It is very likely that there is another move and way more travel in the near future, but at least this time, they finally put pictures up on the walls. Check out her personal blog, Travel Lady with Baby.

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