ILLINOIS, USA: Visiting Our Family on the Eastern Shore

A death occurred in the family on my husband’s side a few weeks past.  Suddenly, the house was filled with children walking around in confused excitement, while adults were cleaning frantically and packing bags.  Plans were cancelled, and a few hours later, 3 a.m. to be exact, we were in the car sleepy-eyed and nervous.

A handful of drunk drivers zipped by as we drove from the countryside down into Chicago and out again.  A couple of relatively narrow misses had me thankful that my husband is very alert early in the morning.

And, thinking about our friend who was killed by a drunk driver at the age of 19.  And, wishing that the drunk drivers we saw would be pulled over by the police and arrested to protect others like him.  Nobody should have to bury a friend as young as he was, as young as we were. (more…)

Travel Itinerary for the Week of August 1st!

On Monday, we will be in Illinois with Polish Mama On The Prairie. This Mama describes a trip across the country with her family, and talks about what it’s like to really feel like you’re at home.

On Tuesday, we head to South Carolina, where Maggie Ellison talks about how she was able to free herself from the negativity generated by other people, leading to a more positive existence for herself and her family.

On Wednesday, we fly across the Atlantic to read a bittersweet post by Asta Burrows. Asta talks about the joy of first discovering a pregnancy, followed by the heartbreak that happens when the pregnancy does not work out.

And on Thursday, we head back across the pond to Toronto, Canada, to hear from Kirsten Doyle of Running for Autism. Kirsten talks about an issue that faces all parents at some stage or another: when bad things happen in the world, how do we explain it to our kids?

On Friday Eva Fannon leads us in the Friday Question. Be sure to check it out and chime in with your answers!

In writer interviews this week, we will hear from Courtney Cappallo of Massachusetts on Tuesday, and on Thursday we will get to know Jill Barth from Illinois.

In news, Jennifer Burden is headed to the Blogher ’11 conference later this week. We cannot wait to hear all about it!

— World Moms Blog

Our World Moms Blog logo was designed by the creative Erica Joyner Designs in Virginia, USA.

World Moms Blog

World Moms Blog is an award winning website which writes from over 30 countries on the topics of motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. Over 70 international contributors share their stories from around the globe, bonded by the common thread of motherhood and wanting a better world for their children. World Moms Blog was listed by Forbes Woman as one of the "Best 100 Websites for Women 2012 & 2013" and also called a "must read" by the NY Times Motherlode in 2013. Our Senior Editor in India, Purnima Ramakrishnan, was awarded the BlogHer International Activist Award in 2013.

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Massachusetts, USA: More than “Mom”

Inspired by Dr. Lanham’s post last week about preparing for a child to leave the nest, I got thinking about what my own identities are beyond just being a mom. Aware that we all go through metamorphoses, we grow, evolve and change identities many times in life, I wanted to make sure I was in touch with who I am because I know it’s more than “MOM!”

Before having kids, I spent most of my life trying to grow up. In my twenties, I got bitten by the bug and started traveling internationally, specifically, backpacking. One of the things I found most thrilling about traveling was the ability to “reinvent myself” at every new destination. I keenly remember trying hard to avoid labels; especially the label of being American. I even went so far, while traveling in the Middle East, as to sew a patch of the Canadian flag on my pack. I discovered a lot about myself that decade. (more…)

Kyla P'an (Portugal)

Kyla was born in suburban Philadelphia but spent most of her time growing up in New England. She took her first big, solo-trip at age 14, when she traveled to visit a friend on a small Greek island. Since then, travels have included: three months on the European rails, three years studying and working in Japan, and nine months taking the slow route back from Japan to the US when she was done. In addition to her work as Managing Editor of World Moms Network, Kyla is a freelance writer, copy editor, recovering triathlete and occasional blogger. Until recently, she and her husband resided outside of Boston, Massachusetts, where they were raising two spunky kids, two frisky cats, a snail, a fish and a snake. They now live outside of Lisbon, Portugal with two spunky teens and three frisky cats. You can read more about Kyla’s outlook on the world and parenting on her personal blogs, Growing Muses And Muses Where We Go

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GUEST POST: New Jersey, USA: Mama Bee, Worker Bee, Busy Bee…Balancing Bee?

Buzzzz…….Buzzzz……  It is 5 a.m., and my alarm clock just buzzes away.  I hit snooze one too many times, and I have that same thought cross my mind as it does every morning.  I wish I could call out of work today……  But, I never do.

I have been working on Wall Street for over 15 years, and something in my nature always keeps me going.

I commonly refer to myself as a “worker bee.”  The worker bee in me has been married for eleven years, waited to have a baby for six years and then went through another three years of trying before our little miracle was conceived.

I pat myself on the back when I tell people I never took a single sick day while pregnant as an example of dedication to my job.

I also continued my typical schedule during the entire pregnancy of going to bed at midnight and waking up at 5 a.m.  How do I do it?  Why do I do it? When will I stay home with my baby? These are the common questions I hear from friends and family at functions, parties and holiday get-togethers. (more…)

Wall Street Mama (USA)

Wall Street Mama was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago and moved to NJ when she was a teenager. She fell in love with New York City and set her mind to one thing after college – working on Wall Street. She has spent the last 16 years working on the trading floor at three major banks. As an Institutional Salesperson, she is responsible for helping large corporations and money funds invest their short term cash in the fixed income part of the market. She lives in the suburbs of central NJ with her husband of 11 years, their amazing 21 month old boy and their first baby – a very spoiled Maltese. She has baby #2 on the way and is expecting a little girl in June 2012. She is a full time working mother and struggles with “having it all” while wondering if that is even possible. Wall Street Mama was married at the age of 25 but waited to have children because she felt she was too focused on her career which required a lot of traveling and entertaining. When she was finally ready, she thought she could plan the exact month she was ready to have a child, like everything else she planned in her life. She was shocked and frustrated when things did not go according to her plan. Fast forward four years later, after a miscarriage and several rounds of failed fertility injections, her little miracle was conceived naturally. She never thought in a million years, that she and her husband would be in their late 30’s by the time they had their first child. Since the financial crisis of 2008, she has endured some of the most difficult years of her life. The stress of trying to conceive was combined with some of life’s biggest challenges. She and her husband, who is a trader, both lost their jobs on Wall Street the exact same month. Her mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer and she ended up passing away while she was 6 months pregnant. At times it didn’t seem like things would ever get better, but she has learned that life is cyclical and what comes down must again go up. Leaving her baby boy with a wonderful nanny each day is difficult, but at times it is easier than she would have expected. She still enjoys the seemingly addictive draw of working on Wall Street. The past few years have been dramatically different from the “good days” but she is focused on trying to achieve what she once had before. She is currently working on launching her own blog, Wall Street Mama, in an attempt to guide others who are focused on continuing their career, yet struggle with leaving their little ones at home. She is weathering the ups and downs of the market and motherhood, one day at a time.

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MEXICO: The Treasures We Take

In less than 24 hours the packers will be here to pack up all of our belongings. In 13 days we’ll be driving north out of Mexico and into the next chapter of our journey in the intrepid life of an US Foreign Service family.

Throughout the house is a series of piles, some of which are cordoned off with anti-toddler barriers made up of sofas cornered with loveseats, and other piles atop the most unreachable pieces of furniture away from little curious, grabby hands.

But, despite our efforts, our 20-month old twins know that something is afoot, and they team up to undo all the hard work that goes into keeping our hectic life organized and manageable.

They peak under the sofas and squeal in a questioning tone why stuff that is usually in the kitchen is on the floor in the corner over there, and they try to trick us into letting them enter by throwing balls into the ‘no-go zone’, expecting to be allowed in to fetch them…a definite no-no. Because, you see, these various piles are not all going to one place (wishing as I write this that it was that simple). (more…)

Dee Harlow (Laos)

One of Dee’s earliest memories was flying on a trans-Pacific flight from her birthplace in Bangkok, Thailand, to the United States when she was six years old. Ever since then, it has always felt natural for her to criss-cross the globe. So after growing up in the northeast of the US, her life, her work and her curiosity have taken her to over 32 countries. And it was in the 30th country while serving in the Peace Corps in Uzbekistan that she met her husband. Together they embarked on a career in international humanitarian aid working in refugee camps in Darfur, Sudan, and the tsunami torn coast of Aceh, Indonesia. Dee is now a full-time mother of three-year old twins and continues to criss-cross the globe every two years with her husband who is in the US Foreign Service. They currently live in Vientiane, Laos, and are loving it! You can read about their adventures at Wanderlustress.

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Travel Itinerary for the Week of July 25th!

On Monday, we will be in Mexico with Dee Harlow, who will soon be undertaking the next in a series of moves. Dee and her family move with the kind of regularity that would drive most of us round the bend, and she describes how they manage to keep getting their stuff from one place to another.

We have a guest post on Tuesday! Jennifer D’Ambrosio of New Jersey talks about an issue that many of us struggle with every single day: balancing life with a busy job, a long commute and motherhood!

On Wednesday, we head over to Illinois to hear from Polish Mama on the Prairie. She has lost of interesting stories to share about her escape from Communism as a baby, her role as Mom in a bicultural family, and her quest to keep her Polish heritage alive for her children.

And on Thursday, we will be in Massachusetts with Kyla P’an. Kyla talks about keeping our self-identity when we become parents, not losing our individuality to our roles as Moms and holding onto our own dreams and aspirations as we raise our kids.

On Friday Eva Fannon leads us in the Friday Question. Be sure to check it out and chime in with your answers!

In writer interviews this week, we will get to know Galit Breen from Minnesota, and on Thursday we are profiling The Alchemist from India. Every writer interview reveals interesting tidbits about our contributors, and these ones are no different!
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— World Moms Blog

Our World Moms Blog logo was designed by the creative Erica Joyner Designs in Virginia, USA.

World Moms Blog

World Moms Blog is an award winning website which writes from over 30 countries on the topics of motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. Over 70 international contributors share their stories from around the globe, bonded by the common thread of motherhood and wanting a better world for their children. World Moms Blog was listed by Forbes Woman as one of the "Best 100 Websites for Women 2012 & 2013" and also called a "must read" by the NY Times Motherlode in 2013. Our Senior Editor in India, Purnima Ramakrishnan, was awarded the BlogHer International Activist Award in 2013.

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