• This time last year we were in Australia visiting family - and kangaroos! It feels so surreal to think how different things were last year compared to this year. We sure did take our carefree life for granted when it came to travel. Back then, the toughest part of a trip back home was the cost. The long flight wasn’t fun, but 15 hours of watching movies isn’t too bad. Now a trip home involves a strict two week quarantine in a hotel. No leaving the hotel room, no opening windows and, from what I’ve heard, pretty terrible food. As our home state doesn’t tend to have many international flights and has its own quarantine for those coming in from interstate, we’d most likely need to add a two week self quarantine to that. That’s four weeks of being in the country before we could visit family and friends! Four weeks of being stuck in a small room all day together 😬 All I can say is that I’m glad we took our trip home last year! As things are slowly opening up here in the US we’ll be sticking to local travel and road trips for now. We have our first trip coming up very soon and I can’t wait! How are things looking where you are? Are you able to travel at all or are there strict regulations in place?
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    This time last year we were in Australia visiting family - and kangaroos! It feels so surreal to think how different things were last year compared to this year. We sure did take our carefree life for granted when it came to travel. Back then, the toughest part of a trip back home was the cost. The long flight wasn’t fun, but 15 hours of watching movies isn’t too bad. Now a trip home involves a strict two week quarantine in a hotel. No leaving the hotel room, no opening windows and, from what I’ve heard, pretty terrible food. As our home state doesn’t tend to have many international flights and has its own quarantine for those coming in from interstate, we’d most likely need to add a two week self quarantine to that. That’s four weeks of being in the country before we could visit family and friends! Four weeks of being stuck in a small room all day together 😬 All I can say is that I’m glad we took our trip home last year! As things are slowly opening up here in the US we’ll be sticking to local travel and road trips for now. We have our first trip coming up very soon and I can’t wait! How are things looking where you are? Are you able to travel at all or are there strict regulations in place?
  • Grateful for all the essential workers - and that includes the artists working their butts off to bring a little joy to our lives. A friend recently shared an article that listed how essential and how non-essential people rank certain jobs, and artist was listed as the number 1 non-essential job. I call bull! The arts are an essential part of our lives. They provide happiness, entertainment, connection, community and a sense of belonging. The arts bring people together - even when we’re apart. Can you imagine how much harder all this shelter at home business would be without the arts? No Netflix, no books, no computer games, no music, no murals providing color on neighborhood walks... Seriously, what would we do without the contribution of artists? So, yeah, artists are pretty damn essential if you ask me. Especially grateful to mural artists for providing color, happiness and messages of hope and change to boarded up businesses and blank walls right now. Thank you 🖤 P.S. This mural is by @austinzart who has been putting up amazing work all over Denver to thank essential workers. We’ve been doing a little treasure hunt tracking them down each time we head to Denver.
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    Grateful for all the essential workers - and that includes the artists working their butts off to bring a little joy to our lives. A friend recently shared an article that listed how essential and how non-essential people rank certain jobs, and artist was listed as the number 1 non-essential job. I call bull! The arts are an essential part of our lives. They provide happiness, entertainment, connection, community and a sense of belonging. The arts bring people together - even when we’re apart. Can you imagine how much harder all this shelter at home business would be without the arts? No Netflix, no books, no computer games, no music, no murals providing color on neighborhood walks... Seriously, what would we do without the contribution of artists? So, yeah, artists are pretty damn essential if you ask me. Especially grateful to mural artists for providing color, happiness and messages of hope and change to boarded up businesses and blank walls right now. Thank you 🖤 P.S. This mural is by @austinzart who has been putting up amazing work all over Denver to thank essential workers. We’ve been doing a little treasure hunt tracking them down each time we head to Denver.
  • They’re both growing, growing, growing... One’s growing much faster than the other though 😜 Can you guess who weighs more? Mathilde or Yetta? Yetta is now big enough that she can reach up and steal food from the dining table and the kitchen benches. Left overs are no longer safe! She’s only 8 months old so I guess she still has a little growing to do. Being a mutt we have no idea how big she’s going to get, but she is already bigger than her mom who was taken into the shelter as a street dog with her little of pups. She was only a few months older than Yetta is now when she was found with her babies. Isn’t that crazy?
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    They’re both growing, growing, growing... One’s growing much faster than the other though 😜 Can you guess who weighs more? Mathilde or Yetta? Yetta is now big enough that she can reach up and steal food from the dining table and the kitchen benches. Left overs are no longer safe! She’s only 8 months old so I guess she still has a little growing to do. Being a mutt we have no idea how big she’s going to get, but she is already bigger than her mom who was taken into the shelter as a street dog with her little of pups. She was only a few months older than Yetta is now when she was found with her babies. Isn’t that crazy?
  • This picture pretty accurately describes what everything feels like right now 😜 I spent much of the day thinking that it was Wednesday. Oops! Who even knows what day it is anymore 😂 Are the days all blending into one long Groundhog Day for you too?
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    This picture pretty accurately describes what everything feels like right now 😜 I spent much of the day thinking that it was Wednesday. Oops! Who even knows what day it is anymore 😂 Are the days all blending into one long Groundhog Day for you too?
  • Hey friends, I’ve been a little silent here lately, despite having tons of photos to share. They’ve all seemed a little frivolous and silly given everything that’s been going on, so I’ve felt weird sharing them. But me posting silly pictures doesn’t hurt anyone. If anything, they might make someone smile. So expect more silly pictures, like these from @denverselfiemuseum to come - with a dose of real life thrown in. We visited @denverselfiemuseum a few weeks back and I’m sharing it all on the blog. You can find the link in my profile. They’re actually in the process of moving to a new (and bigger) location, so you can expect it to look a little different to this when they reopen on July 1st. A new venue with new displays gives us a good excuse to go back - with social distancing, of course!
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    Hey friends, I’ve been a little silent here lately, despite having tons of photos to share. They’ve all seemed a little frivolous and silly given everything that’s been going on, so I’ve felt weird sharing them. But me posting silly pictures doesn’t hurt anyone. If anything, they might make someone smile. So expect more silly pictures, like these from @denverselfiemuseum to come - with a dose of real life thrown in. We visited @denverselfiemuseum a few weeks back and I’m sharing it all on the blog. You can find the link in my profile. They’re actually in the process of moving to a new (and bigger) location, so you can expect it to look a little different to this when they reopen on July 1st. A new venue with new displays gives us a good excuse to go back - with social distancing, of course!
  • This past weekend we joined thousands (millions?) of people across the country (and around the world) who marched in protest against racism and police brutality against the black community. • We joined two marches on Sunday; an official @blklivesmatter march in Boulder and a smaller community organized march in Louisville where we live. • I was so happy to see how many people turned out for both marches, especially our local march. Given that our local community is not particularly diverse I wasn’t sure how many people would turn up, so it was incredibly uplifting to see thousands of people hit the streets to march for change. • Marches are a great way to show our support, but we need to keep at it for change to come. Amplify black voices, shop black owned business, donate to foundations that support black communities, and vote, vote, vote! • #blacklivesmatter
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    This past weekend we joined thousands (millions?) of people across the country (and around the world) who marched in protest against racism and police brutality against the black community. • We joined two marches on Sunday; an official @blklivesmatter march in Boulder and a smaller community organized march in Louisville where we live. • I was so happy to see how many people turned out for both marches, especially our local march. Given that our local community is not particularly diverse I wasn’t sure how many people would turn up, so it was incredibly uplifting to see thousands of people hit the streets to march for change. • Marches are a great way to show our support, but we need to keep at it for change to come. Amplify black voices, shop black owned business, donate to foundations that support black communities, and vote, vote, vote! • #blacklivesmatter
  • Hi friends. • I’ve been quiet here the past few days, taking time to listen to black voices, and learning what I can do to be the best ally I can. • Enough being quiet; it’s time to speak up! Or roar in Mathilde’s case! • Today I’m sharing some simple things you can do to help support black communities. • Speak with your wallet! Shop local black owned stores. Order take out from local black owned restaurants. Shop online black owned stores. Support black artists and creators. Not sure which stores in your area are owned by black people? Google knows! • Amplify black voices on social media. What does your Instagram feed look like? Does everyone look like you? Be honest. That’s how mine looked for a long time until I made the effort to make my following list more diverse years ago. Find someone who inspires you and share their stories with your followers. That’s what social media is all about, right? It brings us down sone times, but social media can be a wonderful tool for amplifying voices. I’ll be sharing some of my favorite black artists, bloggers, travelers and influencers in my stories so keep an eye out. • Put your money where your mouth is! Support groups that support black communities by making a financial contribution. Not sure who to donate to? Considering donating to @blklivesmatter, @blackvisionscollective, @naacp, @naacp_ldf, @aclu_nationwide, @campaignzero, @reclaimtheblock, @colorofchange • Use your voice to call for justice. Contact your local politicians to demand change. Sign and share petitions. Breonna Taylor’s killers have still not been charged. Today would’ve been her 27th birthday. I’ve shared details in my stories of who to call or email to demand justice. • Vote! Vote, vote, vote! This one is something I can’t do, but if you can, do it! #blacklivesmatter
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    Hi friends. • I’ve been quiet here the past few days, taking time to listen to black voices, and learning what I can do to be the best ally I can. • Enough being quiet; it’s time to speak up! Or roar in Mathilde’s case! • Today I’m sharing some simple things you can do to help support black communities. • Speak with your wallet! Shop local black owned stores. Order take out from local black owned restaurants. Shop online black owned stores. Support black artists and creators. Not sure which stores in your area are owned by black people? Google knows! • Amplify black voices on social media. What does your Instagram feed look like? Does everyone look like you? Be honest. That’s how mine looked for a long time until I made the effort to make my following list more diverse years ago. Find someone who inspires you and share their stories with your followers. That’s what social media is all about, right? It brings us down sone times, but social media can be a wonderful tool for amplifying voices. I’ll be sharing some of my favorite black artists, bloggers, travelers and influencers in my stories so keep an eye out. • Put your money where your mouth is! Support groups that support black communities by making a financial contribution. Not sure who to donate to? Considering donating to @blklivesmatter, @blackvisionscollective, @naacp, @naacp_ldf, @aclu_nationwide, @campaignzero, @reclaimtheblock, @colorofchange • Use your voice to call for justice. Contact your local politicians to demand change. Sign and share petitions. Breonna Taylor’s killers have still not been charged. Today would’ve been her 27th birthday. I’ve shared details in my stories of who to call or email to demand justice. • Vote! Vote, vote, vote! This one is something I can’t do, but if you can, do it! #blacklivesmatter
  • One of the things that I loved (and miss terribly) about living in Berkeley was that my kids were growing up in a diverse city where social justice and fighting for what’s right were ingrained in the community’s history and present. Berkeley is something of a protest magnet and living on a busy Downtown intersection we often found ourselves right at the heart of a march. They were a regular occurrence and nothing strange to my kids. Sometimes we’d cheer through our windows as the protesters marched through (or congregated in) the intersection below. Sometimes we’d join in on the streets. Sometimes the protests were so obscure we’d just watch wondering what was going on. Either way, protests were a regular part of our lives for 8 years. I will say that it was a little confronting at first when we arrived in the US at the height of the Occupy protests that saw regular marches and a tent city set up a block from our building. The kids took it in their stride though. All a part of moving to a new country, and soon part of their “normal”. Things changed again with our move to Colorado, almost a year ago. Our new community is very much not diverse, and while everyone we’ve met is very friendly, that sense of social justice that is so loud in Berkeley is quiet here. But, I will not be quiet! There may not be protests in the street below us, but I will continue to teach my kids about social justice and fighting for what’s right. I will donate to causes that I believe in and I will share resources here with you (lots in my stories right now). I will listen people speak their truths - that’s when when I will be quiet - and I will share them. I’m far from an expert in any of these things (and I’m sure to make mistakes) but we don’t need to be experts. We need to show up. We need to speak up. We need to listen, and we need to learn. I hope you’ll join me.
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    One of the things that I loved (and miss terribly) about living in Berkeley was that my kids were growing up in a diverse city where social justice and fighting for what’s right were ingrained in the community’s history and present. Berkeley is something of a protest magnet and living on a busy Downtown intersection we often found ourselves right at the heart of a march. They were a regular occurrence and nothing strange to my kids. Sometimes we’d cheer through our windows as the protesters marched through (or congregated in) the intersection below. Sometimes we’d join in on the streets. Sometimes the protests were so obscure we’d just watch wondering what was going on. Either way, protests were a regular part of our lives for 8 years. I will say that it was a little confronting at first when we arrived in the US at the height of the Occupy protests that saw regular marches and a tent city set up a block from our building. The kids took it in their stride though. All a part of moving to a new country, and soon part of their “normal”. Things changed again with our move to Colorado, almost a year ago. Our new community is very much not diverse, and while everyone we’ve met is very friendly, that sense of social justice that is so loud in Berkeley is quiet here. But, I will not be quiet! There may not be protests in the street below us, but I will continue to teach my kids about social justice and fighting for what’s right. I will donate to causes that I believe in and I will share resources here with you (lots in my stories right now). I will listen people speak their truths - that’s when when I will be quiet - and I will share them. I’m far from an expert in any of these things (and I’m sure to make mistakes) but we don’t need to be experts. We need to show up. We need to speak up. We need to listen, and we need to learn. I hope you’ll join me.
  • We’re all in this together. We drove past this mural in Boulder a few days back and I was instantly drawn to the colors, the graphics and the positive message. While this mural refers to the Covid pandemic and staying strong together while socially distant, it’s a good reminder that we need to work together every day to make this world safe for EVERYONE. Especially now, in light of the recent murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. We need to work together every day to fight racism in all its forms. When I say “we”, yes I mean everyone, but mostly I mean white people. Dismantling white supremacy should not be the work of people of color. It MUST be the work of those who benefit from it, and we know damn well that that is not POC, especially not black men. I don’t have the answers - I wish I did - but I know that nothing will change until we make it change. We all need to speak up against racism. Not just overt racism, but also the “light hearted” “jokes” shared on social media. They’re not funny. We need to educate ourselves and our kids do that we can do better. We need to stand up for what’s right even if it means stepping on some toes. This is not the caption I thought I’d be writing when I snapped this light hearted picture of Lola, but I can’t stay silent. Silence is complacency. Continued in comments...
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    We’re all in this together. We drove past this mural in Boulder a few days back and I was instantly drawn to the colors, the graphics and the positive message. While this mural refers to the Covid pandemic and staying strong together while socially distant, it’s a good reminder that we need to work together every day to make this world safe for EVERYONE. Especially now, in light of the recent murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. We need to work together every day to fight racism in all its forms. When I say “we”, yes I mean everyone, but mostly I mean white people. Dismantling white supremacy should not be the work of people of color. It MUST be the work of those who benefit from it, and we know damn well that that is not POC, especially not black men. I don’t have the answers - I wish I did - but I know that nothing will change until we make it change. We all need to speak up against racism. Not just overt racism, but also the “light hearted” “jokes” shared on social media. They’re not funny. We need to educate ourselves and our kids do that we can do better. We need to stand up for what’s right even if it means stepping on some toes. This is not the caption I thought I’d be writing when I snapped this light hearted picture of Lola, but I can’t stay silent. Silence is complacency. Continued in comments...