Almost two years ago, my family and I moved to Zurich, Switzerland from Atlanta, Georgia. I was 32 weeks pregnant, moving pregnant and internationally for the second time. Excitement ran through my veins, curiosity enveloped my brain, and hope for a great life in our new home consumed many of my thoughts.
I know, there are a lot of blogs out there about being an expat. This is not one of those. Sure, I’ll occasionally take you along for the ride of my expat adventures and experiences, but above all else, this site has been born out of a desire to share that the world is a truly amazing place, filled with good things and fantastic people doing great things. I am the mother of three gorgeous girls, the wife of a global businessman, and the friend to people that live in and are from all pockets of the world. I am also an avid traveler, lover of international food, and I have learned that the global perspective, the global lifestyle we lead is something that could start a conversation, connect people, and inspire new thoughts, ideas, and even skills.
Earlier on in this journey, I wrote a food blog for many years (if you’d like to take a trip down my memory lane, it’s still online here). During the majority of that experience, I was a young, first-time mother who was moving every 6 months to 1 year. I was intensely curious about cooking the food of each place we lived in the healthiest way possible for our little girl. I immersed myself in the cultures and local cuisine of each place, taking as many cooking and baking courses as I could find. Eventually however, after becoming pregnant with our second child, my passion started to move in a new direction.
One of our early moves was to Florence, Italy. It was hands down the most influential move of my life. It was also what made me slowly drift away from writing a food blog. For Italians, food is not something to be Instagrammed; it’s important for their culture, family, and sense of place. I began thinking about things more broadly than before – my love for great food and fantastic restaurants was still there, but how could I incorporate it into something greater?
Living in a culture hub like Florence reignited my desire to chase after some of the dreams I’d been ignoring for fear of failure. I dreamt of learning about art, interior design, antiquing, and wine and I was in the perfect place for it! I went to so many markets, exhibitions, and pop up shops, learning about antiques and artisanal goods, and came to find (through a dear friend) that I have an eye for design and things that people want but aren’t sure how to access. By the time we left Italy, I felt I’d finally found that what I loved were things I could do for a living when I was ready.
Now that our youngest is almost 2, I’m finally pulling the rip-cord and am chasing my dream - Bow and Branch. I’m so excited for monthly features of business owners, artisans, and taste makers as well as frequent posts of my family’s adventures, fun finds, classes I’ve taken, and team building events I’ve hosted. Stay tuned here for more, and also check out my Instagram and Pinterest for an extra helping of “the good stuff”!!
Appreciating the beauty and peacefulness of the Temple of Debod in Madrid.