Join us on our travel adventures. We'll show you our favorite family-friendly destinations. We'll tell you where to stay. We'll tell you how to get there. And we'll tell you what to do. Forget the hard work; it's already been done. All you have to do is go.
A laid-back, family-friendly rustic mountain retreat in the middle of a long Ukrainian winter? Yes, please!
In late February, after seven months of suburban Kyiv city life, we made our way to Voevodyno, a family-friendly resort in the fresh air of the Carpathian Mountains. It was the break we needed.
Lviv . . . the most beautiful, romantic, full-of-personality little town in Ukraine there ever was. Not that I've been to that many towns in Ukraine quite yet, but I imagine that this is the best one (shhhhhh, don't tell Kyiv). It's quaint, historic, lively, full of stunning architecture, offers unique restaurants and fantastic parks . . . and we barely even scratched the surface. Like barely even scratched the surface.
My family and I lived in Ukraine for a year and a half before we were evacuated by the U.S. Embassy in late January 2022. We lived side by side with Ukrainian families in the outskirts of Kyiv. My son attended Ukrainian preschool, my husband worked with Ukrainian colleagues, and we had Ukrainian music teachers, fellow Ukrainian girl scouts, and Ukrainian friends.
The ups and downs, the joy and the challenges of a U.S. Foreign Service Family lifestyle — and how it all works.
"I don't know how you do it."
If I had a dime for every time someone mentioned that in passing to me about our lifestyle, I would own a private island in the Caribbean. Or a nicer minivan. But probably a nicer minivan, because I'm practical like that.
People often tell us how wonderful it is that we get to raise our children overseas and wish they could do the same. Others tell us that they admire the lifestyle, but they themselves could not, or have no desire, to do it themselves. I get it. So what is it like for us to raise our family overseas?
It's a gift. It's hard. It's a lesson in so many things.
Smuggler’s Notch is a year-round resort located in Jeffersonville, Vermont, less than an hour from the U.S.-Canada border. It is routinely named by Ski Magazine as one of the “Top 20 Resorts in the East” (often taking the top spot) and was named one of the “Best Ski Resorts in the US and Canada” in Conde Nast Traveler’s Reader’s Choice Awards (2023) and the “Best Action-Packed Mountain Resort for Year-Round Fun” in Good Housekeeping’s Family Travel Awards (2024). Does Smugg’s live up to the hype, and if so — what causes it to be such a standout among families and skiers alike?