Reconnections

Labor Day weekend meant a day off, and meant O and I wanted a road trip/mini vacation! We headed 4 hours East to the Twin Cities and had a really lovely time staying in an Airbnb and visiting new places and old friends! 

I worked with Catherine and Brian last year at Casablanca American School, and they just moved into a charming old house in St. Paul, and we spent a lovely Sunday with them! First we got a tour of their house and had fun reconnecting and playing with Julian, their 2 and a 1/2 year old.

We had lunch at the amazing Midtown Global Market, where we were too busy eating to take pictures. Then they took us to the Guthrie Theater, which had a really beautiful overlook of the river, as seen above, and a fun golden box overlook too.

We all were feeling a bit pooped at that point and lay down on the benches and chilled for a while, and I took a few pictures because I liked the fun tint to the nicely diffused light.

Even Julian took a little nap during our tour of the theater.

We then walked down next to the old mill, while Brian told us all about the history of the flour milling industry in Minneapolis, and this building which had been the site of both a giant explosion and a fire later on, and is now a beautiful venue for weddings and events. We even saw a wedding getting set up on our way back. 

We took a few pictures on the long bridge over the water.

Julian had just woken up and wasn't really into the idea of getting his picture taken, but he was definitely having a fun time looking at the waterfalls created by the dam and spotting dogs accompanying the other Sunday strollers.

What a cute family! 

Thanks for a lovely day Brian and Catherine! I can't wait to visit again once Julian becomes a big brother in November!

Four friends

As promised, here are the Maria & friends photos! These four have been friends since our family moved to South Dakota in 2005. Now the twins are off to college, so the girls came up to accompany Maria on her shoot and so they could get some photos together too.

They're just too cute.

Then we had a twins picture, per my mom's special request.

After that we moved onto some individual shots. I just did a 2 minute shoot with each girl while Bia took a posing break. I shot Nicole last year and it was fun to take a few pictures of her again!

Cecilia is off to study nursing in Cleveland this year.

And twin Susannah will study Biology in upstate New York.

The twins are leaving tomorrow and we wish them the best!

 Hooray for good friends!

Farewell for now!

 A lot has happened in the past month! So much that time to blog has been nonexistent. I finished my time at Casablanca American School and said some very bittersweet goodbyes, Ramadan has come and gone, and I've moved to the US! I start my new job tomorrow and am very nervous and excited. But leaving Morocco, and my life and friends wasn't easy, especially given that I had to leave Othman there too, until his Green Card gets approved. So in the days and weeks leading up to my recent departure I made lots of time for those I love!

We hosted friends at our place for many Ramadan lftours (breaking of the fast for Muslims, when the sun goes down). It was lovely to spend calm evenings together talking about the past and future. Here's an example of one of our Ramadan spreads, complete with lentil salad, vegetable soup, chocolate cake, French pastries, and smoked salmon toast!

Two days before I left Othman and I gathered many friends at the newly installed Chili's in Casablanca for a farewell dinner/lftour. This picture didn't quite get everyone in it, as many people came and went throughout the many hours we spent there. It was such a wonderful night, filled with friendship and conversation and love and good food of course! It made me so grateful for the friends I've made in Morocco, and while it was hard to say goodbye I know I'll be back and will be seeing them soon enough!

Knowing I wouldn't see my husband for many months made getting on the plane last week very, very difficult. So the night before and at the airport we took bunches of pictures together... some sillier than others!

Goodbyes are hard, but these goodbyes are not forever, and I'm excited for what's to come!

More painting fun

A few months ago I sat down for a Saturday of painting and this came out (but I only decided on the layout and finished it last week). The peacock and flower designs came from an art book Othman gave me a while back, and I had fun playing with acrylic paint, paint markers, permanent markers, and watercolors to make it (as well as extra paper and scissors!). Most of it is metallic and shiny so it doesn't show well in photos, but it's a fun piece! 

This one I painted for the lovely Brooke, and gave it to her as  gift before she left for the US last week. I forgot to take a picture of it before I gave it to her, and when I asked her to send me one I got this perfect photo. The dark background makes it look really nice!

Then last Friday my friend Ingrid invited me over for a painting afternoon at her photography studio with a couple friends of hers. I had these four little canvases that I didn't know what to do with, and had fun making this simple design on them. The colors don't show very accurately here (again the silver is shiny), but I had fun playing with the colors she had at her place—much brighter than the ones I own!

Ingrid is in fact the one that started this all, back in December 2013. Thank you dear friend for helping me fall in love with painting!

To a dear friend on her wedding day

Dearest Urszula,

Today you get married! I welcome you into the club of globe-trotting, mixed heritage married couples. 

It's club filled with people who decided that their love outweighed the challenges they'd face: differing expectations, ever-present communication problems, hard decisions about places (where to live? who to visit?), names (change it or not? baby names that everyone is happy with?), and so much more. You've met with some of those challenges already, but trust me, more are on their way. Mixed couples have it hard, and many things that wouldn't be a struggle if you married the boy down the street will crop up as major speed bumps to get over. 

So why do we do it? Why are there ever more people joining this club full of arguments and tears and misunderstandings? Why are you doing so today?

Because.

Because the love that drew you to this man, so different from you in so many ways (yet so alike in others), feels stronger than any you could have for anyone else.

Because the struggles that we face as mixed couples truly only do make us stronger, and solidify the bonds that we started forging years ago.

Because mixed couples go into marriage with their eyes wide open, knowing they'll have to fight for their love. And sometimes that makes all the difference.

Because the richness that your partner will bring to your life (yes it will increase!) will come in many forms: new places and foods, new languages to conquer, new points of view to understand, new realizations and greater empathy. He will be by your side through those experiences and help you make sense of them and see the beauty in them. 

Because you'll get to do the same for him.

Because your table will be filled with foods from differing corners of the earth (and I know you like to eat).

Because like attracts like, and the other mixed couples you'll meet in upcoming years will be among the most interesting and compassionate people you'll ever know. And you'll immediately be drawn to them, and they to you, and you'll be able to discuss all those struggles and hardships with your new friends, and they will understand like no one else can. They are the rocks you'll learn to lean on. Because couples need couple friends. And again, the richness of your life will multiply.

Because mixed couples make beautiful babies, who grow up with empathy and a unique perspective, who grow up multilingual, multicultural, and as true citizens of the world.

There are so many reasons that this club is a good place to be. I've only been in it for three years and have seen what incredible joy it has brought me. I'm so happy that, starting today, it will bring you the same. Welcome.

Hey Jude!

My friend Brooke came over a couple weeks ago with a super thoughtful birthday card and gift, and took this beautiful photo of me cuddling with her sweet little boy:

During that visit she and I tried to schedule a family photoshoot, but sadly it fell through, and now she's off to the States next week. So when she came to visit yesterday I couldn't help but take a few more pictures of her and Jude! It was hardly a photoshoot but just some quick photos as we chatted over tea. The little faces Jude makes just crack me up, and I was happy to see him in such a good mood, cooing away and drooling on everything in sight! (And I LOVE the bandanna bibs he's always sporting.)

The ubiquitous orange of my living room (the second-hand orange couches we bought before moving in years ago happened to be the exact shade our landlady had just repainted the walls) doesn't make the best background for portraits, but I got some nice ones nonetheless!

Plus yay for black and white!

I love this sweet moment,

and this picture is my absolute favorite of the day:

Thanks Brooke for letting me try to capture in photographs the love between you and your son! Have safe travels and a wonderful time in California!

An afternoon at the beach

Last Sunday Othman and I ventured off with Gioia and Driss to a beach outside of Casablanca that we hadn't been to in years. First we filled up on lots of fresh fish at a busy little restaurant by the port, then we drove off and found the entrance to the beach we wanted. We parked behind a row of houses and walked up the path, the sound of the waves getting louder each moment. We paused for a moment for a photo.

This next picture is ridiculously over exposed but I find it too cute not to include! These two are such good friends and Gioia and I just love that.

The majority of the time we just relaxed, enjoying the sun and the view while lying around.  

But we also wandered about and found some cool stuff:

Othman and Driss made a game of throwing pebbles, trying to hit off the smallest top rock of the construction below. There ended up being many incarnations and rounds of the game! I'm not sure I ever won though, oops.

One rock even turned into a big project: Othman found this one and got an idea... 

So he and Driss planned...

Went to work...

And voila the final product!! It's sitting in our living room now and never fails to make me smile! Othman has been a lover of everything-dinosaur since he was a kid, and it shows!

A little while later, Driss took some nice pictures of us girls; thanks Driss!

Eventually the wind picked up and the sun's heat weakened, and it was time to go. But not before getting some group pictures!

The day was the exact mix of fun and relaxation that we all needed!