When we arrived in Denmark for our three-week plus house and pet sit, we were a bit more worn out than we had imagined. 
The farm was the home to a couple who taught us a lot about Danish Hygge. One who worked part-time as a butcher and the other a foot and physical therapy (not to be mixed!). 
Their farm-house was nearly 140 years old, had two floors and easily six bedrooms. Wonderous views from each direction through windows and skylights showed us the ever-changing sky.
Our charges were one cat named Merlot who brought gifts of hard-fought birds and mice and a three-year old fluffy, playful Irish Terrier named Rusty who exhibited the habits of the cutest cartoon dog you could imagine.
Additionally, we cared for over a 
dozen chickens including five roosters, three of which became dinner…more on that later. 
When we landed after a literal round the globe journey lasting five days I fell ill with the Danish flu. Or at least the flu that I heard was running around Europe and the rest of the Western world.
For the next two weeks I struggled with fevers, malaise as well as a heavy chest cold. Of all the places to fall ill, this warm home proved to be very soothing recovery haven indeed. I was exceedingly grateful for this space. I went to a Danish Doctor to see what I should do to help feel better. I asked for something akin to Nyquil. This may have been the first time in my life I wanted Nyquil. He looked up it up online and said the Danes don’t have anything like that but, recommended that I go drink tea, rest and watch Netflix. The modern Hygge.
After months of being in tropical weather and convinced we would not have a ‘regular’ winter we were treated to several winter storms, snow flurries and downright blizzards. We were overjoyed to make snowmen, slide on some ice and have snowball fights. I was more an observer but, we all very much enjoyed it. 
The kitchen we were occupying had all the supplies one (mainly my husband) would need to create sumptuous home cooked meals. Kelvin was in his element as he made stews, soups, roast chickens, cassoulets, braised meats and salads all washed down with hearty wines and cold, clear water.
We consumed cup after cup of coffee or tea several times a day and often pared them with Danish baked goods found in neighboring villages. We had farm fresh eggs (up to 12 a day!) as well as dark, thick bread that after toasted only needed a smear of butter to become a slice of heaven.
I now know why Danes are known for their baked goods. The danishes we have in the States are a very poor representation of what the Danes actually make. When we made our way into the nearby town of Svendborg we inevitably visited Brod – A Danish Baking Studio which quickly became our new haunt.
Kelvin make plans with Ib (our host) to ‘take care of’ three chickens that were harassing many of the hens in the pen. He made a list to prepare for the slaughter and to process the meat.
I found this list and had to double take as Kelvin had forgotten the ‘e’ on humane as I read his list that looked like a serial killer prep list. Maybe too many Law and Order episodes from my past? In any case, the whole event was another life skill world school moment for the boys.
We had been away from a fully supplied kitchen and we relished in having the ability to make breakfast, lunch and dinner on site, warm ourselves by the fireside while wearing the handmade wooly socks made by our host. Can you say Hygge? Ib and Ann offered up all their coats, boots, gloves, hats, scarves (even a Gryffindor one much to Oakley’s delight) and overalls as well as their car to supply us with the tools to journey around the property and the Island of Fyn. 
We did make a couple of excursions to round out our Danish experience. We had whimsical world school day in Odense, the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen and followed big red foot prints on the cobble stones to trace his roots around town. All while enjoying street art, warm drinks and Hans skill as a paper cut out artist.
The Princess and the Pea Bed
The boys were also invited to talk to a local school. We visited a class of 8-10 year olds as they were learning English. Canyon was very brave and presented at the beginning of class and conducted questions in his forward fashion. We continued to experience a humble awareness of the language aptitude of the Danes. Most people already knowing more than two languages by the age of 10 years old. 
No visit to Denmark would be complete without involvement in a Lego activity. We went to the Lego House in Billund for a day of Lego. Billund is the birthplace of Lego. I was undoubtedly surprised to be so entertained. I knew the boys would be, however, I was childlike as I went room to room to see the interactive activities set up around Lego pieces. My favorite was a live Sim City-like interactive play of making a city. I had to work that evening so we regretfully had to leave before we were all ready to go. 
In the mainstream media, there has been a liberal use of the term Hygge. Admittedly, I did not know about this term until I arrived but, a friend commented on our experience and said it looked very Hygge. It is hard to translate into English as we don’t have an exact equivalent. 
I found this New Yorker article Hygge – A form of Cozy which helped inform my experience. We found this word to be a true representation of our experience.
We found our experiences steeped in warm, cozy, pleasant surroundings and, at times, lit in a low-light glow all while enjoying simple pleasures such as a tasty cup of coffee while watching the snow fall from a fire warmed room. I dug into crosswords, some books, cozy blankets and sweet Danish bread after walking Rusty in the brisk, clean air. It did feel like a calming elixir.
Our experience with the Danes as a people was also warming. They won’t walk up to you to introduce themselves in grocery store, however, once introduced they proved to be some of the warmest, friendliest people I’ve ever met.
The daughter of our host, Line, brought food and family over for an afternoon of Hygglick activities including cuddling the pets and playing chess all while eating homemade Brunsviger, a kind of celebratory brown sugar bread, liver paste, cheese, chocolate for bread slices and endless cups of tea and coffee.
Line also provided Kelvin and I with our first night and honestly, our first several hour stretch while awake as she took care of the boys and sent us off on a night alone (gasp!) in a nearby hotel. The first time in 200 days which we had a night of sleep and a hot meal without the kids with us. We barely knew what to do but, found ourselves happily experiencing Hygge with some tasty beer and snacks at a pub and a super snooze in a cozy bed.
Our hosts came back and we stayed on for a few days to celebrate Kelvin’s birthday with them. Some alcohol was consumed and we only had to totter upstairs and curl up in extra fluffy duvets. They were kind, generous and very pleasant.
So, we wrapped up our time in Denmark a bit heavier around the waist but, happily rested and well connected with our new friends as we left feeling like family.
Line and various drinks for a Danish dinner party.
Rusty and very cold boys at the Cold War Museum
Winter!
Street Art and Oakley in Odense
How to choose a flavor of a lollypop?
Hans Christian Anderson
My Lego House Photo
Day One, Tuesday: We woke up in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. 
We had been staying at a nicer hotel as we had been traveling hard for a while. We decided to let ourselves stay in a place a bit nicer than our normal choices. Meaning, we had predictable hot water and the beds were blessedly soft and fluffed with clean duvets. We had some more room and there were not as many unpredictable bugs visiting us.
knowing it would be nearly the last of our tropical weather. 
We got a ride in a van to the bus terminal which doubled as a cafe’ on the side of the road. Our bus was leaving from Sihanoukville at 8:30pm. The sun was down as we climbed onboard our overnight bus to Siem Reap.
For about $25 a person it was not a bad way to travel North through Cambodia in the dead of night.
We departed at 8:30am for Bangkok, Thailand. This bus goes through the notorious Poi Pot border crossing from Cambodia into Thailand. The border crossing is a bit easier this way as we didn’t have to get a visa before going through passport control. However, it is still an assault on the senses and having sensory sensitive kids it was especially so.
It was hard, sweaty and dusty but, we did it. Each stop from passport control to the next is outside in the city along camps of people with outstretched hands offering or asking us many things.
We dug out our the Thai Baht we had saved and bought fresh snacks. We were coming in on 19 hours of travel. The bus driver dropped us not far from the hotel we booked in Bangkok near the airport.
Day Three, Thursday: A rest day in Thailand. A good friend from back home Grace came to hang out with us for the afternoon. 
This is after Kelvin ended up cooking our eggs and breakfast for us at the restaurant as they were, seemingly, short on staff.
It was the start of the Lunar New Year so many fireworks exploded through the night as we tried to sleep.
We flew from Bangkok, Thailand to Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates in seven hours on Etihad Airlines.
All wiped down with tissues seeking nafarious substances. We had a short layover and then took off for London. Another seven hours in the air.
Our plane held 496 passengers and 22 staff. Our row was ten seats across with two aisles and was a double-decker with a staircase and business class in what I read were actual beds. When we landed it felt like a barely a bump.
Our ride from the airport cost more than seven days of accommodation in Cambodia. Jet lagged and chilly we counted the hours we were awake (24) and fell into the comfy and clean beds of our friends house was we were nuzzled by their two kitties.
Day Six, Saturday: We woke up before the sun to gather our belongs one more time and shuttled off to Luton Airport. We had an interesting ride through the fog gazing out at the hills reaching for green as we wheeled past.
After boarding a Ryan Jet flight by trudging up the stairs in the icy wind from the tarmac we bid goodbye to Britain for a while. We winged our way to Copenhagen, Denmark. We found our way to the train connections to bring us to the Danish village we were going to stay.
Wincing, we found our alternative train and trundled towards our destiny on the Island of Fyn to the town to Nyborg where our host was patiently waiting for us as we disembarked some nearly two hours later.
What followed was an amazing Danish farm experience. That will be documented on my next post.
The people, the landscape, the resources and the kindness.
I read once that you shouldn’t go to the hardest place of travel at the end of your journey because you’ll be too tired. Well, we didn’t know how tired we had become.
There are also beggars, ogglers and whatever you-havers. It can be pretty intense, especially if you are just over four feet tall and don’t look like a local.
consistency and stability.
chickens, cows, roadside fires and potholes. An adventure in the journey.
We rode an overnight bus to Sihanoukville to stay in a place run by Russian women who have picked up and started over in Cambodia. It was clean and comfortable but, there was the undercurrent of the sex trade there. Women around for the ‘weekend girlfriend experience’ with Chinese and Indian businessmen.
and it was a bit depressing. These men were on a business trip having the ‘bonus’ of the company of local women. It is hard to wrestle with as I can only imagine this transaction might benefit their family but, it was hard to blithely witness.
The Cambodian coast is full of people trying to make a living. Wanting to fulfill your every need. Do you need your nails trimmed? Do you need your legs shaved? Do you need a snack? Do you need a drink? Do you need a new wrap for the sun? Any of these issues or perhaps something you had no idea you were in need of. It is hard to say no but, also hard if you say yes as all others will think you are game for trade.
While waiting for our boat we saw the most basic toilet and an ice man the likes of Hans from Frozen loading ice blocks for the food establishments tourists would frequent. On our island that has no roads only scooters, wagons or good ol’ elbow grease carry your bags, supplies and goods.
Our experience was on the Island of Koh Rong. We stayed in a bungalow on a beach. You could walk to a nearby village but, the beaches were cleanest at our place where locals would comb the sand twice a day to pick up stray litter that washed ashore. I became even more aware of how important it is to recycle in our everyday life as plastics showed up on the hour. It is hard to imagine what an impact we might have on the environment when you are picking through plastic pieces while walking into the water.
Small sparks of light explode around your fingers and they comb through the warm water. It is magic. It is mind-blowing. Activation of phosphorus plankton is the scientific explanation but, I still call it magic. Because the secondary light is so minimal it is stunning. This close to the equator the sun sets so quickly too. You are in darkness in less time than it takes to drain a local can of beer.
The rest of the days on the island were restful yet, imprinted with the awareness that so many locals nearby were living on so little. It is an odd equation. Do you help by being a tourist?
and comfort. I had a topsy belly for many a day and it wasn’t until our trip around to Western Europe that I settled again.
I am incredibly grateful for this amazing experience. I am so curious to see what our boys will recall from these colorful, intense, filled days and nights.
Because we are using an English language version. Siri would often just opt out in pronouncing names. So, you would be told to, ‘Turn left on ____ in 200 meters’. Or try a Google Search without using a VPN in an English speaking country.
The elder King was reknown for his kindness and the way he helped people in all corners of the country. He was in power for over 70 years.
Elephants in everyday life including temples at the side of the road
9 – Everyone is on a phone or device. Even dental assistant while working on my son was watching her show while guiding the dental equipment. Also, little tiny kids will also have their parent’s phone in action. People often take their kids to work so, this seems to be the easiest form of distraction. We even had a Grab driver (like Uber) who had her 4 year old daughter in the front seat helping with directions.
During one of visits to a Wat in Northern Thailand our friend PD said she got goosebumps because the Monk that started that Wat was there in person. We also saw some monks that were nearly indistinguishable from the statues next to them as they did not move for the entire time we were there. Many monks will have a likeness them made into a statue after they pass so they are always present.
Bangkok is the most popular place in the world for 
wonder that there are a zillion of blogs and suggestions of places to go there.
In our journey there we found joy in the 
Our host PD (her name is moon in Thai) was amazed to see the main monk there. She said she had goose bumps on her arm as if seeing a favorite movie star.
Delightful paper umbrellas were on display and joyously celebrated throughout the weekend. We were there for the afternoon and part of the Umbrella parade. Try riding your bike while holding an umbrella!
Pretty amazing experience. I can now say I have had my hand inside an elephants mouth. 
While feeding them many bananas. Pretty big tongue!
It stands over 8400 feet and it was blissfully cooler or the first time in weeks. 
I know that sounds a bit annoying to anyone who has been in the cold blasts that have been experienced in the States over the last weeks but, it was truly refreshing for us. It was also fascinating to see folks getting their selfies with the sign on top. This is a very serious business in Asia.
We also experienced some amazing waterfalls on the way back down.
We became fast friends with our hosts who are sisters. There are three and their names translate to Moon, Star and Sky.
This bowl of egg noodles with meat, spicy broth topped with lime, pickled cabbage and crispy noodles is quite seriously, a bowl for the soul. I am wondering if there is a food cart back in Portland that has it…otherwise, we need to build it.
Our last full day we awoke at 4am to get a ride then climb to the top of Doi Suthrup and the Temple on top that was first built in 1383. 
Did you catch that? 1383….and it still operates today as a Monastery and has several temples to visit. After calling the boys class back in Portland at the bottom of the stairs, we climbed 309 stairs to the top and found ourselves with only three other people that weren’t monks there.
After the sun came up, we saw loads and loads of buses and songthaew with visitors streaming out as we departed. I’m glad we had our quiet, peaceful visit.
education of our kids. I was really, really concerned that we would mess them up or get them really behind. I’ve expressed this on this blog and the sentiment takes up entirely too much space in my head.
Then add in the schooling and it is a whole new role. Yes, we have been teaching them since birth but, the structured approach of making sure the boys are ‘on track’ has been an interesting one.
With Kelvin and I, it doesn’t always work out as we are the only adults around to care for the kids but, that it is another post altogether.
Oakley’ Stats for 2017
I had been struggling with some physical ailments (back pain, sleep issues, digestive challenges) Then I got pretty ill. Headache, fever, chills, throat pain. You know that feeling that you’ve swallowed broken glass? I was there. I was going through Ricolas like cigarettes for a heavy smoker.
We landed in Bangkok. Nothing like a city of over 8 million, humidity, a smaller hostel room for four to emphasize your discomfort. For our entire time in Bangkok’s Chinatown (where our hostel was) I saw the inside of a hospital (twice) and a 7/11 (they are everywhere in SE Asia) to get supplies.
I gotta throw out the biggest kudos to 
luxorious and grounding.
We are in a beautiful place in warm weather. The dream of many folks, especially with all those winter storms happening in the States at the moment. Yet, I am feeling a bit rudderless. I think this is the longest place we have stayed in the last 4+ months of travel.
I think we pulled it off as we were able to find strands of Twinkly lights to put up where we were, found a Star Wars Lego Advent calendar which can do wonders for little boys psyches. We even found a 5 ft plastic tree for $10. 
A bargain!
You even get an ice drink made from ice and get to gleefully throw it against an ice wall as you depart. How very satisfying!
We spent about 25 minutes inside (they have a requisite three minute acclimation period going in and out of each side). Many people spent more time in the acclimation room than in the actual ice room.
It is completely different when you cannot leave your kids by themselves. Kelvin and I haven’t had awake time alone in months, especially in daylight. 
I am enjoying not thinking about when we eat next, what to do next, thinking about how everyone might react to the next choice.
announcing what they are selling and will play it over and over while driving around. You can flag them down and buy whatever it is they have. Usually, it is some meal. The scooter may even have a glowing hot oven on the side.
They are consistently told they are ‘so handsome’! People (usually a woman) will drop whatever she is doing and come over to touch their cheeks.
somewhere. It never ends. Never, ever, ever.
They certainly give Starbucks a run for their money.
country but, remember when you see the political posters everywhere, very little advertising (except outside a local cafe) and handing over your passports every time you stay somewhere new.
plenty of reminders of this intense history. Yet, for the Vietnamese it is a blip on their several 1000 year old history. There seems to be no hard feelings about the war.
the rainy season.
I cringingly found out, sometimes a rat will be getting his take on the trash as it sits there.
The mini baguette is a staple for 
many breakfasts with eggs and are sooooo airy inside and crunchy on the outside. Delightful.
mistook for a tarantula) and many, many in our train carriage, a super fat rat (my phobia) munching on our buildings refuse pile, the praying mantis that guarded our bathroom for a week and would leap on your feet when the water flowed (to have a drink?), beautiful butterflies, dragon flies and your requisite flies, ants and mosquitos that come around pretty frequently.
(smart phones everywhere, apps on tablets to order drinks or check you into your berth on the train) is fascinating to observe.
Even in the markets the granola bars or bottled water will change prices depending on who is working, what is going on with the weather.
with your loved ones. With parents to children it is okay but, a very, very big no no to kiss or canoodle in public.
to drink from the tap. We are in the habit of going to the bathroom with a bottle of water to brush our teeth and if water is set on the table while we are out, the boys immediately ask what source it came from. Don’t take your clean, tap water for granted!
The tailor work is impeccable and remarkable. You dream it, they will sew it.
Shoes, coats, backpacks are all really marked up when they leave the country.
Yet, there are a number of Christian charities that operate cafes hiring people with disabilities. People practice any number of various religions including Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Taoism, Confucianism to name a few.
In the 1990s, I worked for a short time in Hong Kong for a colleague of my Dad’s. It was an interesting time and experience.
While most of it is under re-construction, it held an air of prestige with high ceilings, white columns, giant billiard tables and support staff dressed as Raj royalty. It felt a little rich for my blood but, I did love being there and smiling up at my mom.
The food areas in Chinatown and the Golden Mile were well worth a visit. 
Sumptuous food for really fraction of that cocktail! Such a wide array of foods; Indian, Malay, Chinese, Thai, even Italian, English and American among others.
I didn’t have any cash on me. He directed towards an ATM several blocks away.
We decided to stay at the Legoland Hotel which has themed rooms with scavenger hunts, Lego characters walking around, life-size Lego mini figures, characters walking around and LEGOS everywhere to play with. Big blocks and little blocks.
It was so sweet to see joy on so many faces. Not just ours but, the plenitude of families from all over. There were families there from India, China, and all over SE Asia. We were definitely the minority as we would nod hello to another ‘Western” family from time to time.
French Pastries with Chinese Congee porridge with dried fish on top? Or a traditionally poured spiced chai, watermelon juice, white coffee or full cream milk?
Asia are constructed to impressive, minute detail. Even the scooter accidents with media and police presence on the street. I could have spent hours here. It was super hot so, we melted as we perused even with the welcome mister machines nearby.
A BALANCE OF TRAVEL AND FAMILY 
