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The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist

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The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist
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The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist

  • ABOUT
  • TRAVEL
Browsing Category

Travel

Frugal Things: Travel Edition

I decided to split my frugal thoughts into two posts this week. Yesterday was all about using things up; today, I’m shifting gears to travel frugality.

TOILETRIES

I’m decidedly low-maintenance when it comes to toiletries. I’ll…

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  • Frugality, Travel
  • Mar, 03, 2026
  • 24 Comments

My Hack for Picking Outfits for a Carry-On Only Trip

This is my process for choosing clothes to take for a carry-on-only trip. (We’ll be in Europe for 3.5 months—March through June—which means preparing for a pretty wide range of weather.)

Now, when I say…

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  • Organization, Personality Insights, Planning, Travel
  • Feb, 26, 2026
  • 38 Comments

Schooling Without School: Help Me Pull Together a European Learning Plan!!

Today is all about crowd-sourcing. I need your help!

Two weeks from now, WE WILL BE IN EUROPE, which means the kids won’t be in traditional school for literal months! (Though with all the snow…

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  • Parenting, Travel
  • Feb, 23, 2026
  • 79 Comments

I’m Not Leaving the Internet. Just the Country!

It’s less than a month until we leave. So… what happens to this blog while we’re living abroad?

Short answer: I’m not disappearing.Slightly longer answer: things might look a little bit different.

A few people…

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  • Blogging, Euro Adventure, Planning
  • Feb, 09, 2026
  • 38 Comments

We’re Really Doing This!!! An Update on Our Epic European Adventure

So much of my mental bandwidth lately has been going into planning for Europe. While all the regular rhythms of daily life continue as usual, I feel like my brain is also subdivided—one part…

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  • Euro Adventure, Family, Planning
  • Jan, 26, 2026
  • 52 Comments

A Four-Day Family Visit to Nova Scotia: What We Did (and What We Ate)!

Every day I keep reaching for my phone to scroll through the photos of my sister’s visit! There’s something unique about hosting family that feels both wonderfully full and fleeting—especially when the visit is…

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  • Family, Nova Scotia, Travel
  • Jan, 19, 2026
  • 32 Comments

Christmas Treasure Hunt: 2025

I’m soaking up the laid-back, cheery vibes of a wonderful, relaxed Christmas. I had no intention of posting anything today. But something magical happens when your kids get older. THEY START TO ENTERTAIN THEMSELVES.

Aside…

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  • Christmas, Parenting, Travel
  • Dec, 25, 2025
  • 23 Comments
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