It’s amazing to think back to this time last year, in 2020, when we had no idea we were staring down what would be an unprecedented year. It’s easy to get caught up in all of the negatives of 2020. But in taking a look back, we can’t help but be thankful that we emerged happy and healthy.
Our Favorite Language Learning Apps
As soon as we learned that we were going to be moving to Germany, Ellie and I both started to invest time into learning basic German. Thankfully, learning a new language is easier than ever thanks to a diverse ecosystem of modern language learning apps.
Orion’s First International Adventure: Metz, France
With Spring just around the corner we decided it was time to venture out and start exploring Europe with the newest member of our family, baby Orion! My cousin Audrey and her partner Brandon are planning to move from Brussels to Vancouver later this year so we met up with them for a weekend in Metz, France in early March.
How to Set Up a Raspberry Pi VPN Hotspot
If you’re an expat like Ellie and me there’s a good chance there’s at least a part of you that misses being able to watch streaming content easily from your own country. The answer is a VPN, but these days it’s not that straightforward. I recently took some time to get a Raspberry Pi VPN hotspot set up at home and figured I’d share my lessons learned.
Thoughts on COVID-19
Talk about throwing a giant wrench into our plans! With the new Coronavirus exploding across the globe, we’re hunkered down and waiting it out. But that doesn’t mean our lives have to stop. As with most things, there’s opportunity to be found if you look hard enough.
Our Whirlwind 2019
It’s hard to even begin to try to summarize what a crazy year 2019 was for us. Not only did we pack up our lives and move across an ocean, we also expanded to a family of three. We documented a great deal of our adventures in 2019 via both photos and videos, and I finally took some time to compile them all into a short montage of our momentous year.
My 2020 Resolution
The previous year was a momentous one for Ellie and I. Not only did we move to a different country, but we also had our first child. Needless to say, 2019 was extremely busy for us! As we settle into the new year, I’ve decided what my 2020 resolution will be.
On to the Next Adventure!
In early fall 2018, Ellie got an offer to take her career abroad. Several Pharmacist positions had opened up in Europe and the more we read about it and researched it the more excited we got. Long story short, she accepted the job and in May 2019 we officially moved to Germany!
Electric Boogaloo
Whether cruising boat sailors like to admit it or not, electrical systems have become a critical component of our vessels. Even if just used to start the “iron genny”, a reliable 12-volt system has become a necessity for safe cruising. After a few months of sailing our boat, we recognized that our electrical system was due for an upgrade.