At Home, Elsewhere

learning how to be at home

  • There is No Formula

    There is No Formula

    I want to be more honest than usual for a moment. The last few months being away from France has been excruciating for me. I have had to face fears in relation to my career, money, love and where I want my home to be. I am grateful for all these struggles, but it has…

  • At Home, Elsewhere: Part 2

    At Home, Elsewhere: Part 2

    I accidentally missed the month of August, which was a bit stressful and busy… so here is the next instalment of my memoir. You can read the first one here. Thank you once again for coming with me on this slow journey… ~ She returned back to her chair, handing me a hot cup of…

  • Time to Start the Next Chapter

    Time to Start the Next Chapter

    I have just spent the weekend away with family in the wine region. I always love this place during winter. It’s green, fresh and quiet. The vines may be bare, but the grass is lush. The clouds may be grey, but the sea is still gleaming blue. The sunrises are still beautiful and the sunsets…

  • The Internal Journey

    The Internal Journey

    This was originally published on 6 March 2023 on my blog called The Anchor Within (theanchorwithin.blog).  I want to talk about a moment when I was in Innsbruck. In this city, I was at a point of deep confusion in my life. That point where you give up trying to do things, and all you…

  • Invisible Barriers

    Invisible Barriers

    This was originally published on 23 February 2023 on my blog called The Anchor Within (theanchorwithin.blog).  I want to tell you a story about a man I met in Slovenia. I had arrived there in January, during winter, and so it was very cold. I still remember the first morning I was there. I walked…

  • Beauty is Something We Share

    Beauty is Something We Share

    This was originally published on 13 February 2023 on my blog called The Anchor Within (theanchorwithin.blog).  I came across a Kurdish proverb recently… “A heart in love with beauty never grows old.” It reminded me of another saying I was taught in Basel one time, when I met a group of wonderful people who taught…

  • The Moment I Decided Not to Hide Anymore

    The Moment I Decided Not to Hide Anymore

    This was originally published on 20 February 2023 on my blog called The Anchor Within (theanchorwithin.blog).  I am someone who feels a lot. I can sense the emotions in a neighbourhood, and I can taste the emotions in a room. For me, they are like a strong perfume – I don’t only feel someone’s stress,…

  • Unhooking From the Past

    Unhooking From the Past

    This was originally published on 8 February 2023 on my blog called The Anchor Within (theanchorwithin.blog). Soon after I moved into an apartment in the centre of Valbonne village in France, I had a water leak in my ceiling right above where I kept my clothes. I still remember that sound at night… ugh, that…

  • Doubts are like Doors

    Doubts are like Doors

    This was originally published on 16 February 2023 on my blog called The Anchor Within (theanchorwithin.blog) I want to tell you a story about an experience I had in Ireland. When I ended up in a place I didn’t really want to be… haven’t we all felt that way sometimes? I had just received my…

  • My Love Letter to Valbonne

    My Love Letter to Valbonne

    This was originally published in February 2023 on my blog called The Anchor Within (theanchorwithin.blog) In the middle of the pandemic in August 2020, I left my life in Singapore… where I had stability, love and comfort… so I could have an adventure in Europe. I didn’t know where, but I really did not want…