Browsing Category: USA

Adding My Voice to #BlackLivesMatter

#BlackLivesMatter

I have been debating with myself about blogging. Not because I have any hesitation about what’s right or wrong, but because it feels like mine isn’t the voice that should be speaking right now. I don’t want to take up airtime or energy or distract from those who have better words, more important stories, or are on the forefront of this conversation. But it’s also vital that I not remain silent, and that I make it clear to any and everyone I know where I stand.

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A Dream Job, Again

Dream job

When I started this blog what feels like a million years ago, I had the dream day job – I was a video game and tech journalist with the biggest site in South Africa. It was a dream come true, where I spent my days writing about video games, traveling around the world to play video games, reviewing some of the latest and greatest technology and I even got to attend E3 and Gamescom. I always told people it was the dream job, even though the pay wasn’t great and it turned playing some games into a slog. Continue Reading

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My 4th of July Was a Sign of Great Days to Come

My 4th of July Was a Sign of Great Days to Come

I have been largely absent from this blog. In large part, it’s because I’m avoiding talking about some stuff, and I don’t want to share parts here until I can share all the things. But I had a wonderful day on the 4th of July, and it felt momentous in a way. I’m hoping that other moms with young kids can identify, and maybe get a little bit of hope.

Earlier in the week, I asked my mom when things got easier. I know that parenting is always hard, and that “momlife” is a perpetual struggle. But I also remembered having a blast on family vacations. I remembered going for coffee and a scone with my mom, sitting and talking (although I can’t remember WHAT we used to talk about). Continue Reading

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All about the EB-5, America’s investment visa program

All about the EB-5, America's investment visa program

Most of you know by now that when we made our move from South Africa to Arizona in 2017, we used the I-130 visa to do so. This is a special kind of green card that’s issued to family members of US citizens, such as partners and children. Harley already had her American citizenship, so it was only Dean who needed the green card, which you can read more about over here.

But I often get emails and other messages from you all. You ask about other ways to get to the US if you don’t have a partner who is a citizen. And for a long time, I honestly didn’t have any answers other than to try for the Green Card lottery, or maybe see if you can get a job that will do the work for you. But now I have a solution that will work for some of you. Granted, it’s not a fit for everyone, but there is indeed a way to buy your way in.

(Full disclosure: This post was sponsored, as becomes clear below. But since so many of you have written to me about this topic, I thought it might be helpful for some of you.) Continue Reading

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The Monster at the End of this Book – Read it to your kids

The Monster at the End of this Book - Read it to your kids

For those who haven’t noticed, I actually have a YouTube channel running. Over there, I read kid’s books out loud. In my head, the content is for two distinct groups. It’s for the parents who are curious about which books are worthwhile, or perhaps might be wondering about some best practices when reading aloud to a kid. It’s also for kids, to be able to watch a video of their new favorite book read out loud. Go subscribe. Please. PLEASE!

I realized that I might not have mentioned this to you all enough, so I figured I’d tell you a bit more about the book I read in the video that went live this past Sunday. It’s called The Monster at the End of this Book, and it was one of my all-time favorites when I was a kid. It’s also one of Harley’s favorites, so it was an easy choice to share. There are even apps for it, where it becomes an interactive storytelling experience.

(Full disclosure: Yes, links to Amazon are affiliate links. If you click them, I could earn a small commission.) Continue Reading

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