I’d been to Budapest once before—January 2023—on a private trip with my hubby and his work colleagues. It was an ambitious 10-day “collect countries like Pokémon” itinerary that had us on the road every day. Budapest was one of our stops: we came in from Vienna, with a pit stop in Bratislava, and only had…
Three weeks, four countries, one missing husband (new job = zero leave), and enough winter layers to qualify as portable insulation—welcome to our Winter Trip 2026. We kicked things off in Budapest (because I once saw the Danube for half a day and immediately fell in love), rolled into Switzerland by night train, then did what all sensible families do: parked ourselves in Les Gets for a full week of skiing and hot-chocolate therapy.
And then… the Netherlands decided to remember it’s allowed to be winter. Our Geneva–Schiphol flight was cancelled, everything was fully booked, and we pivoted into a very scenic, very long train detour via Germany—because getting Fabio back to Enschede for his Monday exam was non-negotiable. The itinerary got wrecked, NS trains stopped, and we were “stuck” in Amsterdam… which honestly turned into a magical snowy wonderland. Chaos? Yes. Regrets? None. And Schiphol drama is now officially part of our family lore.
Netflix continues to deliver fantastic series, and these two are absolute gems. They will entertain you and help you unwind from work or home stress. Zero Day The lead of Zero Day is none other than Robert De Niro, who also serves as its executive producer. Given De Niro’s incredibly long and award-winning career—two Academy Awards, two Golden…
Over nearly 30 years, I’ve worked in seven companies and held 13 different roles. I’ve fought countless political battles—sometimes with peers, sometimes with my own managers. And while I’ve lost as many as I’ve won, I still made it to the C-suite in my 40s and became a Fortune 500 CEO at 50. I know…
Who hasn’t heard of Venice, or Venezia as it’s called in Italian? Growing up, I marveled at the stories of a city uniquely built on 118 small islands, interconnected by over 400 bridges and separated by scenic canals. It’s no wonder Venice remains one of the top 5 most-visited cities in Italy, always featured in…
As someone who grew up in a tropical country, snow has always fascinated me. My first encounter with it was during a year-long AFS exchange program in New Zealand. I experienced my first snowfall in Christchurch and took my very first ski lesson at a nearby resort. Though I started small, I eventually braved the…
After our family’s first ski lesson last year, we were hooked! Well, maybe not my husband quite as much, but he’s a good sport and tags along. This year, we decided to dive deeper into the slopes and spend more time skiing together. Initially, I wanted to return to Serre Chevalier, where we had a…
Where does your travel inspiration come from? For me, it often springs from the stunning landscape pictures that pop up daily on my work computer. While I’m not sure how Microsoft manages to update these images so perfectly (my personal Mac doesn’t do this), one day, a breathtaking photo of a medieval hilltop village caught…
If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you might remember that last year I sent my son to university in the Netherlands. I spent two weeks helping him settle in and enjoying some quality time together. When his orientation started, it was time for me to say goodbye. Instead of flying home feeling…
When I was a child, I was always intrigued by a peculiar trend among the wealthy families I knew—they almost always had a family photo dressed in Dutch costumes. Without fail, when they traveled to Europe, the Netherlands seemed to be a must-visit destination. Perhaps it’s the deep historical connection between Indonesia and the Netherlands—though,…
