Good day all – Several of you noticed that my recent blogs have primarily been about Nick & Nia and asked that I give an update on what’s been happening with me. I’m touched to...
Best of Novakistan
This is a compilation of the posts I feel deserve the “Best of Novakistan” title. They cover the entire 15-year span that I’ve been writing.
Photo by Hello I’m Nik on Unsplash I was incredibly touched by how many of you read (and commented on) yesterday’s post. I did feel your love and support, so first and foremost, thank you...
My name spelled in Russian Cyrillic cursive I am back, as promised, to fill you in on my first month of Russian Language class at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI). For starters, the language is...
As we all know, D.C. has an abundance of things to do, see, and eat. It’s definitely the thing I love most about the city. It’s an epicenter of culture with museums, festivals, and...
Today I want to tell you a bit about the complex process involved in getting our things from here to there. As many of you may remember, each post we’re given a certain amount of poundage that...
On Friday night Nick told Nia and I that he had a surprise outing planned for us on Saturday. All we were told was that we needed to be ready to leave at 10:30 and wear pants, a t-shirt and tennis...
First off, if you haven’t read part 1: READ IT HERE first. Now, on to Part 2! We reached Timur and introduced ourselves to the two visiting NGO workers. “Ready to go in? Timur inquired. “Well, first...
We have crossed the 60-day mark in Almaty—can you believe it? We are so entrenched in our routines that it feels like we’ve been here forever, and yet, the house still isn’t put together, nor is it...
I’m glad so many of you enjoyed the observations that I shared yesterday. The next three in the “Surprises” category are all tied to the country’s soviet past (FYI: Soviet rule lasted from 1920 to...
Hey everyone – Sorry for the radio silence. It has been a crazy- wonderful ten days of birthday fun and I chose to consciously be present for it rather than rushing to get photos and posts up. Rest...
We had a wild night here in Almaty and I can now say I’ve experienced my very first earthquake! Well, technically, I slept through it—as did Nia—but, still! :) The earthquake hit at 12:09 AM in...
Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash Hello all -Today’s post is a bit different than my normal updates. It’s something that I wrote in 2022/2023 when taking part in a months-long writing program. I...
Photo by Vladislav Klapin on Unsplash This is part two in a three-part series. If you haven’t read Part 1 yet, you should definitely start there. For those of you who are caught up . . . on to...
This is part three in a three-part series. If you haven’t read Part 1 and Part 2 yet, you should definitely start there. For those of you who are caught up . . . on to part 3...
Smith Rock State Park near Bend, OR. Photo credit: Photo by Rich Martello on Unsplash Hi All – You haven’t heard from me much lately. I apologize for that, but I have a REALLY good excuse . . . I’ve...
It’s the most wonderful time of the year–except when COVID finds its way into your system. Stupid COVID . . . always at the worst possible time! I had intended to write this post much...
Nia continues to be obsessed with all things aviation-related. So obsessed, in fact, that she can now tell you what make of plane is flying above just by listening to it! And her favorite weekend...
There have been many moments in the last 18 years when I’ve laughed over the fact that I ended up with a husband and daughter who are history fanatics. It would be one thing if it was just a private...
Source: Business Insider Nick has been ensconced in Embassy Baghdad for almost a month now. I say ensconced because you literally can’t exit the compound without 48 hours’ notice, armored cars, and...
As we shift to Fall in Bend, I find myself equal parts grateful and exhausted. We spent the summer bopping from place to place–DC for National History Day in early June, then Minnesota for a...
Image by wangyanwei from Pixabay The Back Story Ten months ago, I had surgery on my right foot and was told I’d be “good as new” in eight to twelve weeks. But twelve weeks came and went and pain was...
This is part 2 in a series about finding a solution to my chronic pain. Best to start with part 1 before reading this one. Let’s do a quick refresher before I add more new information. Normally, the...
Last weekend Nia and I drove two and a half hours north to Albany, Oregon for our very first square-dancing festival. Yes, that is a real thing, and yes, it’s exactly as delightful and niche as it...