Gadanke - Celebrate Your Story

As an expat you have a story to tell. You might not even realise it. You may not believe it. But the normal, every day things you do that you take for granted, that you do on automatic pilot and think nothing of, are interesting. These ordinary tasks and actions make up the moments of the life that you lead right here, right now. The things that seem mundane now will be a treasure house in the future. Want to know what I mean?

Every morning the school run routine is a "tear my hair out" ninety minute long begin to the day. I run around washing, dressing, feeding and clearing up after my sons. I then badger them to put shoes and coats on to get out the door. In a few years they won't need me anymore for any of this. My role in the school run will fade and die. I'll look back in years to come and barely remember the chaos of getting my three little men out the door each morning.


But now, when I want a trip down memory lane I'll get out my Gadanke journals. Reading about the 'mundane' aspects of my life a decade before will make me smile. Even probably cry. But these moments, seemingly nothing right now, will be captured for the future.

Katie, the mastermind behind Gadanke, believes you should "celebrate your story". She has crafted beautiful, handmade journals to help us do just that. Not only are they gorgeous to look at, but they are slathered in writing prompts and ideas for photos, memorabilia and keepsakes. I love them. You will too, I'm sure.

As expats we sure have stories to tell. About the house you lived in in France. About the supermarket you frequently shopped in whilst living in Moscow. About your favourite hang out when you lived in Dubai. About the place you called home in Norway which captured your heart. How you came to be an expat. How you live each day.

From the birth of your children to the bakery where you buy your croissants, these are the moments that make up our lives. Capture them. Celebrate them.

I want to thank Katie for inspiring me to capture the little moments, to write about the place I call home, and for prompting me to search deeper inside myself and celebrate who I am and the life I am leading.