And how 4 mamas pegged it from Tokyo on a girlfriends' day out (read - day with the girls and no kiddos!)

As any busy woman will tell you, planning a day out…just one little day away from it all…is no easy task. But, we four were determined to leave Tokyo for the day, just get out of dodge and see something new.

We have had that little apartment in Klosters for almost eleven years now. We’ve spent each and every winter weekend there, Christmases, New Years Eves, Winter Breaks and every other free day in between….but when you have the chance to see your old home thru the eyes of a tourist, something unexpected happens.

We were ready for a holiday, that was for sure. But we had no idea that the beauty of the land and the Balinese people would have such a lasting affect. 

As an ex-New Yorker, I have had a brand new handbag swiped off the back of my chair in a London hotel, a mobile phone snatched off of a posh restaurant table and my family home in Switzerland broken in to while my children were sleeping upstairs. Losing my mobile phone in the centre of Tokyo - a shocking revelation ensues. 

Coming from Switzerland, we are very used to snow. Everyone drives four-wheel drive automobiles, the trains and trams leave and arrive on time all winter long and families own multiple shovels. I cannot remember school ever being cancelled in the years we were in Zürich. That is why the past twenty-four hours have felt like a magical holiday for us.

As an expatriate, one of the most typical and frequent questions I am asked is “Where are you from?”. This is a natural and open question, but it always causes me to hesitate.

It is not only obvious differences between city and suburb or Asia to Europe. There are real and vast deviations that our children have to navigate. For them, life is exhilarating and, a the same time exhausting. And this experience is as personal as it is individual.

This it the first piece I wrote when I arrive in Tokyo. It was written for and published on Discover Out Loud. For me, it is an important barometer. I refer to it often to check myself...am I being true to me, have I changed my perspective.....?  It is a good map through this time of discovery. 

After visiting Shimoda over the summer, I fell in love. I wrote about this love affair for Discover Out Loud....I know I am a die-hard beach girl, but upon returning last weekend, I just couldn't resist the urge to dream about living there forever and ever. The pictures tell the story. 

When I stand in front of the sea, I have the feeling of smallness - in the most incredible way possible. For me, Kyoto is the same. A city in which the electricity, the history and the culture make me feel little and yet a part of something much bigger. 

I feel the need to write, to capture these moments, to explore my more creative sides. Moving to Tokyo has started a journey - and this is my space to capture that journey. 

My love affair with Amsterdam began in 2002. I had just moved from New York to London, when Johan and I travelled to Holland for a weekend break and the wedding of a friend. We stayed, and still stay, in the centre, on the Prinsengracht. From this landing pad, we are free to walk, cycle and boat around the town…here are my favourites in the neighbourhood.