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The Frustrated Nester

Expatting, Travelling, and Danish Living

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Tag: creativity

The Power of Yes

June 3, 2016September 26, 2018 frustratednester2 Comments

Time to start carrying a towel... Recently I wrote about the feeling I had, a couple of years ago, that I'd given (up) the best years of my life to being a trailing spouse and having babies.  I entered my forties at that time, thinking my peak years were behind me, work-wise.  Irrational though I knew… Continue reading The Power of Yes →

Nested: All The Lego, Part 1

January 14, 2016 frustratednesterLeave a comment

Every time I think our home has reached peak Lego, it manages to multiply some more.  You would think, living here, that it would be easy to keep new toy purchases to a minimum, and even MT (proud owner of a Lego Death Star) said a couple of months back that we could bypass it this… Continue reading Nested: All The Lego, Part 1 →

Recreating Missé – Part Two

November 20, 2015 frustratednesterLeave a comment

It's a mere 5 months since I wrote Recreating Missé - Part One, and I'm sure both of you who read it have been on tenterhooks...or more likely you dismissed me as a two-post wonder and moved on. When I wrote that post, full of inspiration and plans, I knew nevertheless that it was about to… Continue reading Recreating Missé – Part Two →

Recreating Missé – Part One

July 2, 2015November 19, 2015 frustratednester2 Comments

  There was so much I hadn't expected from  'A Writer Begins' with Circle of Missé. I didn't expect this retreat to feel as if I was being welcomed as a house guest of the family, while simultaneously having the impression of a boutique hotel where every little need was anticipated.  I didn't expect a… Continue reading Recreating Missé – Part One →

When even the journey is a holiday…

June 17, 2015June 17, 2015 frustratednesterLeave a comment

I'm on a TGV on my way to a very special holiday - a residential writing course in the Loire Valley. It's been a few months since the shift in perspective that I managed to think my way into, when I realised that when it comes to the question, 'If you could do anything you… Continue reading When even the journey is a holiday… →

Recent Posts

  • Esbjerg Days Out: Tirpitz
  • My 10 Big Lessons from 10 Years of Expat Life
  • Comfortable Luxury at Henne Kirkeby Kro
  • Leaving Season: on the Threshold, Again
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The ever-so-festive December issue of The International is out now! 📰 . It’s packed with insights about Danish traditions and ways to make the most of this time of year around the country 🎄👏 . Buy here’s the thing: my article doesn’t even mention the C-word! So if you need some escape from the seasonal intensity, you’ll get a breath of fresh air on page 19 😉 . Out now across Denmark, or follow the link in my bio ⬆️ . . . @theinternationaldenmark #theinternational #internationalwriter #expatindenmark #danishliving #esbjerg #esbjergexpat #esbjergblogger #beachinwinter #mynorthernsoul #winterescape #widenyourhorizons #beatthewinterblues #beachlife #westjutland #vestjylland @visitvestjylland.dk
So this happened yesterday 😇 . I’m planning to reveal more about the draft and actual book plans in an email in the next couple of days, so now is a good time to subscribe if you haven’t already! Link in bio! . . . #nanowrimo #nanowrimowinner #amwriting #memoirwriting #expatwriter #internationalliving #bookplanning
I took a picture of this sign so that it can make you smile the way it did me when I saw it this morning. . Full disclosure: it was in the disrobing area at the gynaecologist’s office, which was exactly the best place for it to be! 😊 Feeling very well looked-after this morning! . #smileplease #yourebeautifulwhenyousmile #sawthisandthoughtofyou #affirmation
So excited to discover a new thing in #Esbjerg today! The former Cafe Libri at the library has had a very hyggelig makeover and yesterday reopened as Nørre19 (@noerre19) ☕️ 📚 . Didn’t try the food yet but the coffee is just fine 👌and it’s good to know sustenance is available at the library again! . Tomorrow is my last uninterrupted day of #NaNoWriMo so it’s looking like a full day of writing at the library since I can now treat myself to lunch. I’ll let you know how it goes... . . . @esbjergbib #esbjerg #esbjerglibrary #hovedbiblioteket #nørre19 #esbjergeats #amwriting #esbjergexpat #esbjergblogger #hyggelife
Did you catch my article in November’s issue of The International? See a preview below and follow the link from @theinternationaldenmark to find out why I compared Esbjerg to the Wild West! 🤠 #Repost @theinternationaldenmark with @get_repost ・・・ BLAZING A TRAIL IN WILD-ISH WEST DENMARK ” On a dark Monday evening in Esbjerg, the streets are still, but in the Huset student and culture hub, there’s chemistry brewing and a buzz in the air. I’m standing in a circle with some brand-new friends, and we’re getting to know each other at headlong speed, pushing each other out of our comfort zones.” Catriona Turner, an expat from Esbjerg writes for The International. . . Read the rest of Catriona’s article on https://issuu.com/the-intl/docs/the_international_-_november__print_ or find a nearest distribution point! . . #theinternational #internationalliving #cphlife #esbjerglife #danishlifestyle #expatsindenmark #getoutofthecomfortzone #thefrustratednester #esbjergexpat #esbjergblogger
Things are looking up in #Hamburg...the drizzle is clearing and I have street-gluhwein 😊 . . . #winterhappy #gluhwein #visitgermany #visithamburg #theywererightabouttheshopping #whoneedsluggageanyway #winterweekend #wintercheer
I painted a plate! . In all honesty pottery is not something that excites me, but Royal Copenhagen is such an institution that I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to join this painting workshop. . Swipe for the work in progress and the teacher (of 29 years’ plate-painting experience) making it look easy. . DID YOU KNOW? - The pieces shrink 15% after they’re baked (so my mistakes are now 15% less visible). - Only pieces painted by official Royal Copenhagen craftspeople have the official stamp and distinctive wave symbol painted on the back. - even in the factory in Thailand, every Royal Copenhagen piece is hand-painted: our teacher was one of the people who travels to the factories to train staff. . (And if you’re wondering why my plate isn’t blue, they do the designs in black as well, so when everyone else in the group picked blue I was able to rebel and say ‘I’ll Paint it Black’. And play the Stones in my stories. I really didn’t think the result was going to look anything like actual Royal Copenhagen anyway, but it turns out the way the teach the process makes it pretty close to the traditional design!) . . . #royalcopenhagen #danishliving #danishtradition #handmade #allmyownowrk #expatindenmark #myexpatlife #handpainted #danishsouvenir #livingdanishly @royalcopenhagen
(Français dessous) Yesterday was Mortensaften, so I was inspired to cook something special last night. While the Danish were eating their traditional roast duck, I satisfied my Version Française with an improvised aiguillettes de canard, along with some top notch roasties, if I do say so myself. . (Every Danish result in the Google search starts ‘Why we celebrate Mortensaften’, so even the Danish don’t really know. But it has something to do with a saint hiding amongst geese for a quiet life 🤷‍♀️) 🇩🇰 🇫🇷 🇬🇧 Hier, les Danois mangaient canard rôti, pour fêter Mortensaften. Cela m’a inspiré de satisfier ma Version Française, alors j’ai essayé aiguillettes de canards, avec pdt roties pour le goût de chez nous. . . . #mortensaften #danishliving #expatindenmark #maversionfrançaise #aiguillettesdecanard #roasties #cultureblend #internationalliving
Good morning winter ❄️ 😎 . . . #goodmorning #esbjerg #wintersun #morningfrost #beachinwinter #esbjerghavn #sunrise #wintersunrise #mennesketvedhavet #favouriteweather #nofilter @mitesbjerg @visitvestjylland.dk @govisitdenmark @discoverdenmark

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