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unpacking life abroad, one feeling at a time

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unpacking life abroad, one feeling at a time

Diplomatic Life

Becoming a diplomatic spouse: A Personal Journey

Becoming a diplomatic spouse: A Personal Journey

Settling in our new life in Cotonou

Settling in our new life in Cotonou

We said yes to diplomatic life

We said yes to diplomatic life

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Unpacking life abroad, one feeling at a time.

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This morning, the 7th edition of “Cotonou à Vé

This morning, the 7th edition of “Cotonou à Vélo” took place, organized by the Embassy of the Netherlands 🇳🇱. We woke up at 5:30 to beat the heat and promote a healthy lifestyle, social inclusion and share a little (big) piece of Dutch culture. 🚲 So many people showed up and big smiles could be seen for miles.
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#cotonou #benin #afriquedelouest #westafrica #afrique #africa #embassyofthenetherlands #diplomacy #netherlands #bike #velo #dutchculture #expatlife #diplomaticlife

Got spoiled with another beautiful bridal weekend

Got spoiled with another beautiful bridal weekend by my friends in Benin. 🥹🤍 For the occasion, they took me to a nice hotel in Ouidah where we popped some bubbles, talked ‘til late at night, created our own local wax fabric keepsake, enjoyed the pool & went for lunch in town. A relaxed weekend just how I like them.
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Grateful for the friends that make this experience in Benin whole and who are there in the fun and more difficult times. These friendships are recent, but living abroad has a special way of bringing people together. I am so lucky to have met them here. 💕
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#expat #bridalweekend #expatlife #ouidah #lapalmeraie #benin #westafrica #afriquedelouest #afrique #africa #living abroad #gettingmarried

Another visit back home filled with moments with f

Another visit back home filled with moments with friends & family enjoyed at 200%, lots of love and a few tears. I’m so lucky to be surrounded by people who continue to love me and support me no matter the distance that separate us.

1 - Family portrait
2 - Celebrating the end of the 90 chemo injections period of my godson Mathis with bottles popping and loads of Jedi lightsaber duels and puzzles. @audreygira @simluss
3 - Celebrating @josianne__p and @vanderlowen ‘s engagement & baby Theodore’s baptism
4 - Refuel on brunch food & shopping in good company @virglavallee
5 - Got surprised with a Bridal Weekend with my best girlies, including pottery making while sipping mimosas
6 - Followed by a 2000s-themed pyjama party & spa day
7 - Enjoyed one of my favourite Canadian traditions, eating at the sugar shack with my family @asfabris
8 - Made it to my bestie @aariannne ‘s daughter 2-year old bday party in the morning and stayed up talking until 3am like we used to do before I left
9 - Got all nostalgic at a One Tree Hill music concert by @tylerhilton
10 - Got all the love multiplied by spending time with my friends’ mini versions of themselves. It’s always a shock to see how much they’ve grown between my visits, but I’m so grateful to be able to spend quality time with them and create precious memories. Here with mini- @aariannne 🤍

… and now back to my love @danielniekel , ever so supportive of these heart-filling solo trips while he patiently awaits my return home.

#expat #expatlife #expatlifestyle #backhome #canada #friends #family #love

This week, the whole country celebrated the Vodun

This week, the whole country celebrated the Vodun Days, a festival where voodoo adepts invite non-adepts to celebrate their religion and traditions. We got the chance to assist to a Zangbeto ritual (Zangbeto are the guardians of the night, the traditional form of police) and to a Nana Yosi ritual (protective deity of maternal and child health). @vodundays
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#vodundays #ouidah #benin #westafrica #africa #vodun #vaudou #voodoo

Cheers to another year filled with adventures, cha

Cheers to another year filled with adventures, challenges and so much love with my favourite people. ✨ Some special moments:
1 - Holidays in Cotonou (Benin 🇧🇯, December 2024)
2 - Romantic Winter getaway to Vermont (USA 🇺🇸, January 2024)
3 - Visiting Ganvié with Daniel’s parents, our only visitors in Benin so far (Benin 🇧🇯, February 2024)
4 - Getting engaged to @danielniekel in the middle of a forrest, just the two of us (Netherlands 🇳🇱, June 2024)
5 - Road-tripping in Italy to find a wedding venue (Italy 🇮🇹, July 2024)
6 - In April, my world was torn apart when my 3-year-old godson Mathis was diagnosed with Leukemia. During my visit home, I got the chance to witness his incredible strength and resilience during a chemo visit to the hospital, as well as his parents’ force of character as they navigated this new reality and welcomed Mathis’s little brother Liam in the midst of it all. (Canada 🇨🇦, July 2024)
7 - Celebrating my 30th bday surrounded by my best friends (Canada 🇨🇦, July 2024)
8 - Driving 8 hours to Accra and experiencing the land borders between 3 countries (Benin 🇧🇯 Togo 🇹🇬 Ghana 🇬🇭, October 2024)
9 - Travelling with my parents (Italy 🇮🇹 France 🇫🇷 Spain 🇪🇸, November 2024)
10 - Going on a pre-wedding honeymoon to the Seychelles as fiancés (Seychelles 🇸🇨, December 2024)
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#2024recap #happynewyear #yearinreview #engagement #holidays #nye #nye2024

POV: you book a last-minute end-of-year trip to th

POV: you book a last-minute end-of-year trip to the Seychelles 🇸🇨
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#travel #seychelles #silhouetteisland #mahe #maheisland #eastafrica #africa #island #islandlife #romanticgetaway

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