Paradigm shifts in life tend to be those around new life, death, or great change. When I was a little girl, I counted down the days till summer camp. While only one week, I anticipated those seven days in Hocking Hills more than Christmas morning! The days flew by – like time does when you…
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I remember when I was a new mom. It was hard, especially with the first kid. Once you have a second, or third or fourth, you look back and ask yourself, “Why did you worry so much!?” My mother-in-law imparted some words of wisdom I often reminded myself of during the child-rearing years: you have…
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Everything about Columbus, Ohio is home for me. When I was younger, I wouldn’t have considered moving because I was too close to my dad. I have so many memories of him in this city. When he was 92, I remember sitting together on his porch swing during a crisp spring evening. With tea in…
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Holidays have a way of dusting off old memories. Years ago, I worked on Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, criminal activity doesn’t pause for the holidays, and after working a long shift on a covert assignment, I finally made it home around 5 a.m. on Christmas morning. I was hoping to grab a few hours of sleep…
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At a high level, we moved to Columbus to be closer to family. It wasn’t the original plan though. The original plan was to move closer to my family; we went as far as visiting my hometown, picking out an apartment, checking out the daycare options and schools for our kids, and considering job offers….
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You would’ve thought the move to Columbus would’ve been easy because we’ve moved more for my husband’s job than many military families. Initially, Minnesota was just another state to add to our long list of states we had lived in. However, the move to Ohio was really difficult. You see, we had lived in Minnesota…
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I feared I would be unemployed and have to return to China to find a job. Even with a masters degree, it is difficult to find a job as an international student. But, I tried my best and after receiving a lot of encouragement and advice from my boyfriend, friends, and family, I found a…
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