Taking Route

Choose Your Own Adventure

The doorbell rang while I was prepping the dining room table to get started with homeschool. When I opened the door, I found a Hello Fresh box sitting on my doorstep. I wasn’t a subscriber to Hello Fresh, but this was the second time someone’s box had accidentally been delivered to me. I picked up the box and carried it into the kitchen, contemplating what to do with it.

I could open it and enjoy it myself. After all, it wasn’t my fault it showed up here. But before I cut the box open, I decided to look up the address. The blue GPS line meandered its way to the destination and calculated the distance. The house was just one street over.

I sighed as I looked at the box of ingredients, knowing what needed to be done. I slipped my shoes on, scooped the box into my arms, and made my way to the neighbor’s house.

Current Collection, Culture Shock and StressAlicia BoyceApril 17, 2023Comment

'Twas the Night Before Christmas (Expat Edition) + a Christmas song | Ep. 37

For our last episode of Taking Route Podcast, we’re doing something a little different — a Christmas Special, if you will. This episode is only about ten minutes — but it’s packed full of Christmas goodness. First, we’ll read an expat-friendly rendition of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. Then, Melissa will perform a new song she wrote (it’s record label good, no exaggeration).

Climbing the Language Hill + a resource

Language LearningAlicia BoyceApril 14, 2020Comment

10 Ways Expats and TCKs Can Relate to Buddy the Elf

I don’t know about you, but I find it very hard to believe that Elf has been around since 2003. It quickly became one of the Christmas movie classics — right up there with Home Alone, The Santa Claus, and It’s a Wonderful Life. I know I don’t need to convince you to watch that movie (as if you haven’t watched it more than a few times this month alone). But, like any movie that’s watched over and over again because it never gets old, I began to pick up on details I didn’t notice the first two dozen times.

This year, as I sat and watched Elf with my children, I couldn’t help but relate to Buddy on a whole new level. Why was I feeling so seen and understood by this movie? Then it hit me — Buddy is an expat. Even more than that, Buddy is an adult Third Culture Kid.

Holidays AbroadAlicia BoyceDecember 23, 2019TCKs, third culture kids, expat life, buddy the elf Comments

This Global Kitchen | Day 18: Indonesia (Large Kitchen)

Hi there! I’m Alicia and I’ve lived in Indonesia for the past eight years with my husband and our four children (8, 5, 3, 1.5). At some point, you will see almost all of them make an appearance in my kitchen tour — which is perfect, because it shows how often my kids gravitate into the kitchen. This is my fourth kitchen since moving to this country. I’ve experienced a little bit of everything at this point.