“Waiting to exhale”–thank you, Whitney Houston

I think I might have found a format for the next book. This search can best be described as similar to hunting for the non-existent snipe in junior high. But, I think this format will work.

I’m probably going to follow the same style as Lemonade. I will write about my experience of taking my adoption story and genealogy to the old country of Ukraine. I will detail the search in the Krakow, Poland archives and traveling to Warsaw, Poland to research there. I’ll talk about my findings.

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“It’s a little bit funny”–thank you, Elton John

Sometimes I think I’m going to have to quit making definitive decisions on my writing. I’ve stated that “I’m done” with the adoption thing, discussing it, obsessing over it, etc. (Although, I have left room for a caveat to occasionally return to the topic.) I also made the decision a few weeks ago to end this blog on February, 1, the three year anniversary of its inception. Well, that lasted for all of two days.

“Mother and child reunion”–thank you, Paul Simon

Another birthday blog posting. I know, I said I was done with the adoption thing–but remember my caveat that I still might feel compelled to return occasionally.

Today is my birthday. As with every year, I have to stop and ponder how I got to this point. Virtually all my friends think the same thing. Where did the years go?

I think that’s one of the reasons I press onward with my experiences, my searching and my desire for answers. Life is too short. I don’t want a mundane life of blandness. And I guess one could say I didn’t get it. I certainly got more than I ever bargained for.

Keep on keepin’ on

Looks like I’ll keep on keepin’ on.

Wouldn’t you know it? The minute I announce that I’m planning on ending this blog, the creative juices started flowing. I’m feeling the electricity that comes from inspiration. I’m getting excited about the second book. Along those lines, I wonder if I should keep going?

I can just hear the cynics–“Yeah, yeah, you were never really planning on ending this blog, Mulkey. It was just a promotional thing.”

To those who are (like me) predisposed to cynicism, I can only say…“Wrong”.

The end is near

It’s becoming increasingly difficult to maintain this blog. It’s not like each day is chock full of fascinating things to do or interesting places to visit. I’m not in Europe anymore. The net result is that several days pass before there is anything interesting to say.

February 1, 2013 is the birth date for this blog. I’ve been contemplating making February 1, 2016 the final date. It would reflect a nice, round number–approximately three years of writing.

Days of future passed–thank you, Moody Blues

The job search takes up most of my time now. At the end of the day sometimes I’m a bit brain dead. Networking events, phone calls, emails, online applications, head hunter interviews…at the end of the day I sometimes just want to watch Gilligan’s Island with a huge bowl of popcorn on my lap.

But one day I decided to go for a drive. After living overseas for a year, I felt the urge to drive around the towns where I once lived. Prior to my departure, I had driven through these towns many, many times on the way to someplace else. Now, however, I was feeling a bit emotionally peckish.

Happy New Year!

OK, so I’m a few hours late. Makes no never mind.

I have been anticipating today for several months, even since before my departure from Italy. All I’ve been able to think about is a new year with new beginnings and new opportunities

2015 redux, this was the year that was

Last year, New Year’s Eve found me in a little one-bedroom apartment in Alba Adriatica, Italy. The weather was sunny and fifty-ish during the day, but it got cold at night. I was still figuring out the heating system, meaning that I was bundled up at night until I got the temperature just right.

Celebrate me home–thank you, Kenny Loggins

The holidays are here. Christmas is over and New Year’s is rapidly approaching. It’s been a quiet holiday season and I’m not complaining.

Facebook continually shows posts from the past, as “reminders”, I suppose. Sometimes I feel a bit melancholic, especially when the posts are from last year. The whole experience of life as an expat seems so foreign, pardon the pun.

Portland–home is where the heart is

Re-acclimating to Portland, Oregon and America continues. Actually, the acclimation part ended quite quickly and with a whimper. A year’s absence is not a lot on a person’s life timeline.

I do find myself falling deeper and deeper in love with Portland. I’ve been marveling at the richness of the coffee shops that abound in this city. It’s cool to find a coffee shop with bike racks on the wall for cycling enthusiasts who want to download their own version of java.