For the last decade it has been unthinkable that I could or would be more than a few short weeks without boarding a plane for work or play.  This Jetset life ended abruptly in March 2020, when I, along with around 5 million other Kiwis, became securely (and in my case gratefully) grounded here until … More A Very Beautiful Backyard

Our youngest son turned 6 yesterday.  His father and I have spent most of his life unravelling strings that tied us together as a couple and fortifying a newfound friendship.  Poor wee James was the most difficult of all four pregnancies, yet he was hands down the happiest, easiest, most cheerful baby imaginable.  He was … More Safe at Home

This is the first blog I’ve published in over four months.  I’ve started dozens, and slunk back into a hole, but I think it’s time to climb out of it and get back in the ring now. Brace yourself, it’s pretty raw. WHAT DO YOU WANT Few things in my orbit are as frequent and … More What Do You Want?

What can I possibly say about my adopted Scottish home town Dundee? It’s Electrifying… Where to begin? The authenticity, passion, kindness, support, and overwhelming generosity of Dundee keep me coming back to this plucky little City in the East of Scotland. This is a city that does not make a secret of its struggles. Dundee … More Electrifying Dundee – A Blog About The Scottish City I Absolutely Love – By Wee Dee.

  I remember the first time I met this tired colossus of Dutch humour and global experience.  I went to pick him up first thing one Wednesday morning.  He was late.  Quite late actually, and I brought him in my beautiful brand-new Red Kona to record a podcast. That was one of the last times I … More The Wonderful Wiebe Winding his Way Home to the Netherlands

Here’s a Spotify playlist I’ve been enjoying all morning as I make myself ready for the return to the UK. I am a mess of sniffles and silent tears at the Newark airport.  Joni Mitchell’s Chelsea Morning floods into my ears: “if only you will staaaaay!” And I’m a puddle. I have hugged easily 100 … More Leaving New York

Woke up around 3am this morning after a mediocre sleep. Yesterday was a full day, with family and the inner tribe swallowing up the entire day, leaving me with a sense of panic about all the things that need to be done before I fly out on my swan song world tour for 2019.  I am … More Doom Without Gloom

Before I start this conversation, I need to make it absolutely crystal clear that I’m open to finding a(nother) penguin and settling back into traditional domestic bliss one day.  When the kids and companies have grown up, I plan a quiet life of travel and family, returning to some remote part of New Zealand sporadically … More Being Single Doesn’t Seem to Suck