Growing Global Citizens

07/10/2026

Segovia’s aqueduct is not only amazing because of how high it is, but because of how long it is too!

You can easily walk the whole above ground part and then if you continue towards the alcazar you’ll actually see little plaques on the streets to show where it continued underground.

Don’t miss the aqueduct when you travel to Segovia and Spain! 🇪🇸

01/10/2026

Anyone who has lived in Madrid or Barcelona (making less than 100k a year) will tell you about their struggle to find housing.

So many other factors make it difficult, like the language barrier, the padrón and lack of a nómina, but for this post I wanted to focus on WHY there are not enough housing units in Spain.

Have you had issues finding housing here?

28/09/2026

Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany is on a lot of people’s travel lists, but it can be a bit complicated to do it right.

The hardest part is getting reservations for the tents, which is what you think of when you think traditional Oktoberfest. You often have to book a whole table for 10+ people, which can run more than 1800€ .

But if you don’t make it inside the tents there is still a lot to see and do, including rides, performances, and seeing the past Oktoberfest annual posters and mugs.

It’s true that there are lots of tourists at Oktoberfest. If you want a less touristy version, check out the Volksfest in Stuttgart. It’s basically the same thing, but slightly smaller and a bit more manageable.

If you’ve been to Oktoberfest, what did you like best?

17/09/2026

Segovia is my favorite day trip in Spain! 🇪🇸

There are a lot of great options for day trips from Madrid, and honestly there are no bad ones, but Segovia always takes my breath away.

💧 First, you’ve got one of the best preserved Roman aqueducts in the world that greets you right when you arrive.

⛪️ Then you have one of the last gothic cathedrals to be built and it’s a very unique style.

🏰 And finally at the top of the hill is one of the most iconic castles and it gives all the Disney princess-feels!

And the best part is it’s easy to do in a day!

What do you think? Is Segovia the best day trip?

11/09/2026

I was in high school. The school year had just started a few weeks ago. We had heard people saying that a plane had flown into one of the Twin Towers in NYC. I imagined a small prop plane that broke a window or two. Then when I got to study hall and the teacher rolled in a TV on a cart (no iphones or internet videos back then). I remember seeing the footage and feeling the gut punch when the second plane hit. Asking how this could have happened. Wondering how many innocent people would die.

So much changed that day. Americans lost our sense of security. It was a wake-up call and a loss of innocence. My parents told me it would be a day I would remember forever, and I have.

The months and years that followed these terrorist attacks would bring out some of the worst in Americans (the Patriot Act, the invasion of Iran, islamophobia) but in the minutes, hours and days afterwards, it brought out the best in Americans.

There were so many people that helped others. Many, like first responders, those that went back into the towers or the passengers of the fourth hijacked flight who attacked the hijackers and prevented more deaths, lost their lives. They lost their lives helping others, regardless of race, gender, religion or nationality.

The stories of small acts or courage and service abound, and not just in the US. Like the town of Gander In rural Newfoundland (Canada) population 10,000, that gave up everything they had to help 7,000 stranded passangers after their flights were rerouted to Gander.

The world came together in the name of humanity.

We were united as a country and it’s probably the only time that I can remember that we truly were.

Thank you to all the helpers and may all the victims rest in peace.🇺🇸

11/09/2026

This feels silly but honestly, it’s legit 😂 . With prices rising everywhere, IKEA is still cheap and decent quality for a quick meal.

But, I was definitely disappointed that the meatballs are only available for lunch time! Oh well, next time.

Do you have a favorite IKEA food?

02/09/2026

🇪🇸 Are you moving to Madrid?

👨‍🔧 Moving to a new country isn’t easy. The challenge of finding services that are high quality and in your language can be really difficult. So I’m excited that there is a new platform called Localista that can help you find professionals for things like plumbing, therapy, tutoring and massages!

☑️ Localista has a unique review system where every user is required to leave a review after using a service or they lose access. And most of those reviews are collected by phone, so it reflects a real conversation about the job.

👇Comment “local” below and I’ll dm you an invite to the platform.

30/08/2026

The next Maravillas en Minutos video is out! If you are learning Spanish or you’re a Spanish teacher you’ll want to take a look.

They are short videos in Spanish about unique places in the Spanish-speaking world made specifically for A2 (intermediate low+) Spanish learners.

Maravillas en Minutos 2: ¿Qué es el Salar de Uyuni en Bolivia?
https://youtu.be/d_2Eq4wYndc

Let me know what you think and where we should do next!

🇧🇴 ¿Qué es el Salar de Uyuni? En este video en español, vamos a con...

28/08/2026

The best part of coming back to the US is, of course, seeing family and friends, but here are some silly things that I also love:

❤️ Free refills. So convenient, and so many choices to make your own soda.
❤️ Easily finding shoes (and to a lesser extent clothes) that fit me. I did appreciate this living in Germany and Switzerland also.
❤️ Screen porches and screens to keep the insects out.
❤️ I brought a blanket to the movie theater yesterday and no one even blinked. Weird things are accepted in the US.
❤️ It’s acceptable and normal (although not necessarily polite) to bring drinks and sometimes even food into stores and other places.
❤️ Healthier semi-fast food choices that are faster than a sit-down restaurant but not hamburger fast food.
❤️ Pumpkin spice. It’s not a food, it’s the flavor of the season.

If you are an American living abroad, what is something you love about returning to the US?

25/08/2026

The credit card perks in the US can be amazing! But this a LOT to spend in fees. Do you think it’s worth it? 🤔

Disclaimer: this is not financial or legal advice. You have to always pay off your credit card bill on time each month or none of these cards will benefit you.