The GypsyNesters

Seven Things I Vow to My First Son-in-law (and the One Thing I Ask of Him!)

Congrats to our wonderful daughter, The Piglet, and her fiancé – they’re engaged and David and I are thrilled!

Of course – me being me – I’m also a bit freaked out about being the perfect mother-in-law to this wonderful man.

What? Me? A mother-in-law? That’s some heady, for-the-rest-of-my-life stuff!

I asked our wise GypsyNester community for advice and… CONTINUE READING >>

The Piglet's engaged and The GypsyNesters couldn't be happier!

Congrats to our wonderful daughter, The Piglet, and her fiancé – they’re engaged and we’re thrilled!

We were awoken from a dead sleep in the late afternoon while on our bike tour of Sicily (days of 20 miles of cycling + too much Sicilian food and wine = major Italian siesta action) to an exciting Mom, Dad-we’re-engaged! phone call.

The Piglet’s happiness bounced from cell tower to satellite and back to another cell tower all the way from Mexico, where she and her beau were vacationing with friends. Her laughter combined with tears of joy as she shared their happy news.

There is no better sound in the world.

My mind reeled with the crazy amount of questions going through my head: When are you getting married? Where? What can I do to help? Let’s start making plans!

But I was good; I stuck to the proper questions of the moment: How did he ask? What did he say? Text me a photo of your ring.

After hanging up, I immediately started to freak out. Did I handle the call as properly as I should have? Did I, in fact, ask the right questions? Did I sound the right amount of excited?

The Piglet and Decibel in a rare quiet moment.

It dawned on me that, once again, parenting doesn’t come with a handbook.

Here’s – yet another – event that I’ve been totally blindsided by.

It’s not that the news came completely out of the blue; after all, they’ve been dating for almost four years.

Our daughter, Decibel, had been telling us for at least six months that the moment was eminent.

So why the heck was I so caught off guard?

The Piglet has always been the trailblazing Spawn.

She’s the oldest of our three, she’s got an extremely strong personality, and she works hard to achieve her goals. As a child she was as charming as she was stubborn, playful as she was mischievous, loving as she was independent.

She’s usually the first to lead me into a new chapter of motherhood.

It was the first-ness of it all that freaked me out in the aftermath of the Mom, Dad-we’re-engaged! phone call.

My first Spawn wedding – and I don’t even know what to do! Then – OMG, I’M GOING TO BE A MOTHER-IN-LAW!

That’s when all reasonable thought left my head.

I’m clueless about being mother-of-the-bride, but that’s easy enough to learn. The lovebirds are having an extremely small, city hall ceremony – so as long as I don’t show up drunk, don a clown suit, or smear lipstick on The Piglet’s dress, I’m golden (cross your fingers for me!).

But being a mother-in-law? That’s some heady, for-the-rest-of-my-life stuff!

Happily, we adore the man our daughter is going to marry. He’s an incredible person who makes her deliriously happy – what else can a mommy ask for?

I want to be the best mother-in-law – ever – to my new son (and not only because he’s allowing us to call him “Frenchie” on our site!).

To alleviate my fear, I turned to our insightful GypsyNester community and pleaded for mother-in-law tips on our Facebook Page. I’ve taken the most poignant from the wise women who have taken this journey before me, and have added my vows to my future son-in-law (you’ve got it in writing, Frenchie!):

My Vows to my Future Son-in-law

“NEVER offer your opinion unless and until you are asked. Much more difficult than it sounds!”
Frenchie, I will do my best. I don’t always have the best filter regulating the space between my thoughts and my mouth but, if I ever overstep my bounds, please don’t hesitate to let me know.

“I think the problem with many mother-in-laws is that they frequently outstay their welcome.”
Duly noted. If it looks like I’m moving in, feel free to pack my bag. I hate packing, so look at it as if you are doing me a favor!

“Stay out of their marriage. Remember they are the family unit now…not that they don’t love you but it is their marriage to build.”
Beautiful advice… it is your marriage to build. And it is my sincere prayer that it flourishes from your foundation of love – the most important gift that life gives us – to soaring heights based on the mutual respect you have of one another, the joy you give to each other, and the peace you find in your Nation of Two.

“I would just ask them what they’d like…”
I will. I can’t read your mind (I bet you’re saying WHEW! right about now), and I will strive to not make assumptions. Assumptions suck.

“Never speak bad of him. Treat him like your own. Say I love you. Hug. I have a fantastic son in law, but we have very different culture. So I try to not push my ways on him, but worry being not invasive, can be seen as too uninterested.”
I won’t. And I will, I will, I will! As for the last part, let’s navigate these waters together. Lead me to understand how to strike the proper balance.

“Trust your daughter’s judgement if you ever don’t agree on something. Love him even when he isn’t having a great day. It’s just a day.”
The Piglet has excellent judgement, obviously, she chose you. I promise to love you when you’re grumpy.

I also promise you this, my darling Frenchie: I will never nag you to produce grandchildren. BUT, just in case a few happen to show up, all I ask of you is that I get a cool French nickname.

I don’t want to be called Granny. Ewww.

Veronica, GypsyNester.com

P.S. Reason number bazillion I’m going to love having a French son-in-law (Frenchie emailed me today with this news): In French, mother-in-law is “Belle-mère” which literally translates to “beautiful mother.”

Seriously, can it get better than that?

YOUR TURN: What are your thoughts about being a mother-in-law? What are the ups and downs you’ve had with your own mother-in-law? What have you learned? Still wanting all the advice I can get! What do your grandkids call you?

Put On Your Big Boy Pants!

I’ve beaten the crap outta these pants!

I’ve worn them all over the world – while speaking at conventions and book events, touring cities, rambling on ruins, having cocktails and dinners at a fancy resorts, on trains, planes, and buses, volunteering in Africa, eating my way through Italy, taking in theater in NYC…

Now that’s putting them through the true GypsyNester paces and, at the end of it all… CONTINUE READING >>

Bluff Works sent me a couple of pairs of their pants to put them through the GypsyNester travel ringer (I beat the crap outta these pants!). What follows is how it turned out. As always, all opinions are our own.

Use the promo code TFC10 for a 10% discount on your entire purchase at Bluff Works.

Taking in the Ancient Greek Theater in Syracuse, Sicily, Italy

I’m a blue jeans kind of guy. When we go gallivanting around the world, the old dungarees always make the trip with me. Seriously, what other pants can you wear for five days straight without washing?

Volunteer teaching in Tanzania, Africa

Great as that is, sometimes jeans aren’t the best fit.

There are plenty of situations where the denim doesn’t cut it.

For me, since comfort is high on my list of importance for any item of clothing that makes it into my suitcase, heat is a big factor.

Let’s face it, blue jeans are hot!

Shorts can be the answer, but not always appropriate, both for looks and leg protection.

That’s where my Bluffworks Travel Pants have been perfect.

I have had them for over a year and they have proven to be outstanding in almost any situation.

Digging the history of Chichen Itza

Whether rambling through Mayan ruins in the Yucatan, or on safari in Africa, these lightweight yet durable duds have served me well.

No scrapes or sunburn on the legs, and good looking enough to saunter into a decent establishment for drinks or dinner at the end of the day.

In one three-day span in Mexico, I beat the crap outta these pants!

I wore them while speaking at a convention in Cancun, to cocktails and dinner at a fancy resort, on a hike through the ruins and heat of Chichen Itza, dinner at a funky little joint in Piste, and finished up in colonial Valladolid. All while taking buses to each destination.

Now that’s putting them through the true GypsyNester paces and, at the end of it all, they still looked like I had just put them on.

In Piste, Mexico

I always carry lots of stuff on me when we’re traveling, so I love plenty of pockets. These trousers fit everything I need, passport, wallet, phone, and even camera easily.

And I don’t need to worry about the important items, because zippers keep them from falling out while we’re traipsing through the wild and thwart pickpockets when exploring crowded cities.

Relaxing in Valladolid

Rockin’ it in Woodstock!

Recently, Bluffworks asked if I‘d like to try their new Chinos and of course I jumped at the chance.

I haven’t had the opportunity to put them to the test in the far corners of the globe yet, but they were the right combination of comfort and style, with just enough cool factor, for a recent visit to Woodstock, and a night on the town in the Big Apple.

With all of that in their favor, I think that the best thing about both styles is their uncanny ability to come out of the suitcase in great shape.

Believe me, I am not the most precise packer and these babies answer the call wrinkle-free every time I pull them out, even after days of being shoved under shoes, wadded around wine bottles, crammed in amongst crap shop collectables – or whatever else ends up in my bag.

Night out in New York City

Another huge plus – they dry fast. Why do I care?

Because we pack the same for a week as we do for a month. For a week I can get by fine, but over a month everything is going to end up getting washed in the sink at some point.

Try that with blue jeans and either you’re packin’, or worse yet, wearin’ wet denim.

I realize that I have been gushing and bragging about my Bluff Works pants, and this sounds like one big commercial, but I really do mean it. There has not been a single time that I have packed my suitcase since I got them that they were not inside.

That puts them right up there with my toothbrush in the must-have department!

David, GypsyNester.com

Put on your big boy pants too! Click below to check out all the colors and styles!
Bluffworks Travel Pants

Bluff Works sent me a couple of pairs of their pants to put them through the GypsyNester travel ringer (I beat the crap outta these pants!). What you just read is how it turned out. As always, all opinions are our own.

Quick Question: Do recent world events make you less likely to travel?

Weigh in and find out how the GypsyNester Community answered this:

Quick question: Do recent world events make you less likely to travel?

Posted by GypsyNester-Celebrating Life After Kids on Thursday, December 3, 2015

Weigh in and find out how the GypsyNester Community answered this:

Quick question: Do recent world events make you less likely to travel?

Posted by GypsyNester-Celebrating Life After Kids on Thursday, December 3, 2015

How to Get Trapped in a Giant Crater with Wild Animals – and Love it!

Ngorongoro Crater is a funny name no doubt, but it just might be the best place on the planet to see exotic animals up close in the wild.

The crater formed a few million years ago when a massive volcano collapsed onto itself leaving the largest intact caldera in the world.

The collapse also created… CONTINUE READING >>

A big thank you to Discover Corps for providing this wild adventure so we can share their good work. As always, all opinions are our own.

Ngorongoro Crater is a funny name no doubt, but it just might be the best place on the planet to see exotic animals up close in the wild.

The crater formed a few million years ago when a massive volcano collapsed onto itself leaving the largest intact caldera in the world.

The collapse also created a unique combination of elevations and ecosystems that have become home to over 25,000 of the most famous species of African wildlife.

The one-hundred square mile floor is surrounded by a mountainous rim that encloses a concentration of critters that is world renowned.

The entire crater- and much of the surrounding land – has been protected as the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

Tarangire National Park

Putting some tourism in our voluntourism visit to Tanzania, we spent the previous afternoon in the nearby Tarangire National Park, where elephants are the undisputed stars, then stayed the night in the small town of Karatu just outside of the crater.

Tarangire National Park

WATCH: Watch as a mischievous baby elephant gets in trouble – and how the herd responds!

Entering the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area — The rim of Ngorongoro Crater.

We woke before the first rooster crow and took off in our pop-top Toyota Land Cruiser.

Ngorongoro is known for its high concentration of lions, and early in the morning is often when they are on the hunt.

Sure enough, just as a foggy dawn was breaking near the top of the rim, we spotted a lioness in the brush along the side of the red dirt road.

We watched in awed silence as another appeared behind her, and then another.

The trio walked through the bush not ten yards away from us, and then popped out onto the road directly behind the safari wagon and slowly sauntered away.

Seemed like this sighting would be tough to beat, but descending into the crater we soon realized that there would be many more moments to rival it as the day progressed.

First we passed several large herds of cape buffalo, along with many zebras grazing comfortably, seemingly without a care in the world about the many predators nearby.

In fact, several times we saw hyenas walking very close to zebras, gazelles, wildebeests, and birds, with the prey paying no mind to the hunter whatsoever.

We wanted to shout out to them – head’s up!, or behind you!, but our guide, Alan, said that they can tell when the hyenas are hungry and in hunting mode.

Next we came upon something unexpected, an ostrich. For some reason we didn’t think about the big birds as something that we would see here, but there are a few.

This particular male, Alan identified him as such because of his black feathers as opposed to the grey of the females, had a very red neck.

This showed that he was ready to rock mate, and as if on cue, up came a female doing her come-hither dance.

The two did their thing – very quickly we might add – and then strutted off on their separate ways.

To see our African journey from the very beginning, click here

But their time apart is only temporary, as we learned when we saw a mommy ostrich sitting on her nest.

Alan explained that the mates share nest duty, with the mother sitting on the egg all day, then it is dad’s turn at night.

Just beyond the ostrich lovefest we came to a hippopotamus pool and, as if that was not cool enough, there were five lions hanging out.

After a few minutes one of the hippos decided that three of the lions were too close, so he lumbered out of the water – no easy task for the big boy – and frightened them off.

They retreated about a hundred yards in the typical we meant to leave anyway manner that cats have, then laid back down – acting like it was their idea in the first place.

This was great for us because they decided to plop down right next to the road within a few feet of us!

The lions kept watch, then decided, “We’ll show those hippos who’s the boss around here.” and sauntered over to their original spot.

The hippos pretended not to notice.

We finally had to tear ourselves away from the scene, confident that something equally exciting would be waiting up ahead, and were not disappointed. Alan spotted a rare black rhino, there are only about five thousand left in existence, off in the distance.

Even though the endangered creature was too far away to photograph, we did get a pretty good look at him through the binoculars.

The kori bustard, however, was not so shy. As the largest bird in the world that can fly, we suppose he wouldn’t have to be!

A bloat of hippos in Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania, Africa with Discover Corps

We noticed a group of safari vans up ahead and hurried to check out what they were up to.

More hippos!

Way more, we found a herd, or bloat, of around twenty or thirty hippopotamuses lounging in a swampy pond.

The hippopotami were doing what they always do when the sun is out – soaking in the water.

Paws up! A hippo rolls in the water in Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania, Africa with Discover Corps

Hippos in a pond in Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania, Africa with Discover Corps

Their skin is very sensitive, so they stand (they can’t swim) in the pool all day and come out to feed on grass at night.

This behavior made us think that we were not going to see the group walking on land, but for some unknown reason one big guy decided to climb out and walk over to another nearby pool. Next thing we knew the entire bloat of bulbous blimps was parading across.

We were amazed as we watched the three-thousand pound beasts waddle across. It was somewhat like watching whales, which happen to be a close relative, take to the land.

Hippos in a pond in Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania, Africa with Discover Corps

A yellow billed stork in Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania, Africa

Often birds, looking for bugs to snacks on, hang out near, or sometimes on, the bigger animals.

This pond was a good example of that behavior, with egrets and ibis all around.

We also found a new feathered friend, the yellow-billed stork.

Their humorous walking style had us humming Puttin’ on the Ritz, all they were missing was a little top hat jauntily perched on their heads.

Zebras graze in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania, Africa

Ngorongoro’s awash with zebras.

We saw them almost everywhere, and our close proximity gave us the opportunity to observe many of their behaviors.

As a herd crossed in front of us – in their usual single-file lineup – we watched one after another roll around in the dirt for a good scratching, and to get rid of annoying fleas and ticks.

A zebra rolls in the dirt in beautiful Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania, Africa with Discover Corps

A couple of questions popped into our heads upon being so near to them:

Are they more like horses or donkeys?

Are they black with white stripes or white with black stripes?

We decided on donkeys and, upon viewing them from behind where the black strips don’t quite meet up, black on white. Mystery solved.

Are zebras black with white stripe or white with black stripes? This photo solves the mystery!

Later we observed a mother nursing her foal only a few yards away from our vehicle. Our host for our Tanzanian adventure, Mama Simba, was riding with us and explained that in the scores of safaris she has been on she had never before seen this.

A baby zebra nurses in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania, Africa

WATCH: Cutest thing ever! This baby, fuzzy zebra has lunch and a romp!

Close up of an African Elephant in Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania

We chose a spot by the water for an outdoor lunch, and couldn’t help but notice a great deal of elephant dung scattered around.

From that clue we probably should have expected the ginormous guest that walked right through the area just as we finished eating.

With an absolutely amazing morning behind us, we loaded back into the safari wagons and begin to make way for the climb back up the crater rim.

A bull elephant walks through beautiful Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania, Africa with Discover Corps

A lion lays on his back in beautiful Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania, Africa with Discover Corps

As we drove we got an incredible bonus, a big male lion completely laid out in the shade of a small tree.

Proving that it is good to be at the top of the food chain, this guy obviously had absolutely no fear from any predators, so he could sleep peacefully out in the open.

At the base of the rim the habitat changed and the forest thickened until it became more like jungle.

Baboons in Ngorongoro Conservation Area

A large troop of olive baboons found this to be a perfect place to do a little snacking, picking at the trees for a bit of sap.

This merry band of primates would be the animals to bid us farewell to this phenomenal wildlife sanctuary.

To see our African journey from the very beginning, click here

Baboons in Ngorongoro Conservation Area

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

Delve Deeper:
See our Tanzanian adventure from the very beginning
Click to see all of our adventures in Africa!

A big thank you to Discover Corps for providing this wild adventure so we can share their good work. As always, all opinions are our own.

Naughty Baby Elephant is Disciplined by Entire Herd!

Watch as this little guy gets in trouble – and how the herd responds!.. Check out our entire safari in Tanzania!

Sweet, Fuzzy Baby Zebra Nurses in Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

Cutest thing ever! This baby zebra has lunch and a romp! .. Check out our entire adventure in the crater!

Why We are Honored to be a PBS Next Avenue “Sites We Love”

Have you ever had something really good happen to you out of the blue?

That’s how we felt when PBS’s Next Avenue contacted us saying that they were featuring us as a Sites We Love.

Shut up! we thought. This seriously can’t be happening. We freaking LOVE Next Avenue… CLICK TO SEE WHY WE ARE SO HONORED >>

Have you ever had something really good happen to you out of the blue?

That’s how we felt when PBS’s Next Avenue contacted us saying that they were featuring us as a Sites We Love.

Shut up! we thought. This seriously can’t be happening. We freaking LOVE Next Avenue.

We first came across Next Avenue when we clicked on their fabulous tagline, Where Grown-ups Keep Growing.

The GypsyNesters tango in Buenos Aires

This is a statement that we can most definitely relate to – we strongly feel that if we are not growing in wisdom, growing closer to our significant others, growing in our relationships with our adult kids and aging parents, growing in our outlook in the world, and growing ourselves – we are simply growing older.

Not much fun in that, is there?

We check into Next Avenue regularly to find valuable info on wellness and money issues, work/life balance, caregiving, and lifelong learning – all things that we face and tackle as people “of a certain age.”

Life changes. But rather than fight it, we choose to embrace it. But there’s no reason to run headlong into it unarmed!

PBS has never steered us wrong.

Our kids grew up with Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers, quality programming that we enjoyed watching too (and no junk food commercials!).

Now that we travel full time, PBS is there for us – many times the only station we can pick up from BAMF the RV.

See why we’re so honored?

Be sure to check out the other honorees – we know many of these folks and they are making a difference around the web. Boomer Cafe, Grown and Flown, My Itchy Travel Feet, Midlife Boulevard, Vibrant Nation… click in to see them all.

We are proud to be among them – look at us go grow!

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

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