Field Notes & Essays
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Parenting Unpacked · Maternity Abroad · Marked · The Things Nobody Names · The Marketing Underdog Project
It Is Not That I Am Losing My Mind. I Think I Already Lost It.
I was interviewed by Bold Journey, an American magazine. I am not calm about this.
SIETAR Brasil 2026: I Will Be There and I Am Bringing the Books.
Ruth Van Reken will keynote at SIETAR Brasil 2026 on October 22nd and 23rd in São Paulo. Jessica Gabrielzyk will be on a panel with Maternity Abroad and Parenting Unpacked. Weee!
When Parenting Choices Make You Feel Like a Stranger in Your Own Family
A psychologist reading Parenting Unpacked made me realise that feeling like a stranger does not require moving countries. Sometimes motherhood changes your place within your own family.
I Want to Show You Something: Bilingualism in a Nutshell.
Parenting Unpacked went through two years of research and five full drafts. Here is what the bilingualism chapter looked like before it became what it is.
You Think You Know Who You Are. Then You Move Countries.
Margery Pimentel discusses migration, racial identity, immigrant motherhood, healthcare abroad and the psychological cost of constantly adapting to a new country.
Nobody Here Knows You Were Good at That.
When you move abroad the people who reflected back your competence disappear. Global career consultant Renata Takacura explains why and how to rebuild.
You Can’t Keep Half Trying. I Wrote That. And Then I Did It Anyway.
My husband said something the other day and I realised I have been doing exactly that in Switzerland.
Is It My Birthday Today?
I am going to need a minute with this one because I have not even brushed my teeth yet.
Strike the Pose.
Aline is basically the Law Roach of the Netherlands. Which means one book is Céline Dion and the other is Zendaya.
How to Prepare Your Child for Starting School in a New Country
Paediatric psychologist Mayara Mattos, who works with children navigating international transitions, told me that some children find the adjustment to a new school traumatizing.
I Am Officially Running for Destaques Literários AILB 2026. In the Self-Help Category. Yes, the Irony.
I was invited by a coordinator of the Academia Internacional de Literatura Brasileira to run for the Destaques Literários 2026 awards in two categories: Auto-Ajuda and Crônicas e Contos.
Uhhhhh… Turns Out I Like to Be Right.
An intercultural psychologist left a comment on my Instagram story. She said: Essa capa tá maravilhosa.
Janaína Bought the Last Book.
The listing showed one copy left in the warehouse. She got it.
Feeling Lost as a Parent Is Still a Taboo. Let’s Talk About It.
A 2023 study found that 62 percent of new mothers feel they have lost part of their identity since becoming a parent.
She Built a Support Network in Italy. The Deep Friendships Are Still Hard.
Fernanda Marfil is one of the specialists in Maternity Abroad, based in Italy. When I started writing the book I wanted to include voices from parents all over the world.
Wee! Parenting Unpacked Is Number One on Amazon Brasil.
Brazil has one of the largest diaspora communities in the world and that reader has always been there.
Germany Has Entered the Chat.
Germany simply decided, repeatedly, that these books were worth buying and kept showing up in the dashboard like a very reliable friend who never needs to be asked twice.
I’m practically a Jackie Chan. I do my own stunts.
The promotional photo for Parenting Unpacked was taken on my dinning table with a glass of tea, two biscuits, and a coffee stain.