Inspiring Women Magazine May 2023

INSPIRING 

WOMEN 

Goodbyes 

& 

New Beginnings 

May 2023 Volume 8 Issue 2

Contents 

May 2023. Volume 8, Issue 2 

profiles 

features 

Our Editor's Inspiring Women, 2017 to 2022 

15 

61 

8 

Revisiting 2017 

Bella Paola Guerrero 

De Cohen, member 

of AWC Helsinki. 

40 


Tamara Krautkramer, 

member of AWA 

Kenya. 

Inspired Reader 

In October we 

launched our 

newest initiative, a 

quiz to find the 

Inspired Reader for 

each issue. See our 

latest winner! 

Through My Lens 

A compilation 

feature focussed on 

the current issue’s 

theme with a photo 

and short caption from 

multiple contributors. 

16 

30 


Priscilla Heffelfinger, 

member of AWC 

Philippines and AWC 

Thailand. 

54 

68 


Sarah Grant, 

member of AWBS. 

23 

A Club Inspires: 

IWC Moldova 

Maria Marinuta, of 

IWC Moldova, 

introduces her club 

to us. IWC Moldova 

is 1 of 9 clubs in 

FAWCO's Region 5. 

75 

24 Hours in ... 

Aberdeen 

Who best to tell 

us about the best 

places to visit in a new 

city than those who 

live there? 


Karen Lewis, 

member of FAUSA. 

88 98 

The "Pandemic 

President" 

Emily van Eerten, 

member of 

AWC The Hague. 


Sandra Montgomery, 

member of 

AWC Bogotá. 

Moving FAWCO 

into a post 

COVID-19 world 

Ann Marie Morrow, 

member of 

AWC Finland. 

37 

Embracing Change 

Danielle Kuznetsov, 

Heidelberg IWC, and of the 

FAWCO Health Team on 

using stepping stones to 

help cope with change. 

49 

In My Own Words: 

Liz Janson, a member 

of FAUSA says: "When 

one door of happiness 

closes, another opens." 

95 

Inspiring Reads: 

Secrets of a 

Summer Village 

Munich IWC member 

Saskia Akyil's comingof-age 

novel Secrets of a 

Summer Village is about 

modern, middle-class 

Turkish culture as seen 

through the eyes of an American teenager. 

105 

Who Are We? 

Introducing the Inspiring 

Women Team. 

2 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 3

5 

6 

in every issue 

A Note from the Editor 

Advertisers Index 

118 

119 

Photo feature 

Our Next Issue 

7 Introducing This Issue 120 More About This Issue 

Inspiring Women Magazine: Through My Lens 

Inspiring You 

We are looking for your photos of friends, family or yourself that you think embody 

the next issue's theme of "We are Talking Fashion: Innovators, Trendsetters, 

Changemakers and ... Activists". 

Photos should be in color and a minimum of 300 dpi. Send your photo with your 

name, FAWCO Club and a maximum 50-word caption explaining why the photo fits 

the theme to: 

The deadline for submitting features 

and photos for our next issue is ... 

June 12, 2023 

121 

That’s Inspired! 

inspiringwomenfeatures@fawco.org. 

“T he last time always seems sad, 

but it isn't really. The end of one thing 

is only the beginning of another.” 

– Laura Ingalls Wilder, 

These Happy Golden Years 

In the summer of 2016, out of the blue, I 

received a phone call from Sallie Chaballier, then 

1st VP Communications for FAWCO, in which she 

said the FAWCO Board had decided to launch a 

new magazine and my name had been 

suggested as editor. 

I had been in Cologne for three years and was 

AIWCC club newsletter editor. When Sallie called, 

we were in the process of negotiating a return to 

our home in Great Britain, but our imminent 

departure was under wraps. Mere days before 

she called, I had said to Paul that I would like 

to find a way to stay involved with FAWCO once 

home. My first thought on speaking to Sallie 

was: did she have a hotline to Ford HQ! 

Over the next few months I got to know the 

amazing Elsie Bose, who had first pitched 

the magazine‘s concept to the Board, as we 

thrashed out our ideas for the magazine. 

Between the two of us we found ten courageous 

women who trusted us with their stories and 

got it printed in time for the launch at the 2017 

Biennial Conference 

in Mumbai. Inspiring 

Women was born! 

Over the last six 

years I have led the 

Inspiring Women 

team as it has grown 

and developed while 

publishing an 

incredible 32 issues 

featuring over 400 

women from more 

than 65 FAWCO clubs. 

That is a lot of words 

and a lot of 

inspiration in 

anyone’s book and I 

am so proud of what 

we have been able 

to achieve. 

a note from 

the editor 

But as John Irving puts it: “You only grow by 

coming to the end of something and by 

beginning something else.” So it is time for 

me to hand over the editorship into the very 

capable hands of Michele Hendrikse Du Bois. 

(Thanks so much for agreeing to take my baby 

on for me, Michele!) But in this my last issue 

as editor, the team has allowed me to have a 

look back through our archives to find my six 

favorite profiles and update them for this 

issue: Goodbyes and New Beginnings. 

As well as these profiles, we have interviews 

with the outgoing and incoming FAWCO 

presidents, an article introducing the new 

Inspiring Women Team and a series of other 

interesting features for you. 

Before I go I would like to give a big shout out 

and massive thank you for all your hard work 

to Berit, Hayley and Karen, who are also moving 

on to new things. I wish you success in your 

new endeavours. The rest of the team, past 

and present, also deserve huge kudos and have 

my sincere thanks, as do the FAWCO Board for 

giving me the opportunity. My biggest thanks of 

all go to the wonderful Elsie Bose. It has been 

a real pleasure working closely with you for the 

last six years Elsie, and I will miss 

our working camaraderie very 

much (I hope you realise this 

is definitely not Goodbye to 

our friendship). 

So finally thanks to you, our 

readers, thanks for six wonderful 

years of inspiration, learning and 

development. For the record, 

I think all FAWCO women are 

inspiring and that definitely 

includes YOU, not just the 

women featured in the Inspiring 

Women pages! 

Best wishes! 

Liz 

Inspiringwomen.editor@fawco.org 

Raising a toast to the last 6 years 


advertisers 

index 

introducing 

this issue 

Janet Darrow Real Estate p. 13 

Around the corner or a world away, contact 

Janet Darrow, FAUSA member, to find the 

best properties. FAWCO referrals to Janet 

help the Target Program! 

LAUNCH p. 14 

LAUNCH is an independent education 

consultancy and a Target Program Sponsor. 

Lauren Hensel, founder of LAUNCH, 

and Sara Bittner are members of the 

AWC Amsterdam. 

The Pajama Company p. 21 

The Pajama Company, founded by 

Ellie Badanes, member of FAUSA and 

AW Surrey, sells pajamas that are cozy, 

cheerful and available online! 

London & Capital p. 28 & 29 

Whether you are a US Citizen living abroad 

or a foreign entity with US reporting, their 

dedicated teams take care of your wealth, 

giving you time to concentrate on the things 

that matter to you. London & Capital has 

been supporting FAWCO since 2016. 

Tharien's Art p. 53 

AWC Antwerp member and former Target 

Program Chair Tharien van Eck is a superb 

artist. She creates beautiful hand painted 

cards and prints. Proceeds from her cards 

continue to support education programs 

for Hope for Girls and Women Tanzania. 

MyExpatTaxes p. 59 

MyExpatTaxes.com guides you through 

the tax return process online, smoothly 

and efficiently. MyExpatTaxes.com was a 

Sponsor at the FAWCO 2023 Biennial 

conference. The founder and CEO, Nathalie 

Goldstein, is a member of AWA Vienna. 

London Realty Intl. p. 93 

London Realty Intl. is owned by AWC London 

member Lonnée Hamilton, who is a 

worldwide property consultant. Her firm 

works with the best agents across the globe 

to fulfill your property needs. 

The Existential Traveller p. 97 

Owned by FAUSA member Linda Johnson, 

offers bespoke cultural experiences. 

Contact her to arrange a dream vacation. 

Every goodbye is a new beginning. 

When I was young, I seldom had a problem walking up to a group of kids in my new 

neighborhood to introduce myself. I think I benefited from the fact that in the early days 

when we moved it was into military housing, so everyone was in the same boat. By the time 

we started living in “civilian” neighborhoods it came naturally for me. 

Whenever it was time to move, it was sad to be sure, but I had done it enough to know two 

things, that the people who meant the most to me would stay in my life and there was the 

excitement that I would make new friends in the new place. When it was time to go there 

would be the occasional tears and tantrums. “This is the best place we EVER lived,” all of us 

would say, but by the time the car was out of the neighborhood we were all looking ahead. 

I do respect and admire those who live in one place, as they come to know those places and 

their people at a very granular level. Sometimes the predictability IS magic. Familiarity can 

be a warm and calming state of grace. Watching friends or the place where you live progress 

and grow can be deeply felt and gratifying. 

I am often asked “Where did you enjoy living the most?” and my reply is that in each place,the 

wonderful people I have met and the experiences that we shared make it special. Yes, in some 

places it rained too much and in others no one knew how to drive. But on balance, each place 

brings the promise of something new, great people and fresh ideas. 

This issue is a deeply personal one for the IW Team. In 2016 I wanted to create a magazine 

focusing on the amazing women in our FAWCO clubs. Little did I know that one of the most 

amazing would become my friend, collaborator, and partner. Liz MacNiven, the editor from 

the beginning, was the perfect choice. 

She took a leap of faith with me (who does that?) and we clasped our virtual hands together 

and went flying along on the journey that has taken Inspiring Women magazine from an idea 

to what it is today. For the last six years, four times a year she pulled together the pieces 

of the magazine with amazing enthusiasm as if it was the first issue – without complaint or 

resignation. (There is no “whinging” at Inspiring Women.) 

Throughout the years FAWCO has relied on advertisers and sponsors to augment its 

income. This revenue has allowed FAWCO to improve services and gives it the flexibility to try 

the latest innovations to enhance the FAWCO experience. FAWCO’s advertising 

partners believe in our mission and support our goals; some directly support 

our activities and projects. 

We encourage club leadership throughout the FAWCO network to 

share our publications with their membership. Our advertising 

partners have valuable products and services and we want your 

members to take advantage of what they offer. Please support them! 

For more information on these advertisers or if you have any questions about 

FAWCO’s advertising program, please contact Elsie Bose: advertising@fawco.org. 

To evolve the magazine, we ran a lot of ideas up the flagpole to see if they would fly. Many 

limply clung to the flagpole. But we always learned something from the experience and for Liz 

that was important. All voices were heard, no ideas were dumb. 

Liz did all of this through weddings, funerals, and becoming a grandmum. She worked through 

COVID, Brexit and the death of the Queen. Now she’s ready to move on to the next adventure. 

We love her and we will miss her. IW’s new leader Michele Hendrikse Du Bois is fabulous, and 

the team is poised for the future. But Liz’s legacy of excellence through caring and community 

will always be woven into every issue. 

Elsie 

Founder 


profile 

Revisiting 2017... 

Bella Paola Guerrero De Cohen 

Liz introduces us to her Inspiring 

Woman of 2017, wine maker 

Bella Paola Guerrero de Cohen, 

AWC Finland. 

"W 

hen we first started 

Inspiring Women in 2016 we 

had no idea if anyone would 

be willing to share their 

inspiring stories with us. The first nine profilees 

therefore have a special place in my heart. 

They were willing to trust us, even though we 

were completely untested, to tell their story. 

Paola’s story is one that I really remember. Here 

was the story of a woman who had been sent 

away from home in Ecuador (language and 

culture number one) by her parents to study 

in the USA (language and culture number two). 

While there, she met the love of her life, David, 

and subsequently moved with him to Finland 

(language and culture number three). The 

courage and strength to make all those moves 

is impressive to me, especially since, even with 

my limited knowledge, I know they are 

culturally and linguistically rather different! 

Then while she was living in Finland, as well as 

caring for her young family, she decided to start 

a winemaking business, Ainoa Winery; she had 

previously made wine as a hobby while in the 

US. Wine is not something many of us would 

associate with Finland and indeed Paola found 

it would be a challenge to grow grapes there 

so had to learn about how to make it from 

berries instead. 

Paola Guerrero de Cohen 

After many ups and downs, the business she 

and her husband have today is thriving and 

their wine has won more than 50 international 

medals. In 2017 Ainoa’s 2015 wine Vaapukka 

was placed on the list of the best produced 

wines in the world by Œnologues 

de France and the wines have 

been on the best produced 

wines list every year since." Paola tending 

to her fruit. 


Excerpt from the original article. 

My name is Bella Paola Guerrero de Cohen, 

but my friends call me Paola! I am an active 

member of the AWC Finland, where I attend 

meetings, events and help with fundraising 

activities. We live in Espoo, Finland, which is 

about a thirty minute drive from Helsinki. 

I was born in Ecuador to a working class family. 

My parents grew up poor and had to work to 

survive from a very early age; their lives were 

not easy. My father had only finished 

elementary school when he suffered the loss 

of his mother in an earthquake. My mother 

was born in the countryside and was sent to 

the city to live with an older sibling, but did 

not have the opportunity to finish elementary 

school. As they set up a life together and had 

children of their own, they wanted a better 

future for them. They realized the importance 

of education and worked very hard to make 

that possible for us. Therefore, my siblings and 

I were the first ones in our extended family to 

attend university and in my case, the first one 

to study at a university in the United States. 

What I will always remember is that no 

matter how much work my father had – and 

he worked three different jobs at a time – 

Sundays was our sacred day. We started our 

mornings with some old-time classics my 

mother used to play in her LP player. Our day 

continued with a nice brunch of shrimp or clam 

ceviche, and then off to the countryside to play 

volleyball, basketball, tennis, swimming, etc. 

My life was carefree through the end of high 

school, when I moved to the United States. 

I love my family, and having to be separated 

from them took such a big toll on me that for 

many years I resented my parents for having 

sent me away. Of course, they knew what 

they were doing. They were also hurt by my 

absence, but nothing hurt them more than 

when I said I would not be coming back, as I 

had found the love of my life. A month and a 

half after arriving in Boston, I met David. We 

became friends and soon after, a couple. I 

married him a year later. 

2023 update 

We have been growing organically since the 

original story. We found the perfect location to 

set up our own facilities about one hour north 

from the capital. 

Our wines have received more than 50 awards 

internationally for quality. We have also 

received recognition for advancing the level 

of Finnish cuisine and for creating world class 

wines using Nordic ingredients. Every year 

more people discover our wines and fall in 

love with them. 

“Goodbyes and New Beginnings” 

Of all the people and situations you have said 

goodbye to in your life, tell us about two that 

you miss the most. Why is that? 

One of the things I miss the most is the time 

spent with our young children when we first 

moved to Finland. We enjoyed focusing solely 

on them. Having come from the US, where our 

life was pretty hectic, it was very refreshing to 

be told it was okay to take time off from work to 

focus on our growing family. 

Family has always been very important to me 

and being able to experience a new place, learn 

a new culture and share this together as a unit 

was the peak of fullness and happiness. 

I also miss being near the rest of my family, 

scores of them. While there is new technology 

that connects us 24/7, nothing compares to the 

live connection. 

Of all the “new beginnings” in your life, tell 

us about two that you really remember/that 

turned out to be unexpectedly important. 

Moving to Finland. I would have never imagined 

that I would fall in love with a country in the 

arctic – cold and dark. However, I fell in love with 

the way of life, the balanced life that it provides 

its citizens and the natural and clean 

surroundings. It is no wonder that Finland tops 

the charts in many categories: happiness, 

education, safety, environmental, freedom of 

the press and many other measures. 

Setting up a winery. My love for wine started in 

the US and while traveling with David on various 

business trips, particularly in Europe. Our wine 

making hobby started just over 20 years ago. 

We were excited when we moved to Finland to 

be able to make wines from European grapes. 

However, since grapes were not available in 

Finland and we did not want to give up our 

wine making hobby, we decided to use local 

ingredients instead. And boy were we amazed! 

Finland has some of the best berries and, when 

treated right, they can create some of the best 

wines in the world. 

Read more/rest of original article by clicking here: 

www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/65829992/ 

inspiring-women-magazine-spring-2017/23 

Checking the hives (above) 

Boxing up the finished wine (right) 


As a way of celebrating our new home country, 

we wanted to share what we had created with 

the world – changing a whole industry and 

making our mark along the way. 

What goodbyes do you anticipate for you 

in the next two years? How do you feel 

about them? 

Children grow up and leave the house. It’s 

something every parent goes through. We all 

know it. Time passes by so quickly. Our children 

still live with us, but our oldest one is already 

an adult and ready to explore the world. My 

emotions are mixed. I love having my family 

together, but I cannot wait to see what the 

future has planned for them. 

Moving out of the start-up phase. Our business 

is growing and soon I will have to give up the 

excitement of being a start-up. We have grown 

organically and every step is a little bit bigger. 

The next couple of years will be very telling and 

the longer steps will turn into leaps. I am ready 

for it, even with the anxiety that it brings, but 

very optimistic and full of faith in every step/ 

jump we take. 

What new beginnings do you see for yourself 


about these? 

My fourth baby is reaching adulthood and with 

growth comes different responsibilities. 

Moving to the next step from a start-up to a 

growing company will be a new beginning. I 

look forward to not having to 

do everything myself but being 

able to focus on the part I enjoy 

most – interacting with people. 

Running a tasting (left) 

Waiter of the Year competition 

(below) 


feature 

Inspired Reader 

We are delighted to announce that the Inspired 

Reader for our "Evolving to Maturity" issue is: 

Rebekka Klingshirn of Heidelberg 

International Women's Club. 

A $50 donation has been made to the Target 

Project in her name. 

Look out for the next quiz, which will be launched on our 

Facebook page at the start of June! 


profile 

Revisiting 2018 ... 

Priscilla Heffelfinger 


Woman of 2018, founder of Thrive, 

Priscilla Heffelfinger, AWC 

Philippines and AWC Thailand. 

"I 

was inspired by Priscilla’s story 

because almost without meaning 

to she has created an organization 

that really is having a direct positive 

impact on children’s lives. It began with 

something as simple as visiting a school in a 

country she was living in and finding that by 

donating 250 bananas (costing just $30) a week 

she could help children do better at school as 

their diet would be improved. She saw a need 

and took action. 

The follow up from this simple action grew over 

time and by 2018 when we met up with her for 

the magazine, she, with others, had set up a 

charity that was serving 1000 nutritional meals 

a week to children in two countries, Bangladesh 

and the Philippines. 

Priscilla Heffelfinger 

Sometimes when we see things in the world that 

aren’t right we tell ourselves there isn’t anything 

we can do, that the problem is too big for us to 

solve. I liked the fact that Priscilla had started 

with something small and manageable that she 

could do: donate bananas. Then when that went 

well she was determined not to give up and 

stop there. I was encouraged to hear that she 

believes everyone can make a difference. She 

doesn’t look at something and think “why would 

I do that?”. She looks at it and says 

“why not?” I admire that trait and 

I hope that I would do the same if 

faced with what she found in the 

school all those years ago." 

Carrying 

bananas to 

snack time 



I grew up as the youngest of six children on a 

small lake in the midwest where I learned to 

swim before I walked or talked. I spent my 

childhood living 90% of the day outdoors, 

surrounded by a gaggle of neighborhood 

friends for make-believe and mischief. 

I studied English and psychology as an 

undergraduate, and education in graduate 

school. Since then I’ve worked in a variety of 

roles in a variety of sectors, including research, 

nonprofit management and higher education. 

The common denominator throughout has 

been a desire to improve children’s lives. 

I’ve always been one to say, “Why not?” My 

husband and I had four kids in six years; we 

moved from state to state and eventually from 

country to country. I believe that adding 

discomfort and/or challenge to my day (and 

life!) offers me the opportunity to expand my 

world and live more vibrantly. 

For me, activism = service. I put my whole life 

toward service. It’s what gives me a sense of 

purpose and pure joy. In order to best be of 

service, I divide my days and my energy into 

four pillars: 

• z Family: Nurturing four children to be 

citizens of the world, to follow their passions 

and to take risks. 


Priscilla now lives in Bangkok, Thailand. 

Since my story was shared, I’m excited to 

share that Thrive has expanded its reach and 

is feeding even more hungry children a daily 

school meal across Bangladesh and the 

Philippines. Our growth reflects deepened 

global and local community commitment 

and mobilization. 





My sister, Judy, died of cancer much too young. 

I miss her continual sideline boost and 

mischievous humor. I try to follow her deep 

loyalty — being there for those you love no 

matter what. I have found the practice to be an 

immeasurable gift. 

Nutritious food being handed out to Bangladesh school 

children. (above left) 

Helping Jaago school children wash their hands before 

their Thrive meal. (below left) 

As an expat, so many friendships stopped 

unwillingly by distance, often suddenly and 

unexpectedly. A few, such as Ebba Rusten, came 

into my life with such a swoosh of connectivity 

on so many levels that replacing it seems 

implausible. Of course, modern technology 

keeps us informed of each other's days, but 

direct interactivity gives way over time. 




I grew up in a small midwest town and had the 

same bedroom throughout. By sneakingly 

applying (my parents didn’t approve) to study 

abroad at Oxford, I think I set our unintentional 

nomad life into motion. Unlike many expats I 

met, I wasn’t running away from anything 

stateside, but rather saying, “why not?” that has 

led to an unimaginable, transformable life. A 

decade overseas taught me to slow down (at 

least a bit) to connect with my family and guided 

me, unexpectedly, to find my life’s purpose, 

Thrive (feeding school children). 

Her brother, James Perry, joining Bangladesh 

school visits. (below) 

• z Passion: Developing Thrive, the 

organization I founded with two other women 

in Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2012, feeds more 

and more schoolchildren in some of the 

world’s poorest places. 

• z Work: Managing Director at Smarter 

Good, supporting non-profits around the 

world to achieve their goals. 

• z Self: Yoga or spin class most afternoons, 

and long hikes with family and friends 

for rejuvenation. 


https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/ 

read/62062427/inspiring-women-fall-2018/9 


Thrive started on a whim without a plan. I 

and two others had just arrived in Dhaka, 

Bangladesh, and were alarmed by children 

begging on the streets. We asked a school in 

the nearby slums how we could help, and the 

resounding response was to bring food. The 

children were either not showing up or, when 

they did, were too tired to learn. We started 

with bananas, and with international and local 

community support, including many women 

from the American Women's Club, we grew to 

become an organization that provides healthy 

meals to over 2,500 children each school day 

at 17 schools. 

These “new beginnings” are strung together by 

the same motto — “why not?” 


in the next two years? 

How do you feel about them? 

We are gearing up to move back to the States. 

Will it happen? Maybe. And if so, what are 

the trade-offs? The walk-out-your-front-doorguaranteed-unexpected 

will likely carry initial 

relief, followed by potential dullness. I know the 

daily awareness that I am a visitor in a foreign 

land will dissipate, but I hope both are woven 

deep within to keep my senses and curiosity 

forever heightened. 

What new beginnings do you see for yourself in 

the next two years? 

How do you feel about these? 

I plan to continue with the mantra my father 

passed to me: life is a leap of faith. I will 

continue to jump into many more deep-endof-the-swimming 

pool opportunities along the 

way. So far, it seems life’s wonder resides in 

the unexpected. 

Volunteers bring bananas to Bangladesh schools. (right) 

Co-founder Regina Landor selects market fresh eggs for 

today's school delivery. (below) 


feature 

A Club Inspires: 

IWC Moldova 

Maria Marinuta, International 

Women’s Club of Moldova’s 

(IWCM) Administrator, 

introduces us to FAWCO’s 

newest member club. IWCM 

joined FAWCO in 2022 and is 

part of Region 5. "Our motto 

is connecting people and 

cultures, and it says a lot about 

us. We are open-minded, 

tolerant, ready to help and do 

good deeds as women power, 

and our treasure is the 

diversity of our cultures 

and traditions.” 

IWCM's members visiting one of the club's many beneficiaries in 

the north of Moldova. 

Founded in 1997 by the initiative of the 

spouse of the USA Ambassador in 

Moldova, Georgia Stuart, the 

International Women’s Club of Moldova 

(IWCM) is a community of women from 

all over the world who are dedicated to making 

a positive difference in the lives of those around 

them. It is a unique organization with the aim 

of creating a platform where women can meet, 

network, and give back to their community. 

IWCM brings women together to promote the 

values of success, charity, sorority, kindness, 

and inspiration. 

A collage of 

club activities 

What does your current 

membership look like? 

The IWCM is also a hub for 

cultural diplomacy, bringing 

together women from all 

different backgrounds and nationalities to share 

their experiences and learn from one another. 

This unity of women from all over the world is 

a testament to the power of diversity and the 

importance of building bridges across cultures. 

We have 54 active members now from: Moldova, 

USA, Latvia, India, Turkey, Indonesia, Sierra 

Leone, Romania, Korea, Myanmar, France, Serbia, 

Ukraine, Poland, Switzerland, Kazakhstan, Italy, 

Belarus, United Kingdom, and Lithuania. 

How does the club run? 

Led by Club President Olesia Shevchenko, wife 

of the Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic 

of Moldova, the IWCM has become a prestigious 

organization that is widely respected for its 

dedication to charitable projects, kindness, and 

cultural diplomacy. The club brings together 

women from all different backgrounds and 

nationalities to share their experiences and 

learn from one another, creating a unity that 

is both inspiring and powerful. The Club has a 

President, an Administrator, a Board 


consisting of seven elected members (four 

international and three local women), auditors 

and its members, of course. We used to have 

a Grants Committee, but now the Board fulfills 

this role. The board is elected once every 

three years by a majority of votes at a General 

Meeting of the members. 

Does your club have a signature event? 

As women, we have the power to change 

the world when we come together and work 

towards a common goal. The International 

ICB is IWCM's biggest fundraising event. Because 

of its popularity and success we are able to 

support several charitable initiatives during the 

following year. 

What other kinds of events do you have in 

your club? 

The impact of IWCM's charitable initiatives 

cannot be overstated. The beneficiaries of 

IWCM's projects include orphanages, schools 

for children with disabilities, hospitals, and 

organizations that provide support to victims of 

Women's Club of Moldova is a shining example 

of what can be achieved when we harness that 

power and use it for the greater good. Our 

signature event is the International Charity 

Bazaar (ICB), held on the first Sunday in 

December, with about 30 Embassies and IOs 

participating and dozens of local businesses, 

artisans and artists from different countries. A 

wide range of products are available, including 

handmade crafts, clothing, jewelry and food. 

domestic violence. The IWCM also supports 

various cultural initiatives, such as promoting 

local artisans and supporting local festivals. 

Besides this we organize events for socializing, 

for our members and our friends, and possible 

new members: sports, crafts, travel and wine 

tasting, cooking, book reading and meeting 

local artists. 

International Charity Bazaar (above) 

IWC Moldova walking and yoga group (top right) 

Tea Party for participants of International Charity 

Bazaar 2022 (bottom right) 


We raise money for charitable projects 

supporting women and children in Moldova. 

We also try to be sensitive about major crises 

and respond if we can. For example, in the 

COVID-19 pandemic we joined a civic movement 

in Moldova to help hospital staff with protection 

sets, food and oxygen supply. In the recent 

refugee crisis we channel our support into 

refugee centers. And more recently, we 

answered the call of the Turkish Embassy and 

bought heaters for earthquake victims. 

Tell us a little about your city and Moldova 

in general. 

Chisinau is a green and beautiful city to visit, 

and to live and work in with lovely and friendly 

people. There are a lot of museums, theatres, 

concert halls, restaurants and coffee shops with 

nice entertainment options, affordable and very 

delicious food. There are a lot of local festivals 

like Descopera, wine festival, and Ia Mania that 

value national dress, culture and traditions, 

history, and the wine and food of Moldova. 

Moldava produces some of the best red wine 

in the world. In 2022, the emblematic red blend 

Negre by Fautor Winery was awarded the prize 

as the best red wine in the world at one of 

the most prestigious international wine 

competitions – “Concours Mondial de Bruxelles”, 

during the “Red & White” Session. The country 

has a lot more to be discovered and enjoyed at a 

relaxed pace, with hospitable hosts and 

adventurous local guides. Cricova underground 

wine city with its numerous culture events is the 

number one tourist attraction in Moldova. 

Plant a million trees global action (below) 

Martisor rehearsal; wearing national dresses are Olesya 

Sevcenko, IWCM Prezident, Ukraine Ambassador's spouse 

and Maria Marinuta, IWCM Administrator (top right) 

Bees-y crafting for ICB club booth (bottom right) 


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profile 


Karen Lewis 


Woman of 2019, Pathways to 

Safety International member 

Karen Lewis, FAUSA. 

"During the FAWCO Biennial 

Conference in 2019 in Edinburgh, 

I had the opportunity to attend a workshop 

hosted by Keri Potts of Pathways to Safety 

International and learn more about this 

important organization. It’s one of those 

organizations that we all secretly hope we 

never need to use and would prefer if the 

world was a place where it wasn’t necessary for 

something like that to exist. But that is a 

non-existent pipe dream, so I for one am very 

grateful that Keri and the team at Pathways do 

the work that they do. 

So in 2019 when we published our Health and 

Well-Being issue I was fascinated to learn more 

about the story of Karen Lewis and thus 

Pathways. Karen got involved in Pathways while 

she was living in Amsterdam in the early 2000s. 

When she repatriated in 2008 she became a 

volunteer and even served as president of the 

organization from 2013 to 2019. 

Karen Lewis 

I was also very interested to read more about 

her involvement in community health. I think 

this is such an important aspect of wellness 

and one that can be forgotten in the busyness 

that is life in the 2020s. I had no idea that there 

was something like the Lady Docs organization 

that she mentioned and was impressed to 

learn about the ways they support their 

local communities." 

Karen and her 

husband in 

Paris at 

Christmastime 



I grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, as an only child. 

As a young teenager, I loved being around 

younger children and started babysitting. I did 

a training to babysit for special needs kids in 

high school and volunteered in a hospital in the 

summers and thought I might want to become 

a pediatrician. My grandfather was a dentist but 

there were no doctors in my family; my dad is 

a chemical engineer and my mom is an English 

professor. I loved ballet, reading and going on 

outdoor adventure trips. 

I went to college at Stanford, where I was 

pre-med, majoring in psychology and biology. 

I volunteered in a low-income school, teaching 

health and movement classes, and 

participated in Best Buddies all 4 years, 

developing a close relationship with a girl 

with Down Syndrome and her family. I worked 

as a counselor at a summer camp for kids and 

adults with disabilities and then as a part-time 

caretaker in a group home for adults 

with disabilities. 

I currently live in Charlotte, NC; we moved 

here nearly two years ago for my husband’s job. 

His career has brought us to live in many 

places, including Amsterdam and most 

recently Washington, DC. 

I am not really sure where my desire to get 

involved in medicine came from, but I 

remember always having a strong desire to 

help others, especially children who had 

health problems, which led me to my 

profession. When I was in medical school 

and residency, I found that the education I 

received was intensive for diagnosing and 

treating illnesses but did not have as much 

focus on developing healthy lifestyles. I worked 

long hours as a resident and though I tried to 

make sure to eat well and get exercise, it was 

often difficult and I struggled to keep a 

positive attitude. 





I did get to meet Lissa Rankin, in her virtual 

“Memoir as Medicine” workshop last year! 





My paternal grandmother loved me 

unconditionally, even from afar. Until age three, 

I had spent countless hours and weekends 

with my grandparents, and missed her after we 

moved away. She was always so excited to see 

me and so supportive of me through many ups 

and downs. I was heartbroken when she died 

when I was 14, but her energy and love continue 

to inspire me in my everyday life. 

My husband, Kevin, and I moved to Amsterdam 

in August, 2001. On September 11, I was on a 

walking tour with the AWCA during the 

horrific events of that day. This group provided 

a great community through my years there. Our 

daughters, Saskia and Anneke, became 

regulars at AWCA events, and I volunteered in 

many roles. In March 2008, at the FAWCO 

conference in Seoul, Korea, My-Linh Kunst and I 

petitioned for the formation of the Ending 

Violence against Women and Children 

Committee, which evolved into the Human 

Rights Task Force. I was sad to leave 

Amsterdam that summer, but also grateful for 

the development it brought me. 




After leaving Amsterdam, we lived briefly in 

Corvallis, Oregon, with my in-laws, as Kevin 

looked for his next job. Coincidentally, Paula 

Lucas, the founder and executive director of 

Pathways to Safety International, lived in nearby 

Portland. I had been advocating for her 

organization within FAWCO, and I was thrilled 

to meet her in person. Through deepening 

our friendship, training as a call volunteer and 

continuing advocacy work, I found meaning and 

connection during those uncertain days and laid 

the foundation for serving as President of the 

Board of Pathways over the next several years. 

Daughters Saskia and Anneke at Blowing Rock 


In early 2018, soon after we 

moved to North Carolina, Saskia’s 

intermittent migraines turned 

chronic and severe. As a 

pediatrician, I felt like I should be 

able to make her well. Guilt and 

doubt plagued me. I’ve learned 

to ramp up my own self-care, 

spiritual practices and ability to 

tolerate uncertainty. I still want 

her pain to go away, but I am 

grateful for the ways in which 

these experiences have 

strengthened our resiliency. 

What goodbyes do you anticipate for you in 

the next two years? 

How do you feel about them? 

Answering these questions inspired me to 

call my parents, initially to ask for the photo 

above. I found myself expressing my love and 

gratitude for their presence in my life and their 

relative good health. I know that they will pass 

(though hopefully not in the next two years!), 

and I hope to be present and supportive, no 

matter what challenges these next several 

years bring. 

Karen celebrating her third birthday with 

her grandmother. (above) 

From Amsterdam times, family outing to 

the Keukenhof Gardens (below) 

Karen with their dog Audrey (top right) 

2009 trip with Paula Lucas for a Pathways 

training (bottom right) 

If all goes well, both Saskia and Anneke will 

graduate in May 2024, and head to college. I 

have conflicting feelings about this; I will miss 

them dearly, and I can’t help but worry about 

Saskia’s health, but I am excited to see where 

their journeys will take them. 


in the next two years? 

How do you feel about these? 

Hopefully no more moves! After living no 

more than four years in any one place since high 

school, I’ve been celebrating reaching the five 

year mark here! Saskia and I have been 

training our Vizsla as a therapy dog, and I am 

really excited to get started bringing her to the 

local library to help shy readers. I am also 

cultivating ideas about supporting other 

parents of chronically ill children, teens and 

young adults; this may be through a new 

practice opportunity, a non-profit, writing a 

book, or some other avenue, but I feel inspired 

and hopeful about this goal. 


feature 

Embracing Change 

Danielle Kuznetsov of the FAWCO 

Health Team on using stepping 

stones to help cope with change. 

We all know that there are not many 

guarantees in life. Many people 

joke that death and taxes are 

the absolutes we can count on. I 

would add CHANGE to that short list as well. 

Change is something that most people avoid like 

the plague. It is unpredictable, uncomfortable, 

and usually uninvited. Yet, making peace with 

it is vital to our health as individuals, couples, 

families, and communities, big and small. 

FAWCO is in the midst of exactly this kind of 

change; a circle of endings that are beginnings 

and beginnings that are endings. What happens 

on a small level in our private lives supersizes 

in organizations. Creating the space and 

opportunity for the people's real needs and the 

time to adjust is key in transitioning successfully 

from where you are to where you want to go. 

As expats we have unique experiences that help 

us thrive in change. Generally, planning 

strategically, maintaining adaptability and 

flexibility, and leading by example are the 

staples that keep us moving forward. What 

other criteria are needed to celebrate the good 

and build upon it so the return on investment 

(ROI) of change has lasting value? 

As a Life Coach and a woman who has 

experienced a huge life transition in the last 

few years (empty-nest and moving), I have been 

exploring this issue, with many ups and downs. 

Danielle Kuznetsov, Heidelberg IWC 

Retooling is not something that comes quickly, 

and there is no roadmap to follow. Each path 

for each person or organization is different. 

That being said, I have found common stepping 

stones to use as my guide. Here they are: 

1. Identify your values. A value is a 

principle that gives our life meaning and helps 

us to keep going when the going gets tough. 

Change, whether internal or external, requires 

that we reassess what is meaningful and 

necessary for us to move on in a stable and 

healthy fashion. A little bit of reflection can bring 

great clarity. The internet provides many free 

value inventories, making this reflection exercise 

fairly easy. 


only saw the thing that was on my mind. 

Unfortunately, I hurt many people before 

I realized that I needed to practice the 

Golden Rule daily in all circumstances with 

all people. Time and aging have their benefits. 

I have improved. 

• z Exercise Hope. Hope is a VERB and a skill 

set. Augustine of Hippo said, “Hope has two 

beautiful daughters; their names are 

Anger and Courage. Anger at the way things 

are, and Courage to see that they don’t 

remain as they are.” Hope starts with the 

belief that things can be better, and we all 

have a role in making that better happen. 

Hope is always in motion. 

personal or corporate, helps to see how 

close one is hitting the target and if impact 

is taking place. 

As we celebrate endings that bring about 

beginnings, I wonder how effective these 

stepping stones would be for an organization 

such as FAWCO to continue to strengthen its 

foundation, prepare for the unexpected, and 

empower its members to live victoriously when 

change is just around the next corner. 

• z Measure results. Results are where 

internal and external change pop like a 

firecracker. It is the ultimate accountability 

partner. In Change Your World, John Maxwell 

and Rob Hoskins propose a positive change 

rubric: Discover, Design, Deploy, and 

Document. This combination, whether 

2. Set your priorities. Priorities may be big or 

small, but knowing them and creating intentions 

around them is key. In order to keep moving 

ahead, I have found that committing to activities 

the evening prior is extremely beneficial and 

creates order and balance that keeps me 

moving in the right direction. 

3. Be honest about opportunities and 

obstacles. YES! So often, we have high integrity 

when it comes to serving others, but not to 

ourselves. This is a daily discipline of review 

of self. 

Are we following through on what we say we 

want and is important to us, and are we 

delivering in the relationships that matter most? 

• z Commit yourself to ongoing learning, 

improvement, and development. Change on 

the outside is the invitation for change within. 

I miss this common sense invitation often, 

instead bucking reality. Mistakes have been 

my friend in this process as I keep polishing 

my skill sets by picking myself up and moving 

on. Being teachable is one of my values. 

• z Engage in activities that contribute to 

the cause. Whether as an individual or an 

organization, focus is imperative so the way is 

not lost in the process. Having clear, defined 

goals or aspirations and a structure that 

allows for continual contribution requires 

rigorous commitment. 

• z Communicate effectively. Francis 

of Assisi said, “Use words if necessary.” I 

will always be a student when it comes 

to communication. 

• z Move from good intentions to good 

actions. It is ironic that we judge others by 

what they do and ourselves by our intentions. 

Principle number 3 helps me to assess daily 

whether or not my actions are a good 

reflection of my hidden intentions. 

• z Add value to people every day. My 

“Saved my Life” mentor of my 20s would 

always repeat, “People are more important 

than things.” I was dumbfounded at that 

statement until I began to see how often I 

failed to see the person in front of me and 

Photos courtesy of Annelize Smith, FAWCO member. 

Danielle Kuznetsov currently lives in 

Speyer, Germany, with her husband Alex. 

While in this season of transition, she is 

serving the local Russian/Ukrainian 

community, maintaining family ties with 

kids and grandkids, and helping clients 

grow into their best selves. Danielle 

enjoys traveling with her husband, 

reading, investing in and developing 

young mothers, and pursuing God in 

prayer. She is a member of the 

Heidelberg International Women’s Club. 

She can be reached at: 

Kuznetsov.danielle@gmail.com 


profile 


Tamara Krautkramer 


Woman of 2020, photographer, 

Tamara Krautkramer, AWA Kenya. 

"In 2020 the Inspiring Women team 

decided to launch an issue to 

feature some of the many 

wonderful photographers from around the 

FAWCO world. We knew that there were 

plenty of these and we were not disappointed. 

The issue, Women Visualizing a Point of View, 

became more about images than words as 

a result. 

Tamara Krautkramer 

Tamara Krautkramer from AWA Kenya was 

nominated. I still remember receiving the 

images Tamara sent us. I had visited Kenya 

in 2018 myself and so some of her photos 

brought back many of my own memories. 

The vibrance of the colours in her photos and 

the sheer range of subject matter impressed 

me greatly. 

From her original profile, I especially love the 

sad photo of the lioness. Looking into her 

eyes, you can see that she is sad, even if you 

don't know the background story. Tamara 

has definitely captured that emotion in a 

wild animal. 

I also like her last image, taken before 

COVID-19 struck, of the Samburu girls feet. 

Somehow even though you can’t even see 

the warriors they are hoping to dance with, 

you can tell they are anxiously waiting for 

something. It’s such a skill to be able to use a 

static image to portray something moving. 

The new photos Tamara has sent us for 

this article are equally beautiful, 

and I am sure you will love seeing 

them too." 

Metal lion 

found at tennis 

courts in 

Nairobi. 



“Where are you from?” has always been a 

difficult question for me to answer as my father 

was an Air Force pilot, so growing up, we moved 

every couple of years. As the new kid in school, 

I had to put myself out there to meet other 

children or be lonely. I knew the meaning of 

“loquacious” very early in life. 

We spent five years in Madrid during my 

formative teenage years, so Spain has always 

felt a bit like home, but I have also lived all 

around the US. As an adult, I have mostly lived in 

the Seattle area and Sonoma, California. 

My parents gave me an SLR camera for my 16 th 

birthday while we lived in Madrid. They were 

avid travelers and history buffs, so I was 

fortunate to travel extensively with them and 

credit them for my lifelong obsession with 

exploration, adventure and travel photography. 

I have been to more than 50 countries. 

At university I studied Economics and Art 

History, and photography for me has always 

been a mix of left and right brain, to use a cliché. 

Going from film to digital was a reinvigorating 

challenge, and being able to process images at 

home rather than in a dark room made 

photography a great hobby again. I joined 

photography organizations to improve my skills, 

meet other photographers and participate in 

competitions and gallery shows. Now my 

husband would say I am obsessed. 

My husband Harold and I were retired and living 

in Sonoma, California, but looking for our next 

chapter. Luckily we managed to combine our 

desire to give back with our love of adventure, 

as Harold is currently a volunteer Business 

Coach for the Stanford Institute for Innovation in 

Developing Economies. Stanford partners with 

entrepreneurs in emerging markets to build 

thriving enterprises to help end the cycle of 

global poverty. We had been in Nairobi for less 

than two years when COVID-19 arrived, 

temporarily sending us back to the US while we 

wait out the pandemic. We love being home in 

Seattle but enjoy Kenya and really look forward 

to returning. 





The pandemic was, of course, a very difficult 

time for most people worldwide. With airports 

shutting down, we had to leave Kenya with 48 

hours notice and no time for goodbyes. 

However, once back home in Seattle, I spent 

time with my aged parents, even if behind 

masks and shields at first. My father passed at 

92 years of age, and I was at his bedside at the 

end. The silver lining of Covid-19 for me was the 

priceless gift of time with my parents and 

siblings. And I found out I could spend 24/7 with 

my husband and enjoy every minute of it. We 

returned to Nairobi last year and are thrilled to 

be back in Africa. 





As I mentioned, I lost my 92-year-old father in 

2021. I loved and respected him, and while he 

led a full and happy life, losing a loved one is 

always difficult. I am fortunate his wife of 66 

years, my 90-year-old mother, is still with us, 

albeit a long way away from Nairobi, and I miss 

her terribly. Leaving her to return to Kenya in 

2022 was difficult, but thank goodness for 

instantaneous email, text, and FaceTime. Back 

in the Dark Ages, I remember waiting in line for 

a phone booth to make an international call 

home when traveling for long periods of time. 

International phone calls were so expensive we 

used to time ourselves so we didn’t talk too long. 

Now we can video chat anytime, which really 

helps bridge long distances. 




1. My family moved to Spain when I was 12 

years old. It was a life-changing experience and 

set the stage for a lifetime of exploration. My 

parents enthusiastically embraced new 

adventures, pitfalls and all, and instilled the 

same in all of us. On our first family outing, we 

packed everyone into our big Chrysler station 

wagon, drove into Madrid and found ourselves 

facing oncoming traffic, going the wrong 

direction down a major boulevard. My father 

managed to turn around safely and just said, 

“First lesson learned!” We continued into town, 

trying not to get the huge vehicle stuck in the 

narrow old streets. 



2. The move to Kenya, at 59 years old, was for 

a one-year posting, but it is a hard country to 

leave. Exploring Kenya and Africa has been 

incredibly rewarding; it is an amazing vast 

continent with wonderful people and we have 

only scratched the surface. We have convinced 

many friends in the US to make the long trip to 

Africa. They never would have come if we were 

not here to encourage them, and every single 

one wants to return. 



about them? 

It will be bittersweet leaving Kenya in the next 

few years. New adventures await, but saying 

goodbye to friends and life here will be difficult. 

The expat life is always filled with hellos and 

goodbyes, as we all know too well. At the last 

American Women’s Association coffee I 

attended, I learned a wonderful friend I had 

just met at AWA a few months ago is already 

leaving. Sad, but so happy I met her, and as she 

said, “Now you have a friend in a new country to 

come to visit!” Leaving my Kenyan friends will be 

difficult but at least I know I can return and see 

many friendly faces in one visit to Nairobi. 



about these? 

Who knows? Bring them on! The pandemic 

was a reminder that things can change very 

quickly. We should never assume anything is 

permanent. Remember, our actions affect other 

people and always live each day to the fullest! 

Photos: 

Southern Ground Hornbill eating a snake in 

the Massai Mara, Kenya. (page 43, top) 

Oxpecker looking for bugs. (page 43, bottom) 

Sambura tribal women gather to sing at 

sunset. (pages 44 and 45) 

Lovely leopard posing in Botswana. (left) 


feature 

In My Own Words - 

"When one door of happiness 

closes, another opens" 

Liz Janson is the president 

of FAUSA, the social and 

philanthropic network for former 

FAWCO club members and others 

repatriating to the United States 

and Canada. Liz grew up mostly 

in Indiana before starting her 

moving ways. She and her 

husband have moved an 

average of every four years in 

their 45 years together, raised 

three sons and have four young 

grandchildren. With all these 

opportunities for reinvention, 

Liz has been a museum educator, 

knit wire jewelry maker and is 

currently passionate about 

all things beekeeping. Her 

slogan is "Bloom where you’re 

planted!" (The bees approve!) 

As current and recovering expats, we 

all know the bittersweet feelings of 

saying goodbye while looking forward 

to new beginnings. It’s not easy to say 

goodbye, and it’s not easy to start over, be it 

in a new country or returning home. As the 

president of FAUSA, I’ve heard so many times 

how surprising it is to come 

home, having had so many 

new experiences as an expat, 

Hiking in 

the UK 

only to find returning more 

challenging. Old friends are 

Liz Janson 

often not super interested in hearing about 

adventures in Tuscany, weekends in Spain, 

desert Jeep tours, safaris in Kenya, and (fill in 

the blank!). And our worlds have expanded as 

we live in and learn about other ways of living, 

health systems, languages, cultures, etc. 

I’ve had the fortune of living in five different 

countries and coming home to the US three 

times. As a 21-year-old returning from a year 

as a nanny for an American diplomat’s family in 

Moscow, USSR, that readjustment was the most 

difficult of all of my homecomings. I wasn’t an 

exotic American anymore; no one clamored to 

speak English or buy black market blue jeans. I’d 

traveled extensively: the trans-Siberian railroad 


to Ulan Ude (China wasn’t open to Americans 

yet in 1976), the Baltic republics, Uzbekistan 

and Leningrad. I’d strayed outside of the area 

permitted by my visa and was taken in for 

questioning by the KGB, stayed up all night 

at an Orthodox Easter vigil in the Moscow 

countryside, and learned to drink vodka (though 

never very well!). Leaving the USSR was hard; 

coming back to the US was harder. 

When our sons were 9, 11 and 

13, we jumped at the 

opportunity to move to Munich, 

Germany. We dove into life 

there, making dear friends who 

still figure prominently in our 

sons’ and our lives, traveling 

extensively throughout Europe 

and feeling like we had wholly 

integrated. Sound familiar?! 

When we were yanked back to 

the US with less than a month’s 

notice, we had little time for 

goodbyes. Lucky for us, though, 

we were able to keep in touch 

with friends and goings-on 

through emails and visits. 

Goodbyes are easier when you 

don’t have to schedule a phone 

call or wait weeks between 

those thin, blue hand-written 

letters … remember those?! We threw ourselves 

into activities and school upon returning to our 

small community in eastern Pennsylvania. I 

trained and became a docent at our local 

museum and loved it. 

Munich International Women’s Club members at 

Oktoberfest (top left) 

Without intending to, however, I stumbled 

onto what became a successful strategy when 

repatriating: have something new to focus on… 

channel the optimism of new beginnings: 

look ahead to new 

adventures. As the 

Buddhist saying goes, 

when one door of 

happiness closes, 

another opens; you 

just have to want to 

see it. For my first repat 

experience, I transferred 

to a new school, moved 

to a new city, and 

hunkered down to learn, 

explore and find new 

friends. One of these 

became my husband of 

almost 44 years, Eric, 

a fellow midwesterner 

who had also lived 

abroad, racing cars in 

the UK before we found 

each other. 

Liz Janson, Patricia Lawrence and Hope Moore at 

Oktoberfest (bottom) 

Liz and family in Yangshuo, China (son Nils and wife 

Alicia) (top right, page 51) 

A short two years later we moved again, to 

Dallas, TX. I sometimes say that move was 

similar to moving to a foreign country for me! 

I again found a docent gig and upped the ante 

by becoming a docent instructor. My biggest 

new beginning in Dallas was to go back to 

school full time and get my master's in museum 

education. Goodbyes weren’t difficult as we 

packed and moved to Cambridge, UK. The new 

beginnings there included learning how to be 

an empty nester for the first time, with all three 

kids back in the US, either in university or freshly 

graduated. With no option for a work permit 

to continue working in the museum world, I 

studied for the CELTA certificate to teach 

English as a second language. A Munich friend 

and I started our tradition of one-week hiking 

tours on the UK National Trails. We just 

completed our 14th hike together last summer 

in Slovenia/Italy/Austria. 

The goodbye to Cambridge was easy when Eric’s 

job took us back to live in our beloved Munich. 

We still had many good friends from our first 

time in Munich. One of my new beginnings 

was to learn German; I studied at the local 

Volkshochschule for the first year so that I 

could pass the language and citizenship classes 

required for my permanent residence visa. 

Another new beginning that was to become a 

very important part of my life was to join the 

Munich IWC the first week after we moved to 

Munich. Our lives were and continue to be 

enriched immensely by connecting with this 

wonderful community and organization of 

international and German women and their 

partners. After 18 months in Munich, we had 

the opportunity to move to Shanghai for six 

months with a group from Eric’s company. 

These six months were pretty much one big new 

beginning! I immediately joined the FAWCO club 

in Shanghai and hit the ground running with its 

many activities and volunteer opportunities. 

The president of that club lived in our apartment 

building and was a big FAWCO fan; she 

encouraged me to become more active, and 

I became the FAWCO rep for MIWC upon our 

return to Munich. 


My husband retired in 2017, and we returned to 

the US but not to a place we’d ever lived before: 

Boulder, CO. As much as we loved living in 

Munich, it was the least difficult goodbye and 

the easiest new beginning as we had much to 

look forward to. We built a new home, and I got 

involved in FAUSA. Our children married, and 

we now have four grandchildren. 

Goodbyes and new beginnings are the circles of 

my life. Although we leave parts of ourselves 

behind when we move, we take what we’ve 

learned and use it to reinvent ourselves, grow 

and move forward. 

As a member of FAUSA, I’ve been able to stay 

connected to friends, teams, and priorities from 

my FAWCO and The FAWCO Foundation lives. 

I’ve met wonderful people who share and 

understand the experience of living globally. 

We gather annually at the FAUSA Getaway to 

socialize, explore new locations and have our 

annual meeting. We share virtual activities and 

events across North America. I encourage you 

to join FAUSA when you return! You’ll find likeminded 

people who are Globally Connected, 

Locally Active. And you’ll find that many of those 

past doors are not really closed. 

Liz and her bees (above) 

Liz and Eric in Xi'An, China (below) 

Liz as a museum docent, Münchner Stadtmuseum 

(Munich City Museum) (top right, page 53) 

Tharien’s Art is a boutique art studio in 

Antwerp, Belgium, 

specializing in hand-painted greeting 

cards, prints and paintings. 

Painting with a Purpose 

Are you looking for a unique greeting card 

to send to family or friends, or artwork to 

brighten up your home? 

Browse the collections on the website – 

www.thariensart.com 

– now to find a special piece of art. 

Proceeds from all sales go to Hope for Girls 

and Women Tanzania to support the tertiary 

education of the girls at the safe houses. 

Special announcement: 

Tharien’s Art will be 

supporting the Target 

Program Environment 

2022-2025 with a 

number special offers. 

More details will be 

provided in the next 

newsletter. 


profile 


Sarah Grant 


Woman of 2021, nutritionist 

Sarah Grant, AWBS. 

"T 

here were so many inspirational 

women featured in our May 2021 

issue of Inspiring Women, which 

was all about wellness. But I was 

especially drawn to Sarah as she is a fellow Brit 

and she even went to the same university as I did, 

Leeds. I also happen to think that what she says 

about the importance of nutrition for our overall 

health and well-being is an important message 

for us all. 

She had become interested in nutrition after 

having had a successful experience herself with 

a nutritionist and this had led on to her studying 

for various qualifications and setting up her 

nutritional practice. Although I didn’t end up 

studying the topic, I had also had a similar 

experience working with a nutritionist where I 

learned how important nutrition is for my overall 

health and well-being. 

I was particularly interested to read her thoughts 

on the importance of eating a rainbow of plantbased 

foods daily as this is something I have 

been working on incorporating into my life too. 

I was also interested to read about her need to 

take regular walks in nature and that she had set 

up a walking group in her local area to do this 

and help others do it too. 

Reading her profile made me think that here was 

yet another FAWCO woman with whom I would 

be very interested to chat, either sitting down 

over a coffee or going for a walk." 

Sarah Grant 

Sarah with 

"Friend for Life" 

homeopath 

Rowena 

54 INSPIRING WOMEN Prescot. 

INSPIRING WOMEN 55


I grew up in and around Warwickshire, a 

leafy green county nestled in the middle of 

UK. There was a lot of history to be enjoyed 

living on the doorstep of Warwick Castle, 

one of England’s finest medieval castles, 

and Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of 

William Shakespeare. 

I was shy as a child but still enjoyed having 

lots of lovely friends, including a core group 

with whom I’m still close. I was an allrounder 

at school, grasping the arts and 

sciences, but my creative streak is possibly 

the thing that most of my peers at school will 

remember me for. 

A stand-out memory was the school putting 

a painting of mine forward for a national 

exhibition and finding out it was accepted to 

be exhibited at the Mall Galleries in London, 

which I proudly attended with my mum! 

Moving on ... 

I went to Leeds University to study History of 

Art, which I really enjoyed, but I didn’t feel 

compelled to work in a gallery or museum. 

Instead, I decided to apply myself to a career 

in digital marketing and online project 

management. This was at a time (around 

2001!) when most companies and 

organizations were still yet to launch their 

first websites. The work I did enabled me to 

use my creative streak through contributing 

to the creative strategy, planning and 

design of online media, as well deploying 

and developing my organizational and 

people skills. 





I don’t tend to miss situations, even the good 

ones, as goodbyes inevitably evolve into new 

beginnings anyway. 

For example, I have moved house a handful of 

times in the past five years, some out of choice 

but some through circumstances. This has 

presented a challenge for me as I relish feeling 

grounded, and having a home environment that 

I can really relax in and enjoy is important to me. 

However, I have also learned that I can 

embrace the challenge of moving and can adapt 

to new situations. Looking back, I also value the 

contrasting living and life experiences that have 

presented themselves as a result of moving. 

When it comes to people, I lost my father in my 

mid-twenties and I shall always miss him. He 

was a rock and his love for me, and all the 

family, was unequivocal. 

Wellbeing Walk in Great Windsor Park. 




I moved from Kenilworth, Warwickshire to 

Englefield Green, Surrey in 2018 to be with 

someone. Whilst the relationship didn’t turn 

out, the experience proved to be a fantastic 

new beginning for other reasons! 

Living there for four years, I connected with 

wonderful people who helped me create a life 

in a new part of the country, and who continue 

to play an important role, despite the distance, 

now that I’m living in Warwickshire again. 

Through groups like AWBS and Real Networking, 

and also setting up my own walking group, I met 

inspiring, supportive, like-minded people who 

have become friends for life. 



about them? 

I have been through a lot of change and sadly 

said goodbye to many people I love who have 

passed away. I am currently growing my 

Read more/rest of original article by clicking 

here: 


read/65608060/inspiring-women-magazinemay-2021/17 


Disordered eating habits and poor body 

images are rife. At a time when we are all 

exposed to so much noise and contradictory 

information in the media and diet culture about 

what we should and shouldn’t eat, I am more 

committed than ever to helping people connect 

with their health in meaningful, intuitive ways 

that empower them to nourish themselves 

physically and emotionally. 


Hosting a Wellbeing Talk at the Savill Garden. (above) 

Representing Gut Reaction at AWBS International 

Women's Club's first Wellbeing Day at Wentworth. 

(top right) 

www.MyExpatTaxes.com 

business and creating a home in Warwickshire. 

So, whilst we never know quite what life will 

bring, I’m hoping for more stability and less 

goodbyes in the next two years. 

However, there are some things that I am ready 

to let go of in order to help me continue to grow 

as a person and in my business. An example is 

trying to present everything I do perfectly to the 

world! I know this tendency can sometimes get 

in the way of me being more vocal and visible 

in the wellness industry, and I would love to say 

goodbye to it! 



about these? 

My business, Gut Reaction, is ten years old this 

year. Whilst this milestone is an opportunity 

to celebrate all that I have achieved and 

helped others to achieve, it also signifies a 

new beginning for Gut Reaction. 

I’ve recently consolidated all my learnings from 

the past decade into The Gut Reaction Method, 

my tried and tested approach that harnesses 

the power of nutritional science and intuition 

to help people find peace with food and eat in 

optimal alignment for their own bodies. 

The Gut Reaction Method is the basis of my 

personalized holistic nutrition coaching 

program, Reconnect, and the Mind-Body-Food 

Freedom retreats I host in Turkey. I am also 

working on a book – a new beginning that fills 

me with both trepidation and huge excitement! 

The Most Trusted US 

Expat Tax Service for 

US Citizens 

Abroad 

Offer valid for 2022 tax year when filed 

by Dec 24th, 2023. Not combinable 

with other discounts or rewards. 

FAWCO 

members get 

10% off* with code 

FAWCO23 


feature 

Through My Lens 

"Through My Lens" is a compilation feature 

with a photo and short caption from 

multiple contributors. 

For this "Through My Lens" feature, we have 

several FAWCO women's contributions on the 

subject matter of Saying Goodbye or New Beginnings. 

Kristin D. Haanæs, AWC Oslo 

S. Earl Dubbel 

From the beginning of my life, my grandfather and I forged a special bond. He was 

a brilliant,unassuming man who graduated both from Harvard and Princeton then 

took six years off just to read. My grandfather was 69, a Professor Emeritus in English 

and a semi-retired Presbyterian minister when I came into his life and was 88 when 

he left mine. 

Having been an English professor and owning over 4000 books, he quite naturally 

shared his love of books and reading with me. He instilled this love of books in me 

at a very young age. I was told that he started to read to me every evening from the 

time I was three years old, and from the time that I can remember, he would read to 

me everything from myths and legends to Shakespeare. When I didn’t understand 

something, i.e. Shakespeare, he would explain it to me, so by the time I was seven I 

was well versed with Shakespeare’s comedies! From the time I could read myself, he 

bribed me into reading many of the classics, such as Austen, Dickens and the Brontë 

sisters. After I had read them, we would then discuss the books’ themes and their 

characters. That helped me sail through all my English classes in high school and 

college! Unfortunately, he died during my first year in college and did not get to see 

my A from a graduate English literature course on King Arthur. On the first day of this 

class the professor suggested that I drop the course because I was an undergrad and 

NOT even an English major. As it turned out, I was the one who received the highest 

grade in that course. To this day, thanks to my grandfather, I am a huge bookworm. 

Kristin, her 

grandfather and 

their nightly 

reading sessions. 


Two empty chairs. The end of a magical holiday, saying goodbye to family and 

friends, until next time. 

Catharina Hechter 

Tharien van Eck, AWC Antwerp 

A new beginning – our “lives” are being packed into a container many years ago! 

The question in our minds: “What will it be like to live in a new country?” 


At the end of a long cypress-lined avenue in the Garden of Alcazar stands the 

statue of Christopher Columbus greeted by the Catholic monarchs Isabella 

and Ferdinand II. The "New World" discovered on October 12, 1492 was a new 

beginning in history that has affected us all! This picture was taken on a tour of 

Andalusia in the fall of 2022; the gardens are in Cordoba. 

Linda De Keulenaer, AWC Antwerp 

Michele Hendrikse Du Bois, FAUSA 

Star Magnolia 

While we officially celebrate the new year on January 1, for me, the first sign 

of the new year is when my star magnolia starts to bloom. The bursting of the 

flowers from their winter beds is my signal we are saying goodbye to the old 

and welcoming the new year. 


The last night – October 2, 2022 

Taking my last walk in the beautiful city of Moscow, where I've spent the previous 

nine years, discovering the depth of my soul, was a combination of the usual 

awe and appreciation, thankfulness and love that I have developed for this 

diverse nation. Zaryadya Park was my last stop, with a panoramic view of all 

the architecture I fell in love with. My eye caught this huge patch of Yellow 

Coneflowers and combined with the night light this image is a true reflection of 

my heart. Sad, for what is happening at the moment, but always keep hope for a 

future filled with peace and unity for all of us. 

Annelize Smith, AWO Moscow 

Outgoing and incoming FAWCO Presidents, Emily van Eerten and 

Ann Marie Morrow, represent the many goodbyes and new beginnings 

as FAWCO leadership roles transitioned at the 2023 Biennial Conference 

in Bratislava, Slovakia. 


profile 


Sandra Montgomery 


Woman of 2022 gardener, Sandra 

Montgomery, AWC Bogotá. 

"Our May 2022 issue of Inspiring 

Women featured all things gardening 

and also went on to become our 

very first "live" event with the 

Garden Party that we hosted online in June. 

Sandra’s story started with a great deal of 

trauma in her early years which could easily 

have broken her; in fact she was in a life 

threatening car crash during this period. But 

from those early, very dark years she has moved 

on and developed into a woman who is clearly 

at peace with herself and her life. 

Reading about someone who uses what they 

learned through their own personal difficulties 

is inspiring. After many years working in the 

corporate world, Sandra decided to resign and 

retrain in psychology. She subsequently set up 

a physical space for others, especially pregnant 

teens and those in other vulnerable situations 

like the one she had been in many years before, 

to come for rest and healing. 

While she does this she also has developed a 

real passion for gardening and finds it brings 

peace to her mind. Not having any formal 

training and dealing with gardening in Colombia, 

she has learned, mainly by trial and error, what 

she can and can’t grow. It clearly has become a 

real passion. 

Sandra Montgomery 

She was good enough to agree to 

be one of the presenters at the 

Garden Party and it was a real 

pleasure to get to know her better 

through that experience." 

Sandra out in 

her gorgeous 

garden 



I am from Bogotá, Colombia. As the 

second of four daughters, most of the 

time I lived in a small town where my 

mother had grown up. Think hot weather, 

light clothes. I was a happy girl, a free 

spirit who loved to play on the streets 

with my friends until late. I did not like 

school at all; I used to ride bikes, play 

basketball, hide, swim in the river and 

enjoy family gatherings. 

My early years were hard. I became a 

single mother at 15 years old. My first 

jobs were cleaning floors and selling 

underwear at a chain store. During this 

time I went through a period of true 

darkness and was using psychoactive 

substances and alcohol. Then, in 1993, I 

faced death as a result of a car accident 

that disfigured my face and my soul. Due 

to the trauma, I suffered from panic 

attacks, depression, anxiety and being 

overweight for many years. But today 

I live in Tenjo, Colombia, and enjoy a 

harmonious, light and airy figure, 

without the need for surgery. Presence, 

self-observation, self love and care, 

acceptance of emotions and fasting are 

my best allies today. 

I worked for fifteen years in well-known 

corporations, specializing in human 

resources management and 

administration. In 2006, I decided 

to resign to pursue my dream to study 

psychology. So in 2007, I began 

professional studies in psychology, 

integrative Gestalt therapy, integral yoga 

and TRE® stress and trauma releasing 

exercises, disciplines that today are part 

of my everyday life; I specialize in 

mindful eating. 


https://www.yumpu.com/xx/document/ 

read/66787490/inspiring-women-magazinemay-2022/25 

“Goodbyes and 

New Beginnings” 

Of all the people 

and situations you 

have said goodbye 

to in your life, tell us 

about two that you 

miss the most. 

Why is that? 

My most difficult 

goodbye was when 

my youngest son left 

home to start his own 

life. My husband and I 

were both sad to see 

him move to the big 

city, but it was a 

beautiful opportunity 

to understand how 

attached we were to him and how focused 

our attention was on him. It was a chance for 

us to redefine our relationship as a couple 

and move on. 

Now we enjoy more experiences together. I 

also have more time for myself to do the 

creative things that I love. I can read, write 

and experience new adventures only for me. 

That is a treasure! 




I was involved in a car accident, which became an 

important “new beginning” for me. It made me 

begin a new life, with a new face and new 

priorities. I was determined to replace complaints 

with gratitude. That’s right, I could have kept 

crying and suffering about how my face got 

disfigured, how I had to endure surgeries 

Harvesting 

blackberries in 

our garden. 

(far left, page 70) 

Sitting in her 

sanctuary – 

her studio used 

for workshops 

and consulting. 

(above) 

Corporate 

workshop about 

stress 

management 

and selfcare. 

(left) 


With her husband and number one supporter, Thomas. (right) 



about them? 

Goodbye to following diets, demanding 

exercises, famous models and fitness gurus. 

I just want to be myself: authentic, transparent, 

living in the present, aware of my own 

breathing and listening to the wisdom of my 

own body by spending time with myself. 

How do I feel? Free! Yes, free. Allowing myself 

to enjoy variety, colors, smells and all the 

abundant medicinal fruits that Mother Nature 

unconditionally provides to us. I want to nurture 

myself with self-compassion and appreciation, 

to value myself by accepting each part of my 

body as it is, including my feelings, emotions 

and my cravings! Goodbye to old habits of 

looking for external recognition, validation, 

appreciation and acceptance. 



about these? 

Every morning is a new beginning, an 

opportunity to be grateful to be alive to the 

miracle of being able to see, feel, move, think 

and to manifest creativity, giving the best to 

myself and to the world. 

I wish to continue to be surprised with simple 

things in life — a flower, a tree, a landscape, 

the rain, the sun, a hummingbird — as if I were 

always on vacation. That’s right, I want my life to 

become an endless vacation: no rush, no need 

to run, just be calm and joyful. I see myself 

enjoying life in acceptance and presence, 

continuing with my passion of leading corporate 

workshops, facilitating fasting and silent retreats, 

sharing knowledge for others’ self-care, personal 

development, self-regulation and multiplying 

physical, mental and emotional wellness. 

and lost my job, but I never lost my positive 

attitude. I was happy because I had made it 

out alive, and that allowed me to recover and 

move on. We humans are resilient beings. 

I have been thankful about everything ever 

since — the good stuff and also the not so 

good stuff — because that’s life: suffering 

and joyfulness, pleasure and pain, life and death, 

frosts and droughts. Every day is an opportunity. 

It is up to us to use days as trampolines for our 

personal evolution. 

Fountain where hummingbirds and other colorful birds 

come to play. (above) 

Facilitating a visualization/meditation during a silent and 

72 INSPIRING WOMEN fasting retreat. (right, page 73) 

INSPIRING WOMEN 73

feature 

24 Hours in ... Aberdeen! 

Who best to tell us about the best 

places to visit in a new city than 

those who live there? AWA 

Aberdeen members Kristen 

Belknap and Mimi Glimore- 

Maurer take us on a whistlestop 

tour of Aberdeen, Scotland. 

The Association of American Women of Aberdeen 

was originally founded by six American women 

who felt there was not enough contact among 

the US expatriate community in Aberdeen. The 

club was formed to make social contacts with 

fellow expatriates, help newcomers settle in, 

provide support when the going got tough and 

make lasting friendships. February 1, 1985 was 

the first meeting of our club. 

We have 71 members, who are mainly expats. 

We are women from all walks of life, united in our 

interest to foster and develop a fun, welcoming 

environment for newcomers and expatriates in 

Scotland while getting involved in the local 

community through charity and volunteer work. 

We organize the largest Holiday Craft Fair in 

Aberdeen in November, as well as many other 

social club events and philanthropic fundraising 

events. Each year our membership votes on a 

local charity to sponsor for the upcoming year's 

philanthropic events. 

Bullers of 

Buchan 

Aberdeen has a population of 227,430 

(2021) and is the third most populous city 

in Scotland. The city is a combination of 

Scots and expatriates due to Aberdeen 

being the oil capital of Europe. Aberdeen has the 

highest proportion of expatriates in Scotland. 

People are mostly brought to our city through the 

oil and gas industry or the fishing and shipping 

industries. Aberdeen is also known as a major 

fishing hub in the UK. The largest population 

group is aged 25-44 and the smallest is aged 75 

and older. 


When to visit... 

April - October, with June and July, are the 

premium months to visit Aberdeen. The 

glens, forests, rivers and beaches are all at 

their most glorious. You get a taste of all 

seasons in those months, as well as access 

to all attractions that close during snowfall 

months. Being on the east coast we have 

fewer issues with midges. 

ADay in Aberdeen 

Start the day well... 

It is not common to go out for breakfast in 

Scotland; however, a traditional breakfast 

could be porridge, Scotch pancakes, or a 

cooked breakfast. A cooked breakfast would 

usually include sausage, maybe Lorne (a 

square sausage slice), black pudding, eggs, 

baked tomato, tattie scone, baked beans 

and bacon. Normally, locals might go out for 

coffee, scones, cake, and/or a breakfast roll. 

The breakfast roll is usually sausage or 

bacon, possibly with egg if requested, in a 

white bread roll with a choice of HP/brown 

sauce or tomato/ketchup sauce. Most cafés 

tend to offer a brunch menu rather than a 

breakfast menu, as most do not open until 

10:00 am. Your hotel is where you are most 

likely to find a full Scottish breakfast at a 

more average time for breakfast. 

But if in fact you want to go out of the hotel ... 

Scottish Cooked Breakfast 

Boxcar Coffee & Yard 

Banchory Lodge 

Time for a break... 

It is really a mix and depends on what 

you want. Restaurant services tend to 

run very leisurely and slow; you can end 

up at a sit-down restaurant for upwards 

of 2 hours. However, cafés offer a range 

of sandwiches and snacks for a quicker 

option. There are really many good 

lunch spots, both casual, on-the-go and 

more formal. 

Banchory Lodge 

Not right the city - it’s out in Banchory – 

but a total gem 

Dee St, Banchory AB31 5HS 

https://www.banchorylodge.com/ 

Amuse 1 

Queen's Terrace, Aberdeen AB10 1XL 

htts://www.amuse-restaurant.com/ 

The Silver Darling 

Pocra Quay, Aberdeen AB11 5DQ 

https://www.thesilverdarling.co.uk/ 

The Craftsman Company – 

Coffee & Ale House 

2 Guild St, Aberdeen AB11 6NE 

https://thecraftsmancompany.com/ 

The Albyn 

11 Albyn Pl, Aberdeen AB10 1YE 

https://thealbyn.co.uk/ 

CUP Tea Salon 

Best picks for breakfast – 

Foodstory 

11-15 Thistle St, Aberdeen AB10 1XZ 

https://foodstorycafe.co.uk/holding.php 

Boxcar Coffee & Yard 

1 Station Rd, Cults, Aberdeen AB15 9NP 

https://www.facebook.com/boxcarcults 

CUP 

9 Little Belmont St, Aberdeen AB10 1JG 

https://www.cupteasalon.com/ 

Climate... 

Always be prepared for four seasons 

in one day; for instance in one day you 

can experience rain, hail, sunny blue 

skies, wind, snow and fluctuations in 

temperature. The winter can be quite 

cold and wet with limited hours of 

daylight and a handful of snows. 

However, the long, temperate summer 

days make up for it. Late spring, 

summer and early fall can be absolutely 

gorgeous and the outdoors beckon. 


A 

fternoon activities... 

Aberdeen City Beach 

If you head out to the west slightly to a small 

town called Banchory, you can take a short 

hike up Scolty Hill and then end with tea at 

Banchory Lodge. If you fancy a bit of beach, 

but not far, you can head down to Aberdeen 

city beach and enjoy a stroll on the boardwalk, 

but don’t forget to check the tide table before 

venturing. It wouldn’t be much fun if most of 

the beach was under water. We have drastic 

tides in these parts. 

Puffin Watching at 

Bullers of Buchan 

A great place to stop is 

BrewDog Brewery in 

Ellon on the way back 

from Cruden Bay. 

Unit Balmacassie 

Industrial Estate, 

Ellon AB41 8BX, 

www.brewdog.com 

Puffins at 

Bullers of Buchan 

Ruins of Slains Castle 

If you fancy a beach, a 

castle and a natural wonder 

in rock formations with puffin 

sightings, you can head up 

to Cruden Bay Beach. It’s a 

dramatic cliff-side walk that 

takes you past the ruins of 

Slains Castle, the inspiration 

for Dracula, and then on to 

the Bullers of Buchan, where 

there is a blowhole, along 

with several natural arches 

and puffin sightings in the 

spring. You can walk back the 

same way you came for three 

hours total or catch a bus on 

the main road back to Cruden 

Bay. You should note that, 

while the sun is out past 

midnight in the summer, 

restaurants for dinner still 

prefer to close somewhere 

near 9:00 pm. You can have a 

late afternoon adventure, but 

not too late if you still want a 

good meal. 


Greyhope Bay is on the south side of 

Aberdeen harbor and close to where 

the brand-new, additional Aberdeen 

harbor is now located. It is a lovely 

beach where you can go tide-pooling, 

watch ships going in and out of the 

harbor and stop at the new, little café 

with great dolphin watching. The café 

is at the top of the hill near the parking 

for the beach, with toilets and superb 

views of the city and the North Sea. 

It’s called The Liberty Kitchen. 

Greyhope Bay Center, Greyhope Rd, 

Aberdeen AB11 8QX, 

https://www.greyhopebay.com/ 

This page and next, Greyhope Bay 

View from The Liberty Kitchen 


Or ... 

afternoon shopping, anyone? 

Many of the shops are local and showcase 

unique gifts, many from local crafters, in 

small quaint settings. They are not brand 

names and are a pleasure to visit for things 

that will give you a feel for Scotland. 

Cloudyblue 

165 Rosemount Pl, Aberdeen AB25 2XP 

https://www.facebook.com/people/Cloudy- 

Blue/100044418056609/ 

Rosemount Market 

217-219 Rosemount Pl, Aberdeen AB25 2XS 

https://www.rosemountmarket.co.uk/ 

Juniper 

35 Belmont St, Aberdeen AB10 1JS 

https://juniperaberdeen.co.uk/ 

Curated Aberdeen 

George St, Aberdeen AB25 1HZ - located 

inside Bon Accord Aberdeen 

https://www.facebook.com/CuratedAberdeen/ 

Garden Centers 

Garden centers are popular here and have 

cafés attached to them. They have a wide 

range of gifts and local crafts. They are our 

go-to for when we are getting gifts and 

Scottish treats to pack in our suitcases for 

family and friends back in the USA. 

Dobbies Garden Center 

Whitemyres House, New Park farm, Lang 

Stracht, Aberdeen AB15 6AX 

https://www.dobbies.com/ 

aberdeen?utm_source=google&utm_ 

medium=organic&utm_campaign=LPM_ 

google_Aberdeen 

Raemoir Garden Center 

Raemoir Rd, Banchory AB31 4EJ 

https://www.raemoirgardencentre.co.uk/ 

Union Square (for high street stores) 

Guild St, Aberdeen AB11 5RG 

https://www.unionsquareaberdeen.com/ 

After-dark fun... 

The locals like to arrange to meet 

for drinks and dinner, which 

usually turns into walking around 

going for more drinks at the unique 

bars and pubs. Late-night 

transportation post-COVID-19 is an 

issue in this city, so be prepared for 

cab lines or late nights due to lack 

of transport. 

Cafe Boheme 

23 Windmill Brae, 

Aberdeen AB11 6HU 

https://www.cafebohemerestaurant.co.uk/ 

Moonfish 

9 Correction Wynd, 

Aberdeen AB10 1HP 

https://moonfishcafe.co.uk/ 

Nargile 

77-79 Skene St, 

Aberdeen AB10 1QD 

https://www.facebook.com/ 

NargileRestaurant?locale=en_GB 

Tarragon (traditional) 

137 Rosemount Pl, 

Aberdeen AB25 2YH 

https://tarragoncatering.co.uk/ 

https://www.facebook.com/tarragonbygrahammitchell/ 

Aberdeen's Nightlife … 

Yes, there are many great places for dinner, 

drinks, and more drinks from whiskey dens to 

wine bars and cutting-edge bars. You can find 

upscale establishments with creative drink 

menus or live Irish music in a pub at Malones 

Irish Bar. There are theater options, concerts 

at P&J Live Arena, live music in pubs, breakout 

rooms, bowling and candlelight concerts. 

Kristen Belknap at BrewDog 

Malones Irish Bar 

90 Shiprow, Aberdeen AB11 5BZ 

https://malonesbaraberdeen.com/ 

Cheerz Gay Bar (late night) 

2 Exchange St, Aberdeen AB11 6PH 

https://www.cheerzbar.co.uk/ 

Krakatoa 

2 Trinity Quay, Aberdeen AB11 5AA 

https://krakatoa.bar/ 

Soul Bar 

333 Union St, Aberdeen AB11 6BS 

https://www.soulaberdeen.co.uk/ 


City Snaps 

Aberdeen City 

Photo- Michelle Sandra Aitken 

The Mercat Cross 

Marischal College 

Brig o'Balgownie over the River Don 

(from left to right) 

Aberdeen city mural 

(page 84) 

Marischal Square 

Leopard 

(page 84) 

Looking east on 

Rosemount Viaduct 


Out and About 

Doonies Rare Breeds 

Farm (right) 

Sunset at Aberdeen City 

Beach (below) 

New Slains Castle 

(middle, page 87 ) 

Stonehaven Sculptures 

Walk (far right and below 

right, page 87) 


profile 

The "Pandemic President" 

FAWCO’s outgoing President, Emily van Eerten, AWC The Hague, says 

"goodbye" to her role as President. 

Emily van Eerten 

I 

grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma and until I 

was 12 had never been further than the 

surrounding states. That year, my older 

brother was part of a local youth 

symphonic band that toured Europe. My 

parents had never been abroad at that point 

either, so they signed up to be chaperones and 

my younger brother and I got to tag along as 

well. It was a “if this is Tuesday, this must be 

Belgium” kind of tour, with concert stops in 

London, Edinburgh, Amsterdam, Copenhagen 

and Oslo. I loved it. 

When I was 16, my life changed dramatically 

when my older brother and his best friend 

were broadsided by a concrete-mixer truck. 

Nothing can prepare a family for that news, 

and although we still got up every morning and 

got through the subsequent days and years, 

the harsh lesson that life is a gift with an 

unknown expiration date hit me in such a 

way that I approached every future decision 

with the question, if not now, when? I decided 

I would see the world, starting with Rice 

University out of state. In my sophomore year, I 

decided somewhat late that I should go abroad 

for my junior year. Too late for any established 

programs, I wrote to the British consulate, 

got a list of universities, wrote to ten of them, 

applied directly to three, and chose the one 

with the most appealing brochure, St. Andrews 

in Scotland. Luckily this ended up being even 

cheaper than Rice, so my parents reluctantly 

agreed. It was a fabulous 

experience, which included a 

spring break trip to Israel and 

Egypt, acting in a theatre group 

and performing at the Edinburgh 

Emily as 

FAWCO 

President in 

2005 


1990: Attorneys by day, theatre producers by night 

(left, page 90) 

1995: Officer's wife (top right) 

2021: North Sea sailing (bottom right) 

Fringe Festival that summer. After finishing 

my philosophy degree at Rice the next year, 

I returned to Tulsa for law school, where I 

continued to do theatre on the side. After 

sitting for the bar exam, I toured Europe for two 

months until the results were in and I had to 

start my adult life as a lawyer. Still bitten by the 

theatre bug, I also helped found and run a new 

theatre company, producing and directing four 

to five contemporary American plays per year 

for the next five years. 

One of my law school friends invited me to join 

her in Cheyenne, Wyoming, for Frontier Days, 

the Daddy of ‘em All Rodeo Festival. She 

promised a great girls' week, and it was. Of 

particular note, though, was a Dutch naval 

officer I met briefly in the Cheyenne Club one 

night. We only shared a couple of dances and 

some conversation that evening, but we exchanged 

addresses. He sent me a postcard a 

couple of days later, and I wrote back. To make 

a long three-and-a-half-year story short, we 

married. As we were discussing who would 

quit their job and move where, he was offered 

command of a ship on Curaçao, and we decided 

starting our married life on a Caribbean island 

was the way to go. In the FAWCO world, this kind 

of leap of faith is not uncommon, but it remains 

the defining moment of my life, uprooting 

myself, leaving my legal career and my theatre 

company, my family and friends. 

Getting involved with FAWCO 

As a newlywed on the Dutch island of Curaçao, I 

was relieved to discover the American Women’s 

Club and their Out to Lunch bunch, allowing me 

to make some English-speaking friends and get 

to know the island. We then moved to Somerset 

in the UK, where there was no such group. When 

we moved on to Haarlem in the Netherlands, 

with a baby in tow, one of my first calls was to 

the AWC Amsterdam. They had a Haarlem-area 

group and I was quickly involved in a Moms and 

Tots Group and book club as I adjusted to life 

in the Netherlands. One of the members also 

offered a class on HTML and I was happy to sign 

up. She had just been to her first FAWCO 

conference in London and had offered to 

redesign the infant FAWCO website and signed 

me up to help. Soon after, she divorced and 

repatriated and I took over, getting FAWCO’s 

new Virtual Clubhouse up and running, as well 

as starting the FAWCO web hosting program. 

I attended my first FAWCO conference in 

Washington, DC in 2000. The next year I joined 

the Board as 1st Vice President. Within a few 

months I discovered I was pregnant with my 

third child. Thinking I would resign, my husband 

asked incredulously, “What kind of women’s 

organization would make you resign just 

because you were pregnant?” Indeed. I kept my 

position and ended up bringing my six-week-old 

baby (and my mother) to the Florence 

conference. I was elected FAWCO President for 

the 2005–2007 term, and ended up having to 

negotiate an international move (to Norfolk, 

England). More international moves followed, 

to Ontario, Canada, and eventually back to the 

Netherlands. During that time I served in 

several other FAWCO capacities. I was shocked 

in 2019, though, when I was contacted three 

weeks before the Edinburgh conference. The 

presidential nominee had to withdraw and 

would I be willing to take on the presidency once 

more? My family was surprisingly supportive 

and I agreed. 

As we approached the 2020 conference, not 

only did we have to deal with the onslaught of 

the pandemic, but one of my daughters was 

diagnosed with an extremely rare disease that 

required immediate surgery. I am so grateful to 

the FAWCO Board and members who helped get 

the organization through those dark days, while 

I was also dealing with her care. Because of 

COVID-19, FAWCO ended up having to embrace 

newer technologies that included virtual 

meetings and conferences. This abrupt change 

in work-ways made it difficult to recruit a new 

president for 2021–2023 so I ended up signing 

on for another term. 

The role of FAWCO President is as a conductor 

for an orchestra. FAWCO is active: providing 

organizational support for our member clubs; 

engaging our members on global issues; 

advocating for the interests of Americans 

abroad; and actively pursuing philanthropic 

goals. We have over 150 volunteers who are 

passionate about their respective areas. There 

is a need thus to keep the organization in 

balance, remaining non-partisan, adopting new 


technology as necessary, and all the while being 

mindful of good governance, avoiding 

information overload and respecting data 

privacy. The most satisfying part of working 

with FAWCO is the exceptionally high quality 

of our volunteers, who are well educated, 

engaged with their local and global communities 

and passionate about their FAWCO and club 

work. The presidency is a full time commitment 

at times, but I have always felt that I have gotten 

more out of it than I put in — and I have had the 

privilege of meeting hundreds of amazing 

people along the way. The work can be intense, 

and, although I will be happy to pass the baton 

to Ann Marie, I will miss all of the wonderful 

people I have been in constant contact with 

for the past four years. I will think of my four 

years as the Pandemic Presidency, dealing with 

canceled conferences, virtual engagement and 

new thinking on contracts and communications, 

but as FAWCO moves forward we are poised 

once again to set our sights on larger goals. 





I try not to think in terms of goodbyes as much 

as au revoirs. The worst goodbyes of my life 

were during those years before my husband 

and I decided we would get married. We spent 

more than three years writing actual letters and 

making expensive phone calls. When we did get 

together in Amsterdam or Oklahoma, when I 

was on vacation or he was on leave from 

the navy, the farewells at the airport were 

devastating because we literally did not know 

if we would see each other again. Long-distance 

relationships are brutal and not for the faint of 

heart. But we overcame our fears and doubts. 

For the 28+ years I have been abroad I have 

maintained relationships with those who are 

important in my life; distance hasn’t broken 

our connections. 

Of all the “new beginnings” in your life, 

tell us about two that you really 

remember/that turned out to be 

unexpectedly important. 

New beginnings are a hallmark of our 

lives to date. Having already made four 

international moves, when we moved back 

to the Netherlands in 2011, my husband 

promised that our kids would be able to 

complete their high school education here, 

and they have. One of the by-products of an 

international life, though, is that your 

children have learned to think internationally. 

My oldest went to the UK for university, with 

summer internships in France, Austria and 

Germany, and now is in Germany for her 

PhD. My son ended up getting recruited to 

play pro rugby in France and will complete 

his bachelor's there this year on the side. 

Another daughter is now on a semester 

abroad in Chile, while my youngest is 

thinking of law school in the US. Where will 

they be — where will we be? Who knows 

what is ahead of us? I have learned to live 

life as it comes, without a net. 

Emily and her mom on the FAWCO Foundation 

Cruise (left, page 92) 

Emily with Giulia and Silke (above) 


feature 

Inspiring Reads: Secrets 

of a Summer Village 

Born and raised in Atlanta, 

Georgia, Saskia E. Akyil 

began her art by keeping a 

journal and writing letters 

to her friends, pen pals, 

cousins and grandparents. 

Since moving to Germany 

with her husband in 2005, 

she hasn’t been able to use 

her “ very useful degree” in 

Teaching English as a 

Second Language. As a 

hobby, she writes stories 

and articles, does metalsmithing 

and feeds her 

husband and three sons. In 

pursuit of a new career, she 

is now studying towards a 

MSc in epidemiology. She 

hopes that one day she can 

combine her interest in 

writing and science. 

Ashort summary of the book 

When she doesn’t get a place in a Mexican 

study abroad program, Rachel anticipates another 

summer behind the counter of a coffee shop until 

an unexpected opportunity to spend a month with a 

family in Turkey drastically changes the course of her 

summer. In a summer village on the western coast of 

Turkey, you’ll meet Rachel, who doesn’t know what 

she wants; Aylin, who doesn’t know if she wants the 


one who wants her; and Leyla, who knows 

who she wants, but doesn’t know if she’ll get 

him. Love and romance are secret pleasures 

in the summer village, which only make them 

more exciting. 

Can coffee grounds tell your future? Will fate 

bring you to your soul mate thousands of 

miles from home? Would the evil eye dare 

stop two souls on their paths to each other? 

Travel with Rachel on her journey far from the 

comforts of home, to a place that will captivate 

her and leave her changed forever. 

Secrets of a Summer Village is a novel in which 

modern, middle-class Turkish culture is seen 

through the eyes of an American teenager. In 

the coming-of-age story, Rachel learns that 

many aspects of Turkish culture are different 

from her own, but that family, friendship and 

love are universal. 

What was your inspiration for the book? 

My husband’s stories were my inspiration for 

the book. His parents have a summer house 

on the Aegean coast of Turkey and, like the 

characters in the book, he spent his summers 

there. I can already hear you asking – no, I did 

not meet him on an exchange program and the 

story is not autobiographical. 

How long did it take you to write the book? 

From start to finish, including all edits, it took 

me about two years. I started writing this book 

when my second son was six weeks old, and 

he was a few years old by the time I completed 

the book. I mostly wrote in the evenings, after 

the children had gone to bed. 

What kind of research do you do, and how 

long do you spend researching before 

beginning a book? 

I didn’t do dedicated research prior to 

starting to write. I had already experienced 

many weeks visiting my husband’s summer 

village, and had been hearing his stories about 

it for eight years before I started to write. 

While writing, I did research as appropriate. 

What is the most important thing you want 

readers to take away from your book? 

I’d like them to get a taste of secular Turkish 

culture and traditions from the book. News 

media provide a very different picture of 

Muslim-majority countries than 

the reality lived by many people, 

and vacationing in a country is not 

the same as spending time there 

with locals. 

When did you start writing? 

I started writing as soon as I learned 

how to write. I believe I wrote my 

first book when I was in first or 

second grade. It was about Cabbage 

Patch Kids. 

What’s your favorite underappreciated 

novel? 

My favorite novel is The Poisonwood 

Bible by Margaret Kingsolver. I don’t 

think it’s underappreciated, but it 

may have somewhat fallen off the 

radar. Is The Little Prince a novel? If so, that’s 

also my favorite novel. Fortunately, it’s not 

underappreciated, either. I haven’t answered 

your question, have I? I am incredibly picky 

when it comes to novels, so I tend to read 

more non-fiction books. 

What is your favorite childhood book? 

As a child, I loved Anne of Green Gables. As 

for my favorite children’s book now, I would 

say that it’s too hard to pick. Children’s 

books are often much better than books 

intended for adults because they are more 

straightforward, more succinct, and are 

usually unpretentious. My favorite picture 

books are possibly The Gruffalo by Julia 

Donaldson and Axel Scheffler and Lost and 

Found by Oliver Jeffers. 

What are you reading now? 

I most recently finished reading What My 

Bones Know by Stephanie Foo and can 

absolutely recommend it. 

If you could tell your younger writingself 

anything, what would it be? 

To join a writing group because it helps 

immensely on many levels, from improving 

writing through workshopping to providing 

a community – writing can be a very 

isolating activity. 

What’s next for you? Are you working on 

anything new you’d like to share with 

our readers? 

I’m not actively writing fiction at the 

moment, though I do have one more 

published work – a children’s picture 

book about the winter solstice called 

Moonflower and the Solstice Dance, which is 

available in four languages – English, 

Turkish, German and Swedish. I also have 

a completed manuscript that I may 

publish one day, and I have a partiallywritten 

manuscript that I have shelved for 

now, but hope to get back to one day. 

The Existential 

Traveller 

Bridging Borders since 1984 

Explore your dreams… 

Enhance your mind… 

Enrich your soul… 

Why US? 

Professional and Personal Service 

• We are personally connected to the places you’ll visit. 

• We are committed to preserving environmental integrity and 

to supporting local economies. 

• We are dedicated to your enjoyment and pleasure. 

Special Tours available for FAWCO Clubs! 

For More Information: 

Contact: Linda Johnson, FAUSA member 

linda@theexistentialtraveller.club 

Phone: +212693842357 

Books presented in the 

Inspiring Reads feature are 

available for purchase via 

the FAWCO website in the 

Books by Members or Books 

by Clubs sections. 

Enjoy! 


profile 

Moving FAWCO into a 

Post-COVID-19 World 

Ann Marie Morrow, AWC Finland, tells us about herself and her 

"new beginning" as FAWCO’s incoming President. 

We moved around a lot when I was 

younger, mostly within upstate New 

York. I remember enjoying moving 

to new places, starting new schools 

and getting to know new people. Changing high 

schools was perhaps more challenging than 

changing a school when I was younger, but I was 

always on board for another adventure. I even 

went to three different universities, but managed 

to graduate a year early. I was somehow in a 

hurry, taking extra classes, working, volunteering, 

and, of course, partying too. My Finnish husband 

and I met at university in the US. I never imagined 

that I’d live so long in one place as I have now. I’ve 

been in Finland for more than 20 years; I came 

for one year and continue to “renew my contract” 

each year. 

Ann Marie 

A defining moment in my life was when I was a 

freshman at university. I spent a lot of time with 

my three-year old cousin, who was getting cancer 

treatment. She and her family were staying at a 

nearby Ronald McDonald House, and I would stay 

there on Fridays as well (Pizza Fridays!) Meeting 

all the families and children going through such 

battles for life and death was a real perspective 

wakeup call for an 18-year-old. The wisdom and 

grace of the children and their families was 

humbling. It really shaped my outlook and 

perspective on what is important in life. I 

realized how short and fragile life is. 

I don’t want to waste my time doing 

things that don’t matter and I try to 

spend my time in a way that I won’t 

Winter 

wonderland 

in Finland. 


Saying goodbye to those who move off the 

board is bittersweet. You get so used to being in 

regular contact via WhatsApp or email that it 

feels like you’ve lost a friend for a while when 

jobs change. But, FAWCO being what it is, luckily 

we still get to see each other on various teams 

and at in-person meetings. How fabulous it was 

to see Rozanne in Belgium this past November 

and to bump into Shweta at sunset at the top of 

the MAS building in Antwerp! I haven’t tested it 

much yet, due to COVID-19 restrictions the past 

years, but it really feels like the FAWCO family 

will welcome you wherever you go. I love seeing 

pictures of people I now know meeting up for 

coffee in Paris, a museum tour in New York 

or wine in London! A worldwide circle of 

friendly connections. 

As I look forward to the next board term, I 

imagine helping support this dynamic 

organization into a post-COVID-19 world by 

building on the strengths we have, bridging the 

virtual with in-person meetings and becoming 

stronger with diversity and inclusiveness, helping 

to make FAWCO a place where members will 

feel empowered and have agency and a sense 

of belonging. 





I don’t think I’m alone in sometimes missing the 

person I thought I was going to be. I never 

imagined I would live in a foreign country, let 

alone one so close to the Arctic Circle. I often 

tell the story of how I didn’t want to date anyone 

from Canada – just in case – as I didn’t want to 

live anywhere cold. I somehow skipped that 

geography class where they talked about Finland. 

I do miss not having my own family or circle of 

friends from childhood around me. It has been 

tough at times. Luckily I really like my kids, 

husband and dog, and we have carved out a life 

Ann Marie with family on Bourbon Street, 2016 

2012 Regional meeting group photo in Stockholm (below) 

regret. There is an old adage that when 

someone is dying, no one regrets not having 

worked more. They wish they had spent more 

time with family and friends. Living in Finland 

has given me that possibility. Life is a lot slower 

here. When I first arrived, I couldn’t imagine 

what anyone would do with four weeks of 

vacation! Now I know, and we have enjoyed 

amazing family trips together most every year. 

Getting involved with FAWCO 

My first taste of FAWCO connections happened 

in Stockholm at a Regional I attended there in 

September 2012 while I was president of AWC 

Finland. It was exciting being around other 

women who were living such similar lives. We 

swapped stories and bonded over shared 

experiences of Nordic life. 

A standout memory was on the Sunday 

walking tour of the old town, Gamla Stan. We 

were in an ideal spot along the waterfront on 

this foggy morning, enjoying the iconic view of 

the Stockholm City Hall, when a local member 

from China asked if we’d like to try an 

impromptu Tai Chi session. I can still feel the 

mist on my face and see the peace and glow on 

everyone’s faces as we stretched and moved as 

one. Amazing experiences like this seem to 

happen whenever FAWCO friends gather. 

I helped organize a Regional in Helsinki in April 

2017, during Finland’s 100-year anniversary of 

independence, while I was FAWCO Region 2 

Coordinator. We hosted and met FAWCO 

members from seven different countries – 

connections that led somehow to my being 

asked to serve as 1st VP Communications. This 

was an unexpected new beginning for me, and 

I’m glad I was open to new challenges. 

I have learned so much and gained so much 

from all my work and time on the FAWCO 

board since March 2019. Our first board served 

during the beginning of COVID-19. What a time 

of upheaval, isolation and turmoil. The women 

on that board in 2019–2021 were kind, smart, 

caring and resilient, and after working with 

colleagues like that, I only wanted to continue 

being around that inspiring energy. Many of 

us stayed on for the 2021–2023 board and I’m 

grateful for the time I get to be around and 

learn from all of them. 


that was unexpected, but one that ticks all the 

boxes. Plus, did I mention vacations are long 

and lovely in the Nordics?! I continually check 

in with myself and make sure that I’m trying to 

make the most of my time. I’ve had family 

members and friends pass away too young. 

These are goodbyes one is never prepared for 

or gets used to. 

I look around me and think – what would I want 

to do with my time if it were limited? And guess 

what? All our time here on earth is limited! If 

I live to 90, perhaps I’ll have eaten too much 

chocolate, not worked enough, cleaned enough 

or made enough money. But, one never knows. 

I’m not a hedonist, but I have tried to gauge my 

choices along these lines of making the most of 

today. I have a quote in Finnish on my fridge – 

it says “Tämä päivä on aina täällä, huominen ei 

koskaan.” There are many popular versions of 

it, but it roughly translates to, “Today is always 

here, tomorrow never comes.” In other words, 

a new beginning is always here. 

Ann Marie in Bali with monkey on her shoulder in 2017 

(above) 

Ann Marie in the Haaga Rhododendron Park, Helsinki (right) 

FAWCO Board 2019 (far right top, page103) 

2022 Luxembourg Conference, Region 2 group picture 

(far right bottom, page 103) 


feature 

Who Are We? ... 

Introducing the New 

Inspiring Women Team 

With this issue, Inspiring Women Magazine is saying goodbye to several long-serving 

members and welcoming a new team. We are saying goodbye to Editor Liz MacNiven, 

Distribution Manager Karen Boeker and Profiles Coordinator Haley Green. Last year, 

we said goodbye to Social Media Manager Berit Torkildsen. 

As we knew these transitions were approaching, we took the time to redesign the 

roles and responsibilities of the team. Last year, we welcomed Kristin Haanæs as our 

Layout Coordinator. She’s been a huge asset to the team as she continues to improve 

the magazine’s layout and design. We also decided to create a Marketing Manager 

position which would combine the work of the Distribution, Social Media, and PR 

Managers. Elsie Bose is remaining on the team as Advertising and Sponsorship 

Manager, and Michele Hendrikse Du Bois is moving from Features Coordinator to 

Editor-in-Chief. Connie Phlipot will be taking over the Features Coordinator position. 

Cristin Middlebrooks is the new Profile Coordinator, and Hollis Vaughen is filling the 

new Marketing Manager position. 

We thought you’d like to meet the new team, so we asked each team member to tell 

you a little about where they grew up, their involvement with their local clubs and 

FAWCO and what they are looking forward to as part of the Inspiring Women 

Magazine team. 


Michele Hendrikse Du Bois Editor 

FAUSA 

2011 FAWCO Conference in Morocco 

(above) 

Kunu and a young Michele (above right) 

Michele's family (middle right) 

Michele and husband Remco in The 

Dalles, 2011 (bottom right) 

Michele and Remco, Belfast 2017 (below) 

While our extended family stayed in Kentucky 

and Illinois, my parents put their 6-month-old 

daughter (me) and Alaskan Malamute in their 

Plymouth Fury station wagon and ventured 

west. After a short stop in Idaho, where my 

sister joined us, we moved on to Bellevue, 

Washington and settled in. As a teen and young 

adult, I always wanted to travel to Europe, but 

my personal budgeting habits never allowed me 

to save enough for that type of travel. No one 

at that time would have guessed I’d end up 

managing multi-million-dollar budgets (and 

getting an international corporate award for my 

budgeting management skills)! In the spring of 

1991, I met a “nice Dutch boy” who was finishing 

up his LLM at the University of Washington. I got 

my first passport, and that December I took my first trip overseas to meet Remco’s 

family and tell them we were getting married the following summer. We have now 

enjoyed over 30 years of wonderful adventures together. In addition to living near 

Amsterdam and in Munich, we enjoyed two shorter secondments in Singapore and 

Istanbul. Between my travels with FAWCO and The FAWCO Foundation and my 

husband’s business travel, we had the opportunity to visit many countries. 

I love cooking, reading, traveling, hiking/walking, and photography. Having the 

opportunity to live in different countries and explore so many different places has been 

a true gift. 

My husband and I wanted to live in Europe, but we never intended to live in the 

Netherlands. Then, in 2005, a unique opportunity arose with my husband’s company, 

and we spent the next three and a half years living in a small town just outside of 

Amsterdam. While there, I joined the AWC Amsterdam, serving in several roles, 

including club president. That is also when I discovered FAWCO and started attending 

conferences. One of my favorite roles was as speaker coordinator at the 2008 

conference in Seoul, South Korea. After a short return to Washington, we jumped on an 

opportunity to go back to Europe and live in Munich. Even before moving, I contacted 

the Munich IWC, and on December 31, 2011, our second night in town, we attended our 

first social event with the club. At the same time, I became the president of The FAWCO 

Foundation. I loved working with The Foundation’s board, attending regional meetings 

and gifting Development Grants and Education Awards to inspirational and deserving 

FAWCO club charities, their club members, and members’ children. In 2017, after five 

years in Munich, we returned to Washington, and I joined FAUSA, where I coordinate the 

Seattle Metro/PNW Region, FAUSA in Motion, and the virtual Mah Jongg group. 

After two years as Features Coordinator, I am looking forward to moving into the 

Editor position and working with the new Inspiring Women team. We are excited to 

explore fresh ideas and introduce renewed energy to the production of this beautiful, 

informative, and engaging magazine that brings the stories of FAWCO’s inspiring women 

alive and delivers them directly to our subscribers’ inboxes. 


Elsie Bose Founder &Advertising Manager 

FAUSA & AWG Paris 

Elsie making a new friend at the 

Abu Dhabi Falcon Clinic. (above) 

AWC Brussels Board, breaking ground 

for the clubhouse renovation,1996. 

(above right) 

AWC Toronto donated $60,000 to the 

University of Toronto scholarship 

program. (middle right) 

Elsie was the keynote speaker at the 

AWG Paris 100th Anniversary Gala held 

last April. (bottom right) 

Elsie with Speaker of the House of 

Commons, Gilbert Parent, in Ottawa. 

(below) 

I was born in New York, the eldest of four girls. 

My dad was a Navy pilot, so moving and living 

in different places was normal to me. I studied 

at Mary Washington College in Virginia, but 

graduated from the University of Maryland 

with a BA in criminology. My grandfather, who 

was a judge in New York, got me an interview 

with his local congressman for an internship on 

the Hill. The interview went very well, and the 

congressman referred me to the Interns’ Office 

to sort out the details. I walked in behind a 

man who was also being considered for an 

internship. He was directed to an interview 

room. When it was my turn, I was directed to a 

typewriter. When I asked why, the receptionist 

said, “We don’t expect men to type.” I said, “Well, 

don’t expect me to either.” And I left. I had a job in the local DC department store while 

in school and went full time. That led to a career as a buyer and executive with several 

major retail chains. 

I met and married my husband Bob in Washington. Opportunities and promotions for 

both of us sent us to Pittsburgh, then Denver. From Denver, a major career move for 

Bob included a chance to move to Brussels, Belgium. Unsure what I was going to do, I 

joined the American Women’s Club of Brussels. I served on the board as Vice-President 

and chair of the clubhouse renovation committee, and I am proud to say that the 

renovation came in on time, and under budget. In 1997, we relocated to Toronto, 

Canada. We lived downtown. It was so exciting! I became active in the American 

Women’s Club of Toronto, becoming its president. 

In the fall of 1999, Bob told me he had been offered a new job, and what would I think 

about living in Paris? I went to the closet, got a suitcase, and turned to him and said, 

“let’s go!” I joined AWG Paris and was President from 2002–2005. We had an enthusiastic 

Board and vibrant membership. AWG began the Woman of the Year awards, the OOPS 

Auction, and published a cookbook. 

I attended my first FAWCO conference in Stockholm, Sweden. Later, I was asked to join 

the Board of The FAWCO Foundation. I oversaw the Development Grants program and 

went on to serve as The Foundation’s president from 2008–2010. In 2013, we moved 

to Dubai, where we lived until 2017. The FAWCO President, Monica Jubayli, lived there 

too, and she seemed to think I needed something to do, so she asked me to be the 

Advertising and Sponsorship Manager for FAWCO, a role in which I continue to serve 

from Texas. 

The intent of the magazine is to create a fun and informative magazine with “mass” 

appeal to individual club members by introducing them to other FAWCO members, 

clubs, and countries. The Inspiring Women team loves the “what if?“ question. Answering 

that question has helped us grow a loyal readership, add social media, organize 

workshops, and host live events. I hope we will continue to accept that challenge with 

our new team and have a blast doing it! 


Kristin D. Haanæs Layout Coordinator 

AWC Oslo 

My mother, who is Norwegian, married my 

father in Norway and moved to central 

Pennsylvania, to my father’s hometown of 

Huntingdon, in the late 1950s. In the mid-80s I 

did the exact opposite and married a Norwegian 

and moved to Norway. 

All dressed up! (above left) 

Kristin's family out celebrating her 60th birthday (above) 

I grew up with one set of grandparents living in 

Oslo and the other set just literally a field away. 

Both of my parents were teachers and had 

summers off, so by the time I was 12, I had 

crossed the ocean by boat nine times for 

summer visits to my Norwegian grandparents. 

During the school year, with both my parents 

teaching, my paternal grandparents were the 

ones who were there for me and my two sisters. 

My father was not only a history teacher, but also became a professional photographer. 

So, by the time I was in high school, my summer job was the occasional gig as a 

photographer’s assistant for weddings – but mainly I was set to hand mask and crop the 

negatives that were going to the lab for printing. Thus began my 

interest in layout and design. Some of my other interests include 

playing the bodhrán (badly), cooking and handicrafts. I always have 

felt that the best way to learn something is to just jump right in with 

both feet. 

Upon moving to Norway with my husband, I have worked as a 

restaurant manager in an Oslo hotel and have been the owner of a 

gourmet chocolate shop. In the 1990s, due to medical problems, I 

was given the opportunity to reschool myself. I chose layout and 

design and I have been working with that since then. Going into design 

led me down another hobby path, one of creating silver jewelry. 

Playing the bodhrán at a "session" at an Irish pub 

in Oslo 

Receiving the Caroline Curtis Brown Spirit Award 

at the Biennial Conference in Edinburgh 

During the early 90s, I became involved with our women’s club in 

Oslo. Through the years I have held board positions of president, 

newsletter editor, website coordinator, librarian and FAWCO Rep 

(for which I was honored by receiving the FAWCO Rep Appreciation 

Award). At one of the FAWCO conferences, I ended up volunteering 

my services to the new 1st VP, Monica Jubayli, and became part of 

the Communications team. Since then I have helped with layout 

and design of several conference newsletters and directories, been 

website updater, designed the Target Education Project donor 

badges and been layout editor for The Forum. At the Biennial 

Conference in Edinburgh, I was gobsmacked at receiving the 

Caroline Curtis Brown Spirit Award for just doing something that I enjoy doing. 

With the decision to cut out production of The Forum, I was at loose ends, so when I was 

approached last year to join Inspiring Women’s team as layout editor and help redesign 

the magazine I was flattered to be asked and jumped at the chance. I have enjoyed 

working with the team so far and look forward to working with my new team members. 


Hiking in Austria (top left) 

Favorite SDG (middle left) 

In Verona (bottom left) 

Connie's grandparents (top right) 

Hiking with her husband (middle right) 

Connie Phlipot Features Coordinator 

AWA Vienna 

In Paris (bottom right) 

A summer studying Russian in the Soviet 

Union 47 years ago ignited my passion for living 

abroad. I grew up in a rural area near Cleveland, 

Ohio, home to one of the largest settlements of 

Eastern European immigrants in the US. My own 

maternal grandparents – whom I admired and 

adored – emigrated in the early part of the 

20th century from the Russian Empire, in what 

is now Belarus. My Soviet studies experience 

navigating culturally and logistically in unknown 

lands inspired and empowered me to pursue a 

career as a US diplomat. Early on in my career, I 

met and subsequently married a wonderful 

fellow US diplomat. This June we will celebrate 

our 35th wedding anniversary. Many countries later – sometimes in the same place, 

sometimes not – we ended up retiring in Vienna. The Organization for Security and 

Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) played – and continues to play – a big role in our life 

in Vienna. 

My second passion is writing and reading. Soon after I moved to Vienna, I joined the 

Sunday Writers Club, a fabulous group of English-speaking writers from a multitude 

of countries who come together on Sundays to write and share their works in a café 

or online. On my own, I’ve been working (slowly) on a novel loosely based on my 

experiences in Eastern Europe. At least once a year, I join an election observation 

mission under OSCE auspices as either a short-term or long-term observer. I’ve recently 

joined the local Vienna organization of Women in International Security and eagerly 

participate in forums on international relations in Vienna. I am also an obsessive 

runner, hiker, biker, word puzzler and – if there is ever enough snow – cross-country 

skier. I began running in college to accompany a friend who was taking jogging to 

meet her phys. ed. requirement. After twenty years of making fun of my running habit, 

my husband joined me and together we began to participate in races, including 

half-marathons. 

I discovered FAWCO during a discussion on the Target Project soon after I became an 

AWA member in 2019. Excited to find a group of women interested in the global issues 

that I care about, I joined AWA’s small FAWCO liaison team. During the COVID-19 years, 

we took advantage of social media to raise our club’s awareness of SDGs and the UN 

campaign against violence against women. My first major FAWCO event was helping 

organize the 2022 Region 5 FAWCO meeting in Vienna. Currently, I am co-chair of the 

local organizing committee for the 2023 Bratislava Conference. I have also contributed 

to the AWA magazine, Highlights, as writer and editor. 

Two of the writers I most admire are the Russian and Belarusan women Svetlana 

Alexievich and Lyudmila Ulitskaya, whose works focus on the lives of so-called “ordinary” 

women doing extraordinary things – like the inspiring women of FAWCO. I hope that my 

contribution to the Inspiring Women team will be to help promote their fabulous stories. 


Cristin Middlebrooks Profiles Coordinator 

AWC Antwerp 

I come from Portland, Oregon – home to 

mountains and beaches that I still miss every 

day. After graduating from the University of 

Oregon – a proud third-generation Duck – I 

worked as an editor at a small Portland paper 

and then taught kindergarten for several years. 

I married my husband, Scott, in 2005. A year 

later our son Sawyer was born, and we moved 

to the Netherlands. My husband had an expat 

contract to work for ASML, a software company 

outside of Eindhoven. Within a year, our son 

Parker was born, and our lives were full of good 

friends and adventures. We were only supposed 

to be in Europe for three years, but when ASML 

offered Scott a local contract, we began looking for a house of our own. 

Missing the space we were so spoiled with back in Oregon, we bought a house in 

Belgium with a big backyard, where we've been happy ever since. I'm not really sure 

where the years have gone; watching my boys grow up has been bittersweet. It's been a 

blur of non-stop activity, acting as chauffeur, personal chef, study coach and all-around 

cheerleader. Now that their college days loom near, it's time for me to figure out the 

next part of my story: how to make my life more meaningful beyond my boys. 

A few years ago I began taking piano lessons at the local music academy. It’s fun, but 

performing in front of people still makes me nervous. I love reading historical fiction 

novels that have some romance thrown in and have begun writing my own. I also enjoy 

baking, watching old movies and going for long walks. I’m even training to walk a 

marathon along the Belgian coast this spring. 

With her son Parker (top left) 

With her son Sawyer (bottom left) 

Cristin and her boys (top right) 

Hiking outside Antwerp with 

AWCA friends (bottom right) 

In 2021, I joined the AWC Antwerp, hoping to connect with other Americans, make 

some new friends, and go on new adventures – best decision I've made in a long time. 

Everyone has been so kind, welcoming and incredibly inspirational. Last spring, I joined 

the board as Activity Director and served on several committees, including organizing 

our annual Founders' Day lunch, hosting a monthly writers workshop and organizing 

monthly nature hikes outside of Antwerp. In December, our FAWCO Rep, Tharien van 

Eck, heard about vacancies at Inspiring Women and suggested I contact them. I’m so 

glad I did. 

The team is amazing, and the women profiled by the magazine truly are inspiring, 

proving that every woman, everywhere has a story. For some women, inspiration comes 

from the simple need to help others. Others inspire with their desire to live each day to 

the fullest. I’m so happy to be part of an organization that provides a way for their 

stories to be told. 


Hollis Vaughen Marketing Manager 

AWC Berlin 

I am originally from Kentucky and went to 

college in Virginia. I have lived, worked and 

studied in North Carolina, Japan, California, 

Germany and Washington State. It’s hard to say 

exactly why I moved around so much – some of 

it was by design, some by circumstances out of 

my control – but it’s been an adventure to 

experience a teeny portion of the world this 

way. My number of moves pales in comparison 

to those who relocate every two or three years, 

but as someone who didn’t get to explore much 

beyond the southeastern US for her first 25 

years, it’s been a wild ride. 

November 2021 – my favorite SDGs at the FAWCO Region 5 

meeting in Vienna; 

photo credit My-Linh Kunst (top left) 

May 2022 with AWC Berlin FAWCO Rep Frances Durocher at the 

FAWCO Interim Meeting in Luxembourg; 

photo credit My-Linh Kunst (top right) 

April 2022 with my family in Madrid, Spain; 

photo credit Jovan Gibson-Aviance (bottom) 

Career-wise, I’m a Recovering Engineer – i.e. I 

have the degree and two-plus years of work 

experience but it didn’t suit me. So, I left the industry and went to business school for an 

international MBA. I sort of fell backwards into marketing and have done a wide array 

of jobs for a wide array of companies. About ten years ago, I started doing social media 

management, first for my kids’ school and the non-profit organizations I belonged to, 

then later for paid clients. 

My husband and I have three kids, ages 13, 15 and 18. We lived in Berlin from 2017 to 

2018 and moved back in August 2021. We really like living in this one-of-a-kind European 

capital and exploring the surrounding continent. In addition to going to many places 

within Germany as a family, we’ve visited Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, 

Spain, Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Cyprus. (We’ve all been 

able to take some solo trips as well.) Most recently was spring break in Switzerland 

because our oldest was a FAWCO Youth Cultural Ambassador Volunteer in Zurich! 

We’re hoping for more trips in the second half of 2023, because our list of places to visit 

is very long. 

I love conversation, traveling, volunteering, reading, walking, yoga, and swimming. I’ve 

always been interested in learning about other cultures and languages. In Berlin, I 

relish trying new-to-me cuisines and visiting at least one museum per month. My 

German classes are another source of enjoyment. 

When we first moved to Berlin, the wife of my husband’s co-worker was an AWC 

member and I joined on her recommendation. I have been the club‘s treasurer, the 

Nominating Committee Chair, and have been the co-Social Media Manager since 2020. 

The Marketing Manager role for Inspiring Women is my first FAWCO position. 

I wasn’t able to attend any FAWCO events until the Region 5 meeting in November 2021 

and am excited to make up for lost time! They check so many boxes for me – 

travel, community, education and more. In 2022, I attended the Interim Meeting in 

Luxembourg and the Region 5 meeting in Frankfurt. This year, I went to the 2023 

Biennial Conference in Bratislava and plan to attend the Region 5 meeting in the fall. 

As part of the Inspiring Women magazine team, I’m excited to try and learn new things, 

as well as getting to know my fellow FAWCO members. There’s still so much I don’t know 

about FAWCO and the amazing work our organization does! 


our next issue 

To nominate candidates for profiles, please send the candidate's name, candidate's email 

address and a brief description (50-100 words) of why you think they are inspiring and fit the 

theme for the issue. Send the information to inspiringwomenprofiles@fawco.org 

To submit a feature: We use features to complement the theme. This can be broadly applied; 

let us know what you'd like to write about! Our features are 700-800 words plus photos. 

Contact Connie at inspiringwomenfeatures@fawco.org 

Deadline for Nominations 

The deadline for submitting 

nominees and feature topics for 

our next issue is ... 

Call for September Nominees! 

Coming in 

September 2023 

"We are Talking Fashion: Innovators, 

Trendsetters, Changemakers and ... Activists" 

For the next issue of Inspiring Women, we want to 

examine the who, what and why of clothes. It is a 

world of creativity, color, and cloth. The elements that 

go into a garment and the process that gets them 

from the sketch pad to the shop floor are fascinating. 

We are looking for women in our clubs to profile who 

have interesting stories to tell about their experience 

in the world of fashion – designers, influencers, 

stylists, models, marketers, and retailers. We read 

about fashion so who writes about it? Let’s hear 

about all of them. 

Is there someone in your club who has worked in a 

non-traditional role in the fashion world, “activists" 

who have made the industry look at their customers in a different way? Challenging brands to 

make clothes to fit real bodies. Or calling on manufacturers to make sustainable clothing and 

treat workers fairly. And we plan to have some real fun in this issue with some features that 

reflect how the FAWCO “gets their fashion on.” Let’s take advantage of our worldwide 

community and give us your ideas for good fashion. And what would a fashion issue be 

without your photos? 

May 30 th 

inspiring you 

Founded in 1931, FAWCO is a global women's NGO (non-governmental organization), an 

international network of independent volunteer clubs and associations comprising 58 member 

clubs in 31 countries on six continents. FAWCO serves as a resource and a voice for its members; 

seeks to improve the lives of women and girls worldwide, especially in the areas of human rights, 

health, education and the environment; advocates for the rights of US citizens overseas; and 

contributes to the global community through its Global Issues Teams and The FAWCO Foundation, 

which provides development grants and education awards. Since 1997, FAWCO has held special 

consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council. 

our mission statement 

FAWCO is an international federation of independent organizations whose mission is: 

• to build strong support networks for its American and international membership; 

• to improve the lives of women and girls worldwide; 

• to advocate for the rights of US citizens overseas; and 

• to mobilize the skills of its membership in support of global initiatives for 

education, the environment, health and human rights. 

Advertising disclaimer 

FAWco receives financial remuneration for page space from advertisers. Views expressed or 

benefits described in any display advertisement, advertorial or in any webpage visited online 

directly from these adverts are not endorsed by FAWCO. 

copyright 2023 fawco 

Inspiring Women© Magazine is owned and published electronically by FAWCO. 

All rights reserved. All bylined articles are copyright of their respective authors as indicated herein 

and are reproduced with their permission. The magazine or portions of it may not be reproduced 

in any form, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means – electronic, 

mechanical, photocopy or otherwise – without written consent of the publisher. 

Photographs are integral to our magazine. 

We end each issue with a page of a photograph 

that offers a unique perspective on its theme. 

The photo can be provocative, amusing, 

entertaining and/or a photo that you think says 

"That's Inspired!" for each issue. 

Please contact: 

inspiringwomen.editor@fawco.org 

Our photo-centric feature "Through My Lens" is a 

compilation of photos and short captions in 

keeping with the issue’s theme. 

Please contact: 

inspiringwomenfeatures 

@fawco.org. 


more about 

this issue 

The Inspiring Women Team 

That's 

Inspired! 

Liz Elsie Kristin Michele Cristin Hollis 

For more information about this magazine, please contact a member of the Inspiring Women team: 

Editor in Chief, Liz MacNIven*, inspiringwomen.editor@fawco.org 

Advertising and Sponsorship Manager, Elsie Bose, advertising@fawco.org 

Layout Coordinator, Kristin D. Haanæs, inspiringwomen.layout@fawco.org 

Features Coordinator, Michele Hendrikse Du Bois*, inspiringwomenfeatures@fawco.org 

Profiles Coordinator, Cristin Middlebrooks, inspiringwomenprofiles@fawco.org 

Marketing Manager, Hollis Vaughen, iw.marketing@fawco.org 

(*As of May 12, Editor in Chief, Michele Hendrikse Du Bois and Features Coordinator, Connie Phlipot) 

Acknowledgements: 

Thanks to our profilees (Ann Marie, Bella, Emily, Karen, Priscilla, Sandra, Sarah and Tamara) and 

our feature contributors (Catharina, Danielle, Kristen B, Kristin H, Linda, Liz, Maria, Michele, Mimi, 

Saskia and Tharien) for their work on the articles and also for the use of their photos and those of 

their friends and families. 

The cover photo was taken by Paul MacNiven in Coventry, England in February 2023. Liz says 

“Tristan (16 months old) has only recently started walking, actually he definitely toddles to be 

honest. We were waiting for his play activity to start but he was determined to see what was at the 

bottom of the field. So I took his hand and off we went. I think we look rather like Pooh and Piglet 

walking off into the distance together.” 

While Liz is saying "Goodbye" to us at Inspiring Women, she has, amongst other things, the "New 

Beginning" that Tristan represents to look forward to. 

Special thanks to the proofreading team of Karen Boeker (AWC Denmark), Laurie Brooks (AWC 

Amsterdam and The Hague/FAUSA), Mary Stewart Burgher (AWC Denmark), Sallie Chaballier (AAWE 

Paris), Kit Desjacques (AAWE Paris), Mary Dobrian (AIWC Cologne), Janis Kaas (AAWE Paris/FAUSA), 

Carol-Lyn McKelvey (AIWC Cologne/FAUSA), and Jenny Taylor (AIWC Cologne and Düsseldorf). 

Please note: images used in this publication are either sourced from our team, the authors 

themselves, or through canva.com or pixabay.com. 

Please post the link for this issue of Inspiring Women, 

"Goodbyes and New Beginnings," in your club 

publications until "We are Talking Fashion ..." is published 

on September 14, 2023. 

Finnish lake 

at sunset 

Photo by 

Ann Marie Morrow,

Inspiring Women Magazine May 2023

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