Inspiring Women Magazine May 2023

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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
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