About the Author

My name is Dee.
My parents still call me Dee Ann. I grew up on a farm in Kansas.
I had a great career in advertising and marketing. Now I have a great career raising two beautiful daughters and writing in between school, volleyball and horse riding lessons.
I love being a mom. I work hard to be a thoughtful and engaged one. I take the job seriously… probably too seriously some days!
My husband and I met on a blind date in college. We have been married… a long time! He is a great partner, friend, parent, person. We have our ups and downs like everyone else who’s been married… a long time.
I have lived in Kansas, New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boulder, Colorado and now Javea, Spain. I mostly like to move, though it’s much harder for me now that I have kids and want them to be near family.
I think that one person can change the world. Think Paul Farmer. I’ve always had a “cause.” It was seat belts in high school. I was the only kid in Eudora, Kansas in 1984 wearing a seat belt.
I love to travel, explore, experience new things. I like to nest too. It can be a challenging balance sometimes.
I like politics. Maybe some day I will run for public office.
My chocolate cake won Grand Champion at the 4-H fair one year. My mom baked it.
I love really good food and enjoy cooking.
I recently turned 40. My friends know that I round ages up and down. Therefore, I get to be 40 for awhile.
I am a writer, chronicler, therapist, chef, administrative assistant, travel agent, boss.
I blog about seizing the day, trying new things, discovering yourself, simplifying, living.

Join me on my travels and travails. Maybe I’ll spark something in you, and you’ll find new ways to seize your day!

You can contact me by leaving a comment on the blog; I read them all and respond!

Responses

I love your honest, down-to-earth, unpretentious, fun-loving nature. I would definitely vote for you if you run for political office! I know you would do everything with such integrity, true grit and charm. Yes you can, Dee!

Thanks, Sheila! I appreciate your theoretical vote! ~ Dee
By: Sheila & Jim on March 4, 2009
at 7:31 am
Dee, I really enjoy your blog. It is light hearted, yet thoughtful. I just returned from a family vacation, walked into the house and become more and more stressed as I thought about all that had to be done, but after reading your blog in between washloads, I feel more calm.

Where might you head next?

What did you think about LA? It is interesting. When we were in Orange County, Dana Point, I felt like I was in a different country.

Jennifer,

I’m so glad you found my blog, and I’m happy to hear my words brought you some stress relief! I used to be a fairly calm, even-tempered person… then I had kids! Traveling with them can try your patience sometimes, but I seem to keep asking for more!

We are off soon to Barcelona, then Salamanca, Turkey, Greece, London, New York City, Kansas and then home to Colorado! I am excited to begin traveling again, but sad to leave the friends we have made here in Javea.

I didn’t love LA. It was a good move for us for jobs and a good time exploring a new state together before we had kids, but it was really hard to meet people and I didn’t like how everything was so spread out. I always thought Colorado would be a great place for us to settle for a bit with kids, and it has been! I think I was only down in Orange County once or twice. We lived on the west side of LA, near Culver City, which was great in LA because we didn’t have to drive much!

Where were you on your vacation?

~ Dee
By: jennifer pehlke on April 19, 2009
at 11:48 pm
Scott & Dee Anne,I just love to read your blog and all the places that you go. Its just gives me a lift thinking of Scott blog when he said you have to make things happen instead of just being luck. That is so true. See that you all are now in Las Fallas. Have to go for now, going over to your moms house to have a beer with Dee. Love you all Ed.

Uncle Ed,

Enjoy the beer with Dad! Scott and I were just saying how much we enjoy the beers in the afternoon out in the sunshine, at a cafe table, watching the people and listening to the street musicians. Grace loves the musicians and insists on tipping them all! I predict she has a future playing the guitar for tips!

Love, Dee Ann
By: Ed Reid on May 1, 2009
at 10:29 pm
Hi there Dee,
Not too sure that you will get or see this message but I found your site by a fluke whilst trying to locate property (Villa) prices etc, in Nerja or La Herradura.
I have spent hours here!!

My wife and I live in Adelaide in South Australia where the climate shares something fairly similar to the South of Spain.

I had the opportunity to live in La Herradura for 6 months a few years ago living at an ex South Australian geoligsts home overlooking the horsehoe bay of La Herradura. I can still smell and taste the exquisite bread from the local bakery as if it were yesterday!!
I just wanted to tell you how much I really enjoyed reading your travel experiences, most informative and what a great thing for your girls to experience and learn the different cultures, another way of life, learning the language etc.
I often visit N.C. on business, and I must say that you are certainly much different and adventurous than those that I know in the U.S.
I guess if a place by the name of “Little Switzerland” exists in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, then, if the locals have been there, they have probably been to Switzerland.
I have found that not a real lot of Aussie’s visit Spain as it seems out of the way and not the easiest place to get to from here.

So do you plan to travel overseas again in the future? or probably you are still getting over your last 12 months.

Anyway, cheers Dee and congratulations on Sieze el Dia.

Ollie,

Thanks for your comment! I’m so glad to know you enjoy reading Sieze el Dia! We will travel/move again someday; it was a wonderful experience, though hard at times too, but we all learned so much about ourselves and the world. Traveling is such an education.

I will remember the horseshoe bay of La Herradura too!

Kind regards, Dee
By: Ollie on September 15, 2009
at 10:19 am
Hey I accidentally watched your article about Casares and brought up some great memories, I visited Spain about two months ago and i definitely fall in love with all these little white towns and unforgettable meals but especially Casares, i know it could also be way too small for me to live in but definitely a great escape from the States!!
And by the way i love your writing 🙂
Nabor T.
By: Nabor Tovar on July 8, 2010
at 1:20 am
I just left a message on Scott’s site but am aiming it at you too. We are also thinking of moving to Gaucin (from Germany but I am Australian) and would just like to ask you why you decided against living in Gaucin. Would love to hear your comments.

Best wishes to you and your beautiful family,

Jilly G
By: Jilly G on August 1, 2010
at 10:23 am
Hello Jilly,

One of the biggest reason was school for our daughters. Our youngest was facing some reading challenges in English at the time, and we felt the timing poor to throw her into a local Spanish school. And from Gaucin, the drive to the international schools on the coast was more than we were willing to commit to on a daily basis.

And for us, we decided Gaucin was just too small of a community for a year. We wanted easy access to bigger cities and more cultural things to do. In hindsight, even Javea, with some 30,000 residents, was too small, and we decided a city such as Salamanca or Valencia would have met our needs best.

We did love the mountain setting of Gaucin, though perhaps because it reminded us of our home in Colorado. I would definitely go back for a relaxing holiday that could combine mountains, hikes, and the countryside with the beach close by.

Good luck!
By: deeandrews on September 1, 2010
at 11:43 am
Hello Dee, what a great adventure your family had! I currently live in Raleigh, NC with my husband and 3 and 5 year old girls. We are trying to coordinate moving to Valencia next July for one year. I would love any input you have, especially on schools! We are torn with schools since the private ones are mostly outside the city and we aren’t sure they would learn spanish. On the other hand, it is hard to figure out if the public schools are good and I have heard that the good ones fill up and we will not have an address there until after the application process starts. We are trying to find someone in Valencia with a child in the public school system to help, but haven’t had any luck.
I also was trying to convince my husband to live in a smaller town around Valencia but he was worried we would be bored, especially during the winter months. How was Jalea in the winter? Was it like a deserted beach town?
I really enjoyed reading your site and it has inspired me to keep chugging on this logistical nightmare of paperwork I am looking at to get us there!
Christine
By: Christine on September 4, 2010
at 11:12 am
Hola Christine,

I think Valencia is a fabulous choice! If we ever go again, we’d go to Valencia or Salamanca. We thought Javea would be close enough to Valencia that we’d get up there more often to take in the museums and shopping and events, but at an hour and half to get there, we didn’t go a lot. As much as we didn’t think we wanted to live in a city, Valencia was very manageable, offered history and culture, beaches and much more Spanish language and culture.

Regarding schools, I do remember hearing the international schools in Valencia are in the suburbs. I don’t know the suburbs well enough to have an opinion, other than at least you’d be close enough to take the train frequently into the historic center. The burbs really might be okay.

A school consideration for us was learning that the local schools in the Valencia region teach in Valenciano, a dialect of Catalan. Javea’s local schools were very strict about it; I’m not sure about Valencia’s but it is something in which to be aware.

The private schools are the way to go in my opinion if you can find them and get in. Most are affiliated with churches. Try searching in Spanish on Google, and I also had some luck searching on Google maps under “FIND A BUSINESS” which acts like a yellow pages. Maybe search for churches too in a neighborhood you like and see if there is a school affiliated. There must be a school associated with the cathedral in Valencia? And the one in Javea taught in Castilian Spanish, not Valenciano.

So much to consider, but it’s all worth it! Let me know if you have other questions and keep me posted on your decisions!

~ Dee
By: deeandrews on September 7, 2010
at 9:36 am
Hello Dee, I saw that you traveled to Morroco/Sahara desert and wanted to ask you something that is a bit longer for this space here. Can you send me an email address at which I can contact you?
Thanks a lot, all the best,
Taliana Mairitsch
By: Taliana Mairitsch on September 27, 2012
at 3:40 pm