Welcome to AnnieAndre.com, aka Practical Adventure-ology. A site dedicated to helping you find practical ways to revive your lost sense of adventure, travel more and tap into the power of time off to do things that matter to you!  Because it’s your life and you need to achieve your goals and live your dreams.

UPDATE

As of October 5th 2011, almost a year after we left our California home in search of new life, almost a year of living like a family of semi-nomadic vagabonds up and down the east coast thinking we would find new jobs and settle somewhere to rebuild our old lives, something amazing happened.

We moved to the south of France for a year. We call it a family life sabbatical and it’s been a dream of mine since as long as i can remember, long before i got sucked into the rat race i called life.

Ok, it didn’t happen quite as simply and easily as that. Moving to France was no small feat especially with 3 kids in tow ranging from 4 to 15. There were a lot of moving parts, visas, money, moving our stuff, selling our stuff, living in limbo while we waited for visas, getting the kids ready. Plus we did it after we had lost our jobs and left our California Home.

Anyone can do what we did. It’s not just reserved for single people under 30 who just bring their back pack and what they can carry. I’ve done that too so i know what it’s like from both a parents point of view and a young bright eyed high school graduate. Both are equally fulfilling and have their own unique set of challenges but traveling and living abroad with your family has been so fulfilling on so many fronts. We’ll always have France.

About My Family:

We are a blended family of five. I have 2 boys from a previous marriage and my husband Blake Elder and I have 1 daughter together.  We are a normal family and have our ups and downs just like any other family. It’s interesting having children that range in age from the teenage years down to preschool age.

You can read more about our story (coming soon) Don’t forget to read the About Page.

Meet the parents

Annie Andre- Head Mama I’m a pretty good cook and try not to cook anything twice too often. Except Paula Deans Lots meat lasagna recipe and adult mac and cheese with blue cheese and bacon. OMG!! Traveling and exploration is in my blood. I was Born in Thailand to a French Canadian Father and Thai mother and lived in Thailand until I was almost 5 years old. I’m a sci-fi fan, tech geek and love gadgets. I love the DIY and craft movement and was a part of it when I ran my own handmade life inspired sleeping mask business from my home. I love historical fiction books, Phillipa Gregory Tudor series, Pillars of the earth and James Clavel, Noble House series. Lived abroad several times including Japan for 3 years Traveled to over 20 countries Speak French, Pigeon Chinese and Japanese but can no longer speak Thai my mother tongue. In the corporate world, I used to be a web and database marketing analyst. I consider myself a go getter with many many interests and i always try to pursue them while balancing my need to be practical for the sake of my family.		Blake Elder- Dada The family intellect, writer and photographer. By day he is a software QA consultant. By night he enjoys reading the classics from Homers Iliad to Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. He’s as laid back as they get and always seems to be as calm as a cucumber which makes him the perfect partner for Annie. He’s A dedicated husband and father and plays a mean game of hide and go seek despite the fact that he has difficulty hiding his 6 foot 4 body in tight spaces. He has an uncanny head for facts and can recall dates and events from obscure places which makes him a trivial pursuit GOD. There’s no end to his knowledge on a wide range of topics from pop culture to ancient Greek civilization. Loves his red wine Speaks German and some Latin Very very tall- over 6 foot 4 inches tall. Lived abroad in Germany for a year. He has a memory like an elephant for facts. The most level headed person you’ll ever meet

Meet The Kids

Kieran- Big Brother A broody 15 year old with a sarcastic sense of humor. Too intelligent for his own good. An avid reader and the family’s right hand man. When he gets something in his head, he pursues it with a passion and doesn’t stop until he masters it. Like any 15 year old he likes girls, he may have an electronic video game addiction and he eats a lot. A LOT! He’s not sure what he wants to be when he grows up but whatever it is, it will no doubt be something technical or analytical. He can solve a Rubik’s cube in under 2 minutes. Expert Dinghy Sailor, self taught at guitar & piano A lot like his mum		Andre – The Giant Andre’s a 14 year old with a heart of gold. We call him our gentle giant because he’s gentle and he’s always been the little kid stuck in a big kids body. That and the fact that he’s always been tall for his age. He still loves family walks, board games, crafts and playing hide and go seek. He drives his parents crazy with his forgetfulness. He could be considered the pied piper because little kids love him and flock to him once the get to know him. Especially his baby sister Catherine. He thinks he wants to be a chef or pastry chef when he grows up. Wants to be the next ace of cakes or Iron chef. Enjoys family time. Great with little kids, he’s like the pied piper. He’s pretty damn good at crochet		Catherine- Family Princess She’s a girly tomboy. Just 4 years old, bilingual in French and English and lived in 3 countries so far. She a tough one who loves the beaches of Nice France as much as the cold winters Quebec Canada. If she had her way, she would wear a princess dress everyday while she romps around in a muddy creek searching for tadpoles. For a 4 year old she has a wide range of foods she can eat from Korean KimChee and spicy dried cuttlefish to muscles in wine and shallot sauce. She does have her favorites though. She loves tofu, Japanese Onigiri and seaweed past for her rice. Nutella, baguettes and crepes. Her favorite color is Pink. She does not like to wear black. Dances like a rock star Enjoys kick boxing Her favorite singer is Lady Gaga

Hope you enjoyed getting to know us. There’s nothing uniquely different about us other than the fact that we try to do things as a family as much as possible. Travel, sports, eating, crafts. We don’t watch T.V. while eating, We always sit together at diner and eat as a family. Sometimes we get sick of each other too. That’s when everyone does there own thing. Plenty of time for that.

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