Well…it’s been far too long since my last posting…lots of things on the go!  Just back from a “staycation” (i.e., stayed at home and did all those things you never seem to get done) but took some time to sit on my deck, close my eyes and dream I was in some far off place.

I love travelling and have been very lucky to do a bit…Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Austria, and the U.S.  If I travel with people, the joke is that I am “Miss Map”.  I love grabbing my camera and my ‘Lonely Planet’ guide book and hitting the streets to grab great shots.  I have been really fortunate to be able to navigate my way quite handily through the back streets of Seville, Braunschweig etc.  However, one thing that I have learned in my travels is when it’s important to throw away the books and maps and take the lead from local folks.  I will rely on my guide initially, but when it comes to food and other specifics, I always ask local people.  It’s interesting when you first ask someone “Where’s a good place to eat?”.  They often, in more touristy towns, give you the same answer as in the guides.  However, when you say “Where do you like to eat?”, you get some very different and wonderful answers, places that are off the beaten path and feel a bit more authentic.  Don’t get me wrong…I love my Lonely Planet guides.  It’s just very helpful to have a different perspective, an inside scoop as it were.

So you are probably thinking, Sandra’s done it again, she’s off on this tangent that doesn’t relate to the theme of the month.  It may be hard to believe, but it actually is related.  The theme for this month is “navigating children’s mental health”.  With the help of a wonderful M.S.W. student (Zaynab) we are researching models of parent support and navigation, best models of parents helping other parents to navigate this sometimes complex and disjointed system called children’s mental health.  Like local experts with lived experience who have helped me navigate my way in foreign cities where people speak a different language, parents can offer the same expertise to other parents when negotiating the children’s mental health system.  We will keep you posted on the research.

In the meantime, have a wonderful summer in whatever journeys you take.