family 4/5

Sam Darling

Oct 5, 20132 min read

I’m a time traveler

In America, I was an awkward child. It’s because I’m a time traveler. Opera singers, more than many other artists, spend their entire...

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Sam Darling

Sep 23, 20131 min read

Felix lets jazz steal him away

Felix E. Kudelka is one of my talented nephews who grew up in Nice, France. [Felix in Nice, 2000.] Like many of my family members, Felix...

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Sam Darling

Sep 16, 20131 min read

French carousel

Governor’s Island, New York City hosted a vintage French carnival this summer. I rode a Vélocipèdes and took in the sights and sounds...

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Sam Darling

Sep 15, 20131 min read

Fleas of endearment

The French have developed a friendly sort of relationship with fleas. Of the many creatures that historically live around humans, the...

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Sam Darling

Aug 12, 20134 min read

Nostalgia is a lie

It’s August and I’m returning to NYC for the first time after a long absence. There was a moment when I became a New Yorker and I can...

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Sam Darling

Aug 2, 20132 min read

Travel tip # 6 – Long-ass flights

I’ve flown hundreds of times and most of those flights were more than four hours long. I’ve done a few back-to-back 14-hour flights....

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Sam Darling

Jul 27, 20132 min read

Ode to Aotearoa

New Zealand has been good to us. It’s been a five-year vacation from the grime and absurd pace of New York City. I had to stop saying...

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Sam Darling

Jul 24, 20131 min read

A sketch

My great-grandfather, Hector Lasserre, on the left with my grandmother, Hélène, in the 1930s. Libourne, France. Here is a sketch she made...

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Sam Darling

Jul 23, 20132 min read

Our Maclaren stroller

When we first decided to have kids, I knew I needed a super lightweight stroller because I’d be hauling that sucker up and down subway...

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Sam Darling

Jul 17, 20131 min read

Travel tip #5 – test pack

This advice may sound silly, but it will save you time and hassle. Give it a try. If you’re an infrequent traveler, do a test pack one...

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Sam Darling

Jul 9, 20133 min read

Great aunt Marthe

Great aunt Marthe and the thoroughly modern controversy As part of the research for my memoir I’ve been in contact with family members...

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Sam Darling

Jul 9, 20131 min read

Travel tip #4

Travel tip #4 – take it slow Something you can expect when you’re packing or moving is that you’re going to injure yourself in some...

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Sam Darling

Jul 8, 20131 min read

Travel tip #3

TIP #3 – no suitcase needed If you’re relocating, don’t fly with a suitcase. Take a cardboard box at the maximum allowable limit...

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Sam Darling

Jul 7, 20131 min read

Travel tip #2

TIP: Pack small items into a storage basket and then slide that basket inside the moving box. Not only does it make it easier to unpack...

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Sam Darling

Jul 6, 20131 min read

Travel tip #1

I’m in the midst of the packing. It’s just as crappy as I remember. As I’ve done this annually my whole life, and often...

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Sam Darling

Jun 27, 20131 min read

Jazzy sounds from my cousin Sophie

In my family, you can be a physician or a musician, but you can rarely be both. My cousin Sophie Bourgeois is extraordinary for managing...

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Sam Darling

Jun 27, 20133 min read

Josephine Baker

The French embraced jazz music very early. It may have been that there was a direct pipeline from the cradle of New Orleans to the...

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Sam Darling

Jun 25, 20133 min read

The first time you were alone

[Sam–smelly backpackers can still be stylin’–Chardin , Bremen, Germany 2001] When you are a child, there are a lot of firsts that pass by...

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Sam Darling

Jun 22, 20134 min read

Horses

My maternal great-grandfather had many hobbies. One of the things he was known for was his horsemanship skills. Hector Lasserre was a...

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Sam Darling

Jun 21, 20131 min read

On the move…

What’s better than moving to the other side of the planet with a two-year old? Doing it again with a six-year old and this butterball...

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