Meet the Contributor: Sylvia Bucina

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Family: I met my husband while I was on a vacation in New York City. I was visiting from Ottawa, Canada and my husband was visiting from South Bend, Indiana. We both were visiting New York for the first time and met on the sightseeing tour bus. A few months later we got married in Mauritius Island. After our wedding, we went back to our respective “home” (Me to Canada and him to the USA). We continued our long-distance relationship until I made the move to the USA a year later. We’ve been married for 6 years now, and we have a 5 years old girl who was born in Flagstaff.

Job: I am a stay-at-home mom.

What brought you to Flagstaff: My husband. He works in Winslow, AZ but we live in Flagstaff. Depending on his work schedule he sometimes commutes between Flagstaff and Winslow or stays in Winslow.

Early bird or night owl: I am a night owl for sure. I am more productive at night.

Hobbies: Traveling, reading, blogging (The Cruising Dodo) and cleaning. Yes, you read right, I listed cleaning as a hobby. I understand if this sounds bizarre but I find it relaxing, satisfying and it brings me happiness.

Favorite thing to do with your family: We love going to Daisy Mountain community playground located in Anthem, AZ. It is about 1 hour 45 minutes drive from Flagstaff. We usually get some bubble tea or ice cream from the Outlets at Anthem then, we drive to the playground with some take away food. My daughter loves to play there and always makes new friends on the playground. There are two big playgrounds, a splash pad area open in the summer, a man-made lake with dukes, a kiddie train ride is also offered at a cost, and we often spot some wild rabbits. It is our favorite weekend activity especially when it gets too cold to enjoy the playgrounds in Flagstaff.

Kids age difference: None. I have one daughter who is 5 years old.

Coffee or tea: Tea for sure, some might call it an addiction. I like all kinds of tea but my go-to tea is: Earl Grey with a few drops of Almond Milk. I always travel with my favorite flavors with me just in case.

Favorite/least favorite household chore: As I mentioned before, I enjoy cleaning and organizing my house. It is hard for me to pick a favorite household chore because I enjoy completing them all. If I had to pick only one favorite household chore, it would be vacuuming. A freshly vacuumed carpet feels so good. My least favorite household chore is cleaning the shower.

Going back in time, one thing you would tell yourself right before you became a mother: The truth is, I didn’t know what to expect. I was never around young kids or exposed to babies. The first baby I’ve ever held was my own daughter. I read many books to prepare myself for the arrival of my daughter however; I failed to read about the postpartum journey of the mother. I would tell myself to focus on my postpartum healing, to give myself time to process my new role as a mother and most importantly to be kind, gentle, and patient with my body.

Something you are looking forward to: My next trip. My daughter and I are going on a mother-daughter trip to Disneyland. I will blog about it shortly after on The Cruising Dodo.

Favorite thing to do in Flagstaff with/without kids: With kids, I’d say going to various playgrounds in the summer. Without kids, I am still figuring this out.

Best mom hack: Minimalism. Less stuff = less mess.

The greatest challenge you’ve faced: The isolation that came with being a stay-at-home mom in a new country.

Something you love about yourself: My strong organizational skills. As far as I can remember, I’ve always been good at prioritizing my workload, organizing my day, and planning my work ahead of time to ensure that everything that needs to be done is completed on time.

Favorite thing about being a mom: I love when my daughter randomly tells me that I am the best mom ever. It always brings me to tears.