Our expat community thrives on connection, and here at Jingkids, we’re all about our readers, what they need and want in order to maximize their time here in Beijing. Every Monday, we’re going to feature a prominent member of our expat community and get to know them a little bit better.
Today’s feature is on one of the new Jingkids International Parent Board members, which serves as a bridge between our publication and our dedicated readers.
Hi! I’m Darla Ridlon. I am from Ann Arbor, Michigan. My education and work background is in banking and finance. My husband Sam is from Florida, and his background is also in finance. We met while working together and moved throughout the US before moving abroad to Germany and then China. We have been expats since 2010 with Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, where Sam works as Executive V.P.
In between being a mother of two active teenage boys, I work part-time at the International School of Beijing (ISB) in Admissions, and I teach private and charity yoga classes to benefit various charitable organizations. I also serve on the board of the Champagne & Caviar Club of Beijing.
Our children were relatively young when the opportunity to move abroad arose. We embraced the idea of expatriate life for the travel experience and international education opportunity for our children. The decision to leave our family and close friends was not easy, but the experiences, active lifestyle, and international learning environment are invaluable and worthwhile.
Our friendships are also a meaningful and interesting part of this experience. We have formed friendships with people from all over the world. These friendships bring a deeper understanding and greater appreciation of cultural differences. Even though the experiences are rewarding, a significant difficulty with expat life is saying goodbye to close friends when the time comes to move away. Our children have learned that forming new friendships is a key part of the expat life and for us, saying “goodbye” simply means “see you again soon.” To help ease the difficulty of goodbyes, we stay in touch with our life-long friends with technology, summer visits, and combined family holidays. We look forward to borders reopening to visit family and friends and continue exploring new and interesting places.
What’s on your mind?
Spring is my favorite season in Beijing. It’s a beautiful place to enjoy outdoors with warmer weather and sunshine. There is a lot of beauty to enjoy with so many roses and other blooming flowers throughout the city. I love when everything turns green and the air is fresh. Spending time outside engaging in activities like hiking, gardening, and backyard barbecues with family and friends is a welcome part of springtime. We have several wild cats that visit our backyard. One is a very pregnant and beautiful white cat with blue eyes. She won’t let us get too close to her, but we keep her well-fed and so she likes spending time in our backyard. We’ve created a makeshift home with pillows and blankets to help shelter from the cold. I was fearful she would give birth in the cold, so I am thankful for warmer weather.
What’s your motivation to get moving?
It’s all the good things in life that I find motivating. It’s meaningful experiences. It’s finding purpose in life. It’s loving my family, feeling closeness and intimacy. It’s spending time with people I love being around. It’s the smell of coffee, the taste of champagne, and fabulous cuisine. It’s fresh flowers, it’s springtime, smiles, and laughter. It’s friendships and engaging in social connections. It’s volunteering to help others. It’s meditating. It’s being generous. It’s feeling grateful in some way, every day.
How do you stay sane in all the madness?
I try to do things I enjoy that help me unwind. I read, cook, run, I practice yoga, and when things get crazy, I try actively calming my mind by meditating. I focus on my breath and try to create more peace and harmony in my life. I reflect on places and experiences where I’ve felt peace, contentment, and harmony – places where I’ve felt comfortable and connected with my surroundings. I imagine these places and the feelings of calm and comfort the images bring. One place in memory is a lakeside meadow where I spent a great deal of time in my childhood. I remember swimming and relaxing, watching clouds by day, and twinkling stars by night. I try to recall the feelings of peacefulness, contentment, and harmony and recreate those feelings inside, without literally going anywhere.
What’s your favorite thing about Beijing?
Beijing is an exciting place where ancient culture and modern civilization have integrated into a unique city. It has a rich collection of architecture, arts, and some fantastic cuisine. It isn’t easy to choose one favorite with so many options. Beijing has seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites: The Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven, the Ming Tombs, Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian, and the Grand Canal. I never get tired of visiting these places, and I learn something new every visit.
Have someone you believe deserves some recognition for their outstanding contributions to our community? Nominate them for our weekly spotlight by writing their name in the comments below!
KEEP READING: Andrew Morrissey: “Make it to the Gym, No Matter What”
Images: Courtesy of Darla Ridlon
