My parents are seriously cool and I have these postcards from their early days in Australia to prove it. They were sent to family in Colombia when my sister Monica was an "hormigita" or "tiny ant", as my dad wrote, well before I was born. My folks were two adventurous, young love birds who saw nothing but an opportunity to get more out of life. They lived an ocean away from their families, didn't speak the language fluently (to start), worked hard to keep a roof over their head and yet somewhere in between they somehow managed to start a family of their own. When I think of all of the incredibly beautiful - and incredibly challenging - things they went through for our family I literally break into tears. I'm so thankful for them, each and every day and they inspire me to no end.

It's always been their dream to take my sister and I back to Australia, to show us where we lived, where we played, where our family started. Unfortunately we haven't been able to go as a family yet but Joe and I will get the ball rolling this Friday. It'll be my first time back since we moved when I was a year and a half old so it will be completely new in one way yet completely familiar in another because of the stories and photos I grew up with. The photo on the bottom left of the postcard pile is tiny blond me, walking in the park near our apartment in Bondi Beach, Sydney. My mom and I did a google maps search for it while we were in LA together and she says that it looks like the park is still there. She also made me promise that I'd go to that very same spot and take a photo...from baby to lady. I promise mama. Anything for you.