Hi, I’m Lisa-Jo. I’m South African by birth and American by marriage. I write, I travel, and I sincerely believe motherhood should come with its own super hero cape.
I’ve blogged for Compassion International and love my current gig as the Social Media Manager for DaySpring and the Community Manager for their beautiful site, (in)courage- a true home for the hearts of women, where you’re always welcome, just as you are.
The past decade has seen me and my husband, Peter, gypsy our way around the globe: from South Africa to the United States, from Washington, D.C. to Notre Dame, Indiana, from Chicago to Kyiv, from Pretoria to Michigan, and back again to DC where it all started – 12 years, 3 continents and 3 kids ago.
We are so blessed to return with our boys, Jackson and Micah, and our daughter Zoe, who color our lives and complicate our frequent travel.
A scribbled overview of our travel trails would look something like this:
Messy, I know. But what journey isn’t? Translated, mine looks like this:
- Born in Zululand, South Africa while my doctor dad was working at a mission hospital.
- Spent three years in Philly, PA where my dad completed a masters in Theology and my mom had another baby.
- Returned home to Pretoria, South Africa. My mom has baby number 3. I spend many happy years with my two little bros and the fam in Pretoria. Twelve years to be exact. My most permanent period of residency in a single city: 1980-1992.
- In 1992 my mom dies one week before my 18th birthday. I graduate high school and run away take off for a tour of the US, Canada and Europe.
- Home again in South Africa 6 months later.
- I hanker for the States. I apply to colleges and start as a freshman at a small Christian liberal arts college on the East Coast, USA. I make some of the best friends of my life.
- As a sophomore I attend an off-campus program in Washington, D.C. I. LOVE. IT.
- Coincidentally, I also fall in love with a Midwestern boy who is attending the same off-campus program. My life plans are hijacked. My father tells the boy, “but she was supposed to come home after graduation.”
- The boy and I are both accepted to grad school in South Bend, Indiana.
- I marry the boy in South Bend and 4 months later we celebrate all over again in Pretoria, South Africa.
- I graduate and the boy and I move to Chicago for just shy of a year.
- The boy receives a fellowship to complete field research in Ukraine. I quit my job. We move to Ukraine on a 10-month plan. We stay two and a half years.
- We visit Italy, Poland, Belarus and the Czech Republic. I fall in love with Prague.
- Homesick after a decade away from South Africa we make that our next stop. Despite the fact that I had always assumed I would rather eat glass than have kids, big changes ensue.
- Our first baby boy is born. He becomes best friends with my newly adopted little brother. We reconnect with family and friends in a frenzy of memories making up for ten years of separation anxiety.
- Michigan, USA offers us a wonderful opportunity. We accept. We move to tiny Owosso, Michigan. WE. LOVE. IT. Our second baby boy is born.
- The boy – now my main man – receives a job offer from the very same off-campus program where we met 12 years before in Washington, D.C. He accepts.
- We joyously relocate to the DC area. It’s like coming home. Again.
Oh and if you want to get in touch? That'd be nifty! I dig emails: thegypsymama1(at)gmail(dot)com I'm on Facebook. I have a crush on twitter. And if you ask me, there isn't enough snail mail going around these days: Lisa-Jo Baker c/o Mandy Butler DaySpring Cards, Inc. 21154 Highway 16 East Siloam Springs, AR 72761
Mandy Scarr
Lisa-Jo, I wish I had time to read every single one of your posts right now.
I will . . . little by little! But for now, I’m so glad you found me so we can get to know each other! And, by the way – I love, love, love the design of your blog.
Hello! I’m stopping by from MckMama’s chat forum and I noticed that you posted about working away from home. That’s something that I’m struggling with and figured I’d stop over to see how you’re dealing with it:).
It seems as though your job is extremely exciting to be able to travel though! Whereas I’m stuck at a desk.
Lisa Jo… thank you for reminding me today of what a high calling it is to be a mommy… and just how much my little want-to-be-men need me… look forward to reading here when I can steal away moments. God bless.
Oh. My. Word!! I clicked over from inCourage, because you mentioned Michigan… What a story you have! The funny thing is… I grew up in Durand. Just a hop skip and a jump from Owosso! I can’t wait to read more about your adventurous life!
What a great story! And I’m dying to know what college you attended. I also attended a small Christian liberal arts college on the East Coast, USA.
Lisa Joe!
Your blog is inspiring, honest, and it makes me want to have babies. [smile]
It was great chatting the other night, and I look forward to photographing your beautiful family!
M
Hi- it’s nice to meet you! I linked over after reading about Alece’s (my best-friend) meetup with you at Starbucks! I smiled, because our jet-setting is similarly complicated with having two young children- and we currently make South Africa home.
Life is definitely a journey- thanks for sharing yours!
i just spotted this comment. wish i could hug you, amers! missing my best friend…
I read this “about me” section when I first starting reading a bit ago and can’t get over the fact that I live only an hour away from your ex-hometown of Owosso…I live in Ionia. What a crazy small world!
Loved “getting to know you!”
Fun to have found your blog….we have similar stories of travel…one of us currently in Baltimore, one of currently in Minneapolis!! We’re looking forward to visiting your blog again!! We are two mama’s that love a little adventure too!! Chris Ann & Kristin, from the LoveFeast Table blog
Hi Lisa-Jo,
I just read/saw what you wrote at the Twitter party for The Relevant Conference #getasponsor. Love your blog and bio. It’s awesome that you live in the Washington DC metro too! I’ve lived here my whole life, and blog about deals and my frugal finds in Northern VA and the Greater DC Metro area.
I’ll look forward to keeping up with your blog!
Laura, Frugal Friends in Northern VA
Enjoyed reading the chronicles of your life!
I am also sorry that you lost your Mom at such a young age.
Just stopping by to say “hi”! Can’t wait to meet you @ Relevant! Have a great party week!! =)
I *heart* you…and your blog. Stoppin’ by your party to shake a tailfeather…now back to my party
Christy
@aidenscross
Phew! You make my moves as a military wife look like nothin’!!
So love getting to know more about you, sweet girl. Love your writing, your friendship, your encouragement!
Have a great weekend!
Hello!
So nice to meet you here at the UBP! I am an American gal that married an Australian guy and moved to Brisbane. Where I have made many South African friends. In fact, most of the congregation in our church is South African.
Happy to meet you!
I’m an ND grad too! Go Irish! Beautiful campus, isn’t it?
We love to travel and I can’t wait to read more of your adventures.
I hope you’ll stop by my blog (#288). There’s a fun game for the party and you can win a $25 Target gift card.
Have a great weekend-
Kelly
http://KellysLuckyYou.blogspot.com
Wow! Your adventures sound so amazing!
can’t wait to catch up with you when we move to DC. Where exactly are you?? Happy partying at the UBP!
My Party Post!
Just stopping by from the UBP at Five Minutes for Mom. I love your site and am subscribing to your RSS feed. I would appreciate it if you visited my blog and did the same! I’m looking forward to reading more and getting to know you better.
Cascia
The Healthy Moms
http://www.thehealthymoms.net/2010/04/welcome-to-healthy-moms-blog-party.html
OMG I love your blog! You have an amazing story! I think I will live vicariously through you for awhile. I wish I had traveled before kids…. I worked, and got married, and worked some more… instead. I will be back to read more and more. Can’t wait to spend more time exploring!
I’m a follower now too. Hope you can stop by and check me out when you get a chance!
Oh Wow! I bet you have some great stories : )
I hope that you are enjoying the party !
Very nice to meet you!
Visiting by way of UBP 2010 from http://imalazymom.blogspot.com
Wow how exciting. luv you blog it’s super cute. Nice to meet you luv the family photo so fun. I want to travel too maybe one day
Wow what a journey! Love your blog and tweets on twitter
Stopped by from ubp by the way…
Great synopsis for us newbies! I fear I may not be smart enough to read your blog. lol
Hi! I’m Dayngr and I surfed in from 5 Minutes for Mom. Looking forward to getting to reading more as we go. If you’d like to read it, my Ultimate Blog Party 2010 post can be found at Dayngrous Discourse. I hope you’ll surf on over and say hello.
Lisa-Jo, loved learning more about the story behind the sweet gal who tweets us with daily joy!
You have a remarkable ability to touch hearts.
Hi Lisa-Jo!
Just had to pop over when I saw your name in the UBP10 list! So did you graduate from IUSB?? Just curious, cause I graduated from IUB!
Also, my husband was in Pretoria a couple of years ago with his job and spent about 10 days there!
Loving getting to know you,
Stacey
Question: Where would you love to go, that you have not ever been?
Dropping in from the party… What a story! Thanks for sharing your crazy-exciting-life-journey with us. I’m from Michigan originally and also attended an east coast Christian liberal arts college (for a year before I transferred to be with my high school boyfriend-now husband)! So happy to “meet” you.
I love your story. Thank you so much for sharing it.
I’ve followed you on twitter and stalked your blog for quiet a while now through a feed. I’m so glad I’m taking time to say, “hello!”
If you have an extra moment, come on by and enter my giveaway for a $50 Amazon giftcard.
http://www.ourhomeschoolhome.com/2010/04/ultimate-blog-party.html
Lisa-Jo,
I already subscribe to you and follow you on twitter. I can’t wait to meet you at Relevant. Just wanted to say “Hi” and join in the UBP. Party girl!
God Bless,
Denise
Here are my 20 facts for the Blog Party!
http://thecottagechick.blogspot.com/2010/04/joining-ultimate-blog-party.html
Just stopping by from the UPB. You are such an interesting mommy. We love your site and are subscribing to your RSS feed. We are excited to get to know you more. Great partying with you & hope you can check out our site. We have a super fun Giveaway.
Barbie & Joelle
Sugar & Spice and Frugal Advice
http://www.sweetfrugaladvice.com/2010/04/5-minutes-for-mom-ultimate-blog-party.html
Hello. I’m stopping by from UBP. Nice to “meet” you.
I think that travel round up made me dizzy!
Hi! I’m Stephanie from “And Twins make 5! – A Mommy Blog”. Just making the rounds via the UBP 2010, hope to see you around my blog too!
http://andtwinsmake5.com
Hi, from the UBP! I like your “life in a list” post – very clever. And you have a beautiful family. I hope you might stop by my place (#225) this week: http://tinahollenbeck.blogspot.com/2010/04/2010-ultimate-blog-party.html.
Stopping by from UBP. Wow, I thought I was a global nomad but you have me beat by a mile! What an amazing path your life has taken so far! (I love your map graphic by the way)
Dropping in from the party… What a story! Thanks for sharing your crazy-exciting-life-journey with us. I’m from Michigan originally and also attended an east coast Christian liberal arts college (for a year before I transferred to be with my high school boyfriend-now husband)! So happy to “meet” you.
+1
I found you on the nesting place, came to your blog and see you move around a lot too! We move a lot too clearly not as much or as far as you do! And we are hunkered down here in Baltimore now! =) Very close to ya too!
hello, I love your site, I’ve read your blog “Is There Life After “No”? ” I love it
you’re welcome, thank you also, you’re such a blessing
Hi! Just stumbled here from Ann’s site. And I had to comment. I’m so glad to hear someone’s appreciation for Prague! Such a gem. My heart clenches a little when I think of it. I lived there for five years and miss it.
Beautiful site.
Georgia
We’re in DC (for now), too. . . and used to live in Kyiv. We were there 2001-2005, when were y’all there?
Hey – I live right next door to South Bend! We met here, started life as a married couple here, moved to DC and then moved right back. I’m about 10-20 stops short of your story, but still – small world!
Wow! I love this. You have really seen a lot of the world!
I love that you’re able to find home, wherever you are.
I’ve always wanted to visit South Africa. It seems like a magical place to me.
Where will your adventures take you next?
Lisa-Jo, I love reading your tweets and some of of you posts. Reading your story just makes me smile. How adventurous. I always said I wanted to travel or move around. But, here I live 5 minutes from where I grew up. Thankfully, I did get to Paris, Spain, and Morocco after high school graduation. I really hope to start to get to know you better and hopefully get to meet you at the Relevant conference.
Hi Lisa-Jo… I come by often and yet this is the first time I’ve said anything. I want you to know that I find great wealth in your words and love to stop on by {almost daily}. So for me, I feel like we’ve been having coffee for awhile ~ I just haven’t said much yet.
I adore your adventure and wish I could say I too am a world traveller… sadly, I’m not. Just been to a few places!
Thanks again for your open heart, it blesses many
Hi. I found your blog as I noticed you’d been on Caroline’s. Wow! Blown away by this snapshot of your life so far…thank you for sharing it with us!
i did a washington semester, too, and it was amazing (except for 9/11…)
sadly, i haven’t traveled much, but it’s nice to live vicariously:) glad to find you here.
On the in-courage web site it talks about the 30 days of giveaways but doesn’t tell you how to enter, you know, “enter here” button…I guess everyone just assumes we all know. Anyway I’d like to enter the home decor giveaway.
The nicest thing anyone said to me recently was that I’m a great mom….even though my 2 sons left our home at age 18 before they’d graduated from high school and don’t go to church any more. I tried so hard with them, but they’ve rejected our family and values and faith.
Lisa-Jo! Just stumbled upon your blog via (In)Courage. The words South African caught my eye. I have radar, you see. I was born in Cape Town, grew up in Windhoek, Namibia, and am now living, married to an amazing American, in Merrill…about 1/2 an hour from Owosso! Dude.
Just wanted to say “hi” and shout blessings your way! Awesome blog, look forward to spending more time checking it out!
God bless!
Joy
Wow! Just linked here from another blog. Can’t wait to read more!
It was wonderful to meet you at the beach party last night, and I can’t wait to go exploring in your blog. Everything I’ve read so far has been completely inspirational to me. It’s just what I needed.
Lisa-Jo! So, I just made it to this page…filling in the dots! Wow! I think we might have graduated high school the same year! And I am from Philly, PA (just outside) and think I know where your Dad got his degree! And I went to a small Christian liberal arts college on the East Coast…but I don’t think you came to mine…if you did, SERIOUSLY!!!! ok, i’ll stop, but i just couldn’t believe all the connections (and with mama’s too, but i had mine 10 years longer…it seems like infinitely longer in some ways:()
I love your map…I could so do the same…abby:) (aka another kindred ‘gypsy mama’)
Great blog! What an interesting journey you’ve had. I enjoyed reading through your posts. Now I want to come back for 5-minute Friday. Blessings!
Hi Gypsy Mama!
I love stumbling across new blogs and really happy that I found yours. The design is fresh and your words witty and warm. So inspired!
Definitely an addition to the blog “honour” role.
Di
@clanmommy
Lisa-Jo,
I haven’t travelled as extensively as you have but I LOVE Prague, too. I also am travelling to Poland this summer for the third time with International Messengers at a Evangelical Family Camp to teach English or to look after the kids (don’t know yet).
Definitely a LIKE on Facebook.
Jan
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Hi Lisa-Jo – I’ve popping by to read your site for a while but totally didn’t realise you were a fellow South African. I just came across your site on a listing of SA expat blogs and was pleasantly surprised! Anyway just thought I should say “howzit”
regards from a chilly Cape Town,
Kathryn
Wow!! How exciting…I’ve just read a few of your blog posts and really enjoyed them…can’t wait to read more!
From one South African to another – howzit! It is a pleasure to read your blog and may God bless you into the future as he has done in your past! Thank you for being an inspiration.
I’m so glad to have found your blog – your writing is so touching and beautiful! Very inspiring. Thank you.
Born, bred and living in SA
I’m a newbie….new to blogging, new to twitter, and new to your wonderful blog. Looking fwd to many days of inspiring reading.
Stumbled upon your blog!! LOVE IT!! Also South African born and American by ‘work’ LOL! Green card thru employment!! Enjoying catching up on your writings!!
I love your timeline.
SO looking forward to meeting you at Relevant!
I love your site, and appreciate you musings. Thank you for sharing and I will be visiting often. God Bless you sister.
Grateful,
Stasia
nominated you for the Versatile Blogger award!
Hi Lisa!
I love your blog and your 5 Minute Friday. I host a similar meme called “Free Write Friday” where I post a prompt and the reader submits a free write/verse on the subject. However, I have not nearly as much response as you and was wondering if you could offer some advice on how I might grow participation?
Thanks and Happy Holidays!
Kellie
P.S. I also “Liked” your Facebook page! Maybe you might consider liking me back?
http://facebook.com/magicinthebackyard
Lisa,
Just found your blog due to your hospitality blog on (in)courage. Love it! I’m big into hospitality and have had plenty of small spaces. My husband is an MK from Durban and I got to visit South Africa for the first time last year for after 28 years of marriage! Love the map–ours would have lots of lines too–we were missionaries in South America for 24 years. I plan on following you!
Sharon
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Around-the-Table-Book/135290633240242
I just found your blog and love it! I look forward to reading more of your posts. So, keep me posted lol;)
Everyone kept telling me I had to meet you at BlissDom, but I never made the connection. I’m an Aussie who lived in Pretoria & Jo’burg for a year that changed my life a million years ago. Also married an American (he can’t help it
) and have lived stateside for 12 years. I’ve lived in 5 countries, 10 cities and visited more than I can remember. Came to my marriage with a bunch of student loans and an amazing photo album. Zero regrets 
. It’s a blessed life!
Hi,
I have linked to Five Minute Fridays before – today I can’t link at all. I have tried Safari, Firefox and Chrome. I get your post but the links only come up as names and it seems to take forever to download – it says downloading 44 of 199 or something like that. And it hangs on “sending request”.
The last number I see is 150 – .
I have rebooted my computer (a MAC) but don’t think that is the problem. I will try again tomorrow morning.
Jan
I love your story…mine isn’t the same at all, but yet the some moves & ups & downs are similar. I really wanted to write “I love you!”, but that seemed a bit much for the 2nd comment. I will enjoy catching up on all the posts I can.
Gypsy Chicago Christian Center Church: http://play.kendincos.com/164994/Wrvrvfjvzlptxptfj-gypsy-chicago-christian-center-church.html
Hello- I am fairly new to your blog and was wondering if I could send you a book- It is about Eve in the Garden of Eden- intimacy with Jesus, using her life as a model. Before the Fall, she was perfection, after the Fall, she became the woman that we are today…the only woman to ever live in the full knowledge of the Lord astounds me.
Thank you and email me if you see fit.
Tracy Earley
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