Responsibility is a funny thing in the Tscherpelini household. Our almost-grown-up son wants to have a say as an equal, my husband feels responsible for almost everything, and I somehow end up responsible for keeping the peace. What starts with a thirty-second Instagram Reel quickly turns into a family power struggle about control, competence and who gets the final word. Maybe the real problem isn’t too little responsibility – but too much of it.

Parenting, apparently, is our family sitcom’s longest-running plotline. How much control is necessary, and when is it time to let go? While my husband prefers to intervene before small problems become big ones, I tend to trust that things will work themselves out. Then our older son walks into the kitchen, listens to us argue and delivers the perfect line: “I feel like I’m in a sitcom, and today’s episode is called Letting Go.” Twenty years into parenting, the debate is still

My eldest son has moved back in with us – along with his handstand bars, weighted vest and tub of creatine. Since then, I’ve learned a lot about looksmaxxing, protein, Haaland’s diet and calisthenics. While he struts around the flat bare-chested and flexes his muscles, I observe his display behaviour with growing fascination. And realise that beneath all that testosterone, there is often still just a very large puppy.

Back to yoga in Delhi: kinder instructor, same pain. Turns out, I’m not old – I just really, really need to stretch. 🧘‍♀️🔥

Indian food never really appealed to me – until life brought us to Delhi. Between butter naan at a hotel buffet, pani puri overload, “not spicy, please” turning out very spicy, and a slow, careful introduction to dishes like biryani and thali, my taste quietly changed. After four years in India, German food now feels oddly bland. Maybe that’s what living here does: it adds masala not just to your food, but to life itself.

Sri Lanka is cleaner than India. More orderly. More expensive. The people are incredibly friendly and eager to please. Yet beneath the surface, there is a tension I do not know from India. Every family seems to seek its fortune in tourism—a homestay here, a small restaurant there—almost desperately courting the few visitors in the south. Swiss prices, without Swiss salaries. And yet, the island remains a treasure for nature lovers.

While reflecting on the past year, I came across photos of my encounter with the Dalai Lama in March 2025. Through rare access to the Blessing Line, my class and I met him in McLeod Ganj under strict security and quiet reverence. The moment was brief, formal, and carefully orchestrated. I left aware that something significant had happened—yet unsure what it meant, or what I had truly expected to feel.

What happens when a former entrepreneur suddenly becomes the ‘Husband of the Teacher’? A true story about roles, India, and finding one’s place.

When Delhi sinks into its winter smog, the city feels wrapped in a heavy, yellowish haze. It’s unhealthy and suffocating—and yet, strangely, it carries a quiet hint of November blues, familiar in a way I can’t quite explain. How we navigate these months, what a frying pan taught me about air quality, and why smog sometimes feels like home—now on the blog.

When termites take over your doorframe, chaos & a capsule wardrobe project collide. An expat’s Delhi tale of bugs, karma & minimalism.

What Termites Have to Do With My Capsule Wardrobe (and How It Made Me Face My Inner Gatherer)

If I'm honest, being tidy isn't exactly one of my strengths. You can tell just by looking at my desk – it's buried under piles of paper...

How to comfy yourself – without going overboard When I feel stressed in everyday life, I always feel the need to reward myself. That...

Why being sick in New Delhi is actually more pleasant than in Germany – and what your phone has to do with it. I still shudder when I...

Or: That time I turned two years older in one day. Today’s my birthday. I’m turning 49. And let me tell you—it’s not the easiest number...

In Germany, we lived in a small, cozy end-of-terrace house in the picturesque town of Schwäbisch Hall. We’d made it really nice over the...

During the Easter holidays, I decided it was time to detox my life. Not just physically with a five-day fast, but also digitally — and...

Am I Having a Midlife Crisis? I’ve always been convinced that I’m not the type for something like that. I don’t pine for my youth, nor do...