The Women

Isabel Posadas

PhotographerGurgaon, IndiaPhotography by Isabel Posadas & Marjte Van Der HeideStory by Andrea Posadas

Isabel Posadas is a fantastic woman, wife and mother of two. She has been to several countries around the world and seen the good and the not-so-good. Her husband’s job requires the family to constantly move, and so, Isabel and her family are frequently re-adjusting and having to accept change. But with change, there comes a good story.

 

I was born and raised in Mexico but left the city to follow a dream that changed my life. I met Federico, an awesome Italian man with whom I started a family.  My two boys are Alessandro and Rafael. They, along with my husband,  are my motivation and my life. We currently live in Gurgaon, India.

I worked in the hotel industry for many years, but when Federico was posted to Dubai 12 years ago, I decided to look after my family and become a full-time mom and housewife. Federico is a hotelier and that is the reason we move so much.

When my kids started to go to school, I found myself with some “free time”.  I wanted to do something that would allow me to grow as a person and a woman without losing the attention that my children still required from me. Photography became a perfect choice, it was what I needed. I always had a passion for it and it became a serious thing when I got my first DSLR 4 years ago.  I´m a self taught photographer and through photography I have been able to share my love for the human race and travel.

My images let me share what I see, feel and learn and they tell my story while letting others dream and enjoy the beauty of what our world has to offer.

Logically everyone in our family has their own personality, but our experiences living abroad together have made an impact on how each of us see the world, which in turn gives us more appreciation and respect for one another.  Federico is the one who puts things into perspective and brings me back to “reality” because I´m the dreamer of the family. He is the one who supports my crazy ideas and projects, but he also puts my feet on the ground whenever it is necessary. He loves cooking and has a great sense of humor.  

Alessandro, the oldest of our boys, is an incredibly sensitive kid. He is always eager to help the others- who would not hesitate a second to step in front of the weak ones to defend them. He loves to chat through “line” with friends he has met personally met throughout our travels.  Rafael, the little one of the family, is a mad combination of rambunctious and gentle, wild and serene, thoughtful and perceptive.  My “eccentric” boy who always makes us laugh even in the toughest moments.

Regardless of their age, we have always involved our children with the planning of each trip. Their involvement always adds a twist of excitement and fun to the new adventure and lessens the stress and anxiety of the move.  

It usually takes at least 6 months to a year to start feeling “at home” in our new host country.

In my personal opinion, Gurgaon is not a family friendly place and India in general. It is not a country where things are planned or made for couples with children, so we struggled a lot at the beginning.  I have suffered a lot from the lack of independence and there are many other things that are difficult to accept.

 For safety reasons, as a foreigner and woman you are advised not to drive or go out alone to certain places and at certain times which frustrated me a lot.  We also went through many health issues and the kids had trouble adapting to their new school.  Of course, after two and a half years living here, we have all settled and made the most of living here.  

Like every parent, no one told us how to raise our children. We are doing what we believe is the best for them. They are growing as third culture kids. In very simple words, they are children who are growing amongst different cultures and apart from our own.  They are used to meeting kids from all over the world and they learn all sorts of cultures and traditions. They have grown to be respectful, tolerant and open-minded.  We have become used to it and this is what we know and sincerely enjoy.

I consider ourselves citizens of the world. We have lived in five countries, six different cities and traveled to numerous places whenever the occasion arose.  For this reason, we have been fortunate to be exposed to rich diverse cultures and been privy to different beliefs, values and principles. We have been immersed in various societies and have experienced their way of life, not as tourists, but as locals.

I love seeing my boys growing in this way. That doesn´t mean that life is always easy. In fact, we face challenges with every move we have. But they are living different experiences and adventures that not every kid has the opportunity to have. Somehow, each country has shaped us as individuals but has also brought us closer and made us the family we are today and that is priceless.

I can’t say I have a favorite city. I believe every place is unique and every country has taught and left us something special that we will never forget.  It would not be fair to compare, of course, there are one or two places that got my heart.

Living my life, the biggest advice I would give to other women is to stay open to change.  No matter where you live or what you do- if we can accept change, we will enjoy life much more.  It´s easiest to live in our comfort zone. When something is different, out of our control or routine, we tend to stress and get uncomfortable and close down. This is normal, but I have learned that when you embrace change, you see life from a different perspective and despite the difficulties it can also be fun and very enriching.

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