A career in academia is possible for any woman who is passionate about her work (science or any other career path). Dr. Moustaid-Moussa travelled from Morocco, her home country to Europe then the US for her academic training and career. She always strongly believed in the importance of pursuing her professional dream as a scientist, without giving up her personal and family life. She credits most of her successes and satisfactions to maintaining the family and work balance. This would not have been possible without the support of her husband and children, guidance from her mentors and her personal motivation and hard work to succeed and make it work on both sides. This required some organization and planning efforts while increasing work efficiency to allow time for both work and family needs. She will discuss her long journey around the world and discuss some lessons learned along the way.