The countdown is on!  Our plane departs for Shanghai on December 28th and we are in full panic mode.  Suffice it to say that while an international move can be stressful, this one is proving to be more difficult than expected.  When I say that nothing is going as planned, well…  Maybe a little background first.  Mark and I have lived abroad before, both in Paris and Sydney.  We loved the chance to experience another country and culture in such a profound way.  And wouldn’t it be fun with kids?  It would, right?  Of course, it would be a great experience for everyone!  There is no arguing with the fact that it will be a time that the kids will never forget, but now that we are actually doing it?  Mommy is stressed.  And everyone knows it.

You see, the kids– three of them– have never lived anywhere but Baltimore, Maryland, USA.  They like to travel, but they also like their house, and their school, and their friends.  This idea of moving around the world and changing everything is both exciting and terrifying for them.  And they don’t really have a choice.  Enter the mommy guilt.  How do you make the right choices for an international move so that your kids get to have more of the excitement and wonder of the experience and less of the fear and trepidation of the unknown?  If you figure that out please tell me.  The sooner the better.  Apparently, my current method of freaking out about schools and housing is not impressing the powers that be.  We have had drama on all fronts, but more about that later.  What you need to know now is that we are up to our eyeballs in packing and logistics.  Did I mention that my husband has already moved to Shanghai?  Did I mention we are bringing the dog?  Yeah. Get ready.