Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
–Mark Twain
Mark took pictures of the new house and he took only corner pictures so every single picture you see is a corner picture of the house. I still think he was trying to make side pictures, but instead he made corner pictures. The house looks nice. It is a little town housey, but I’ve got to get used to it. I am not sure what China is going to be like because I have never visited. I am not sure what is ahead of me and stuff like that. I had to say bye to our minivan because we had to leave it in Georgia because of the moving. I was sad, but I had to do it.
Dictated to Gwen
I’m not quite sure what’s going to happen to Maggie when she is leaving. I wish I was with her every single part of my life. I wasn’t with her before we found her, but you get what I mean. I don’t know if this is going to be an exciting adventure for Maggie or not. I bet she’s going to be nervous because she’s never gone on a plane. We picked a very friendly pet service. I am going to be without Maggie for three days! I can’t believe it! It feels like the move is never coming.
Dictated to Gwen
As a 7 year old girl with no experience of moving at all, this is a very exciting experience for me. It is my first time moving ever, ever, ever in my entire life. Mommy is very stressed about getting us ready. It is almost as if she is in a holding pattern waiting for something to pop up in excitement. I’m excited about what’s coming next. It almost feels like this is just a dream. I feel stressed. I also feel like I’m climbing a mountain that will never stop.
Dictated to Gwen
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.
The Grumpy Laowai 