Don’t be fooled–this is not a travel blog. Yes, it will feature some awesome places that we go, but that’s only part of the story. You see, we live abroad, and raising kids overseas is more than enough adventure all by itself.

Once upon a time, this was a travel blog, back when my husband and I were students, had no kids, and were dirt poor but blessed with amazing travel opportunities. But now, after three years, a master’s degree each, and the acquisition of two kids and a career, it is something else. Jarek currently works as a Foreign Service Officer (American diplomat) and we’re living as a family in Guangzhou, China. After two years here, we’ll move somewhere else. Two years after that… you get the idea.

That’s what this blog is really about–the constant juxtaposition between the familiar and the novel, between normalcy and change, that is our life.

Normal: Like most American kids, my oldest boy loves macaroni and cheese.
Not normal: Only one restaurant here sells it, but we can order it in and have it delivered by robot.

Normal: The first six weeks of our second boy’s life were tiring but enjoyable as we got to know a new little guy.
Not normal: Baby jumped into bureaucracy with both feet, and by the end of those six weeks had a passport, visa, and medical clearance for worldwide assignment.

This lifestyle makes an “about me” section tricky to write, because one of the top qualities it requires is the ability to constantly reinvent oneself. Sure, I’m a singer with a master’s in arts management who likes yoga and eating sweets baking, but just what that means changes everywhere we go.

In China I’m not allowed to work on the local economy, so how do I put that hard-earned (expensive!) education to best use? How do I get involved in music? How do I track down the ingredients I need to make good bread? How do I raise kids who make the most of living here, but are still tied strongly to “home” in the U.S.? 

This blog chronicles my attempts to balance all of this, with room for plenty of adventures along the way.

Happy reading!