So for my first attempt at writing something today, I must admit I'm a little nervous about it. I know that I'll have at least 2 readers (yes, once again you know who you are!) Why is it so different to actually put something in writing than to just tell a story verbally? As my friends know, I have no problems with the latter!

2 minutes pass...
5 minutes pass...
turning on some music..
8 minutes pass...
cursing the infamous 2 friends for this... (kidding of course)
turning off the music...

I think I'll start with something that most people don't know about this journey. In January of this year, Marc and I were discussing our goals and what we wanted to achieve in 2013. We've wanted another 'Costa Rican' type journey like 2010 but this time we wanted to do it without Marc giving up on his career. I was more than ready to give up on mine haha! So, together on that day in January we set the goal that we would be living and working somewhere else by my birthday, September 18th.

After our goal had been set, it took a few months to start the process and to decide which countries we wanted to focus on. Marc had some interest from a company in Florida, and although the climate was right I couldn't work at all, and the medical costs were exorbitant. We found that Marc's skills were in high demand in Asia, New Zealand and Australia. Brisbane Australia was right near the top of our list, but due to their quarantine requirements and the reputation of the government run quarantine facilities there we decided not to put Kai through that. For other reasons related to Kai we ruled out Indonesia and most of S.E. Asia. We kept coming back to New Zealand as a location but it was just so far away and so expensive to move to. At the point where we decided firmly against relocating to NZ, the phone rang with a job offer for Marc. He declined. A couple weeks later they came back to him with more incentives. We caved... New Zealand it was! I said to our eldest daughter Elizabeth "We tried to say no!" and she expressed "The universe has already decided for you" :) I really do believe that she was right and that for some reason we're supposed to be here :)

Well, as it turned out, Marc started his new job ON my actual birthday in September :)