Hey, thanks for stopping by. If what brought you to my corner of the internet was a nagging desire to try something different (and I’m not just talking zoodles different), you’ve come to the right place. I’m a broad talking about that feeling when you take a deep breath, tell your fears to step off, and do what you always said you wanted to do but haven’t. I mean the something different where everyone you know thinks you’re nuts and some even feel bold enough to tell you. The kind where you may even believe them in the back of your mind, but you proceed anyway.
I had that same desire boarding a plane in 2017 with my mom, toddlers, and one-way tickets to Southeast Asia to become a trailing spouse. Before moving overseas, I was excelling at a career I had been working at since college. We had a home to call our own. By most standards, we were living the American dream. We also barely saw our kids, and the road ahead looked intensely competitive and highly expensive. The burnout was looming large.
Since making that fateful decision, I have been exploring new surroundings, people, customs, food, emotions – you name it. It has been a chance for me to consider the bounds of what’s possible each day. Alongside these personal discoveries, I have grappled with maintaining a connection with the people – and country – we left behind. I also struggle with the everyday things I became accustomed to in America that I don’t have here in Asia. It’s really small things like buying iced coffee on the drive to work, or online shopping services like Fresh Direct, Stitch Fix, and Winc. I could go on and on.
It has also not been as easy as I anticipated. I tried life as a stay-at-home mom, and despite the gratitude I felt for the opportunity to spend time with my girls, it motivated me to look at my career through a different lens.
I started Perspectives from Abroad to show people that doing something different with their lives isn’t always as scary as it seems – and can even be a fulfilling and joyous chapter. Even if its harder to get a decent bagel or find a hairdresser, there’s so much upside that comes with diverging at the fork in the road.
If this blog gives you the confidence to go after a dream, then sharing my experiences will be so worth it. Oh, I also hope you enjoy laughing with (at) me through all the hijinks along the way.
