Wednesday, April 17, 2013

The conception, gestation and birth of a dream

(Yeah, I've had that title stewing inside my head for the past few months, pretty good eh? So glad I can finally write about it.  And write about it I am. This is for my own personal record, so no cliffs notes version this time.)

So almost exactly a year and half ago to the day, we were in California for fall break.  While swimming at the hotel pool there were two little girls from Australia.  I sat there listening to their adorable accents and thinking how cool for them that they get to travel to another country on vacation, and then I hatched a plan.  I decided that the year Kylie graduates from high school we would plan a huge international family vacation, our last vacation as a little family unit living under the same roof.  As I sat there patting myself on the back for my genius plan, I remembered that Jason's company has offices around the globe with programs set up to let you work abroad for a couple of years.  The fire was lit.  And there was no extinguishing it. This was the same California trip where we needed Noah's ark to navigate through Disneyland.  So as we sat in the hotel room with rain pouring outside and Animal Planet entertaining the kids inside, Jason and I started researching and talking.  We continued talking on the beach as we watched the kids play in the sand.  Then the entire 6 hr drive home I spent researching locations on Jason's phone.  Fiji and Greece were tantilizing, but ultimately Auckland, New Zealand became my top pick, with Zurich, Switzerland as a close second.  I was anxious to get the ball rolling, and this is where I need to give props to Jason.  This was my dream.  This wasn't the most logical dream.  This wasn't the easiest dream. We are so happy and comfortable where we're at, the ward is amazing, the kids have great friends and Jason has earned a great reputation at work.  I like change, but Jason's a creature of habit and it wasn't a small thing to ask him to uproot our family and step way beyond our comfort zone.  But Jason loves me and he could see how excited I was about this, and I love him for that.  He started talking to people and letting them know he was interested, and things slowly started progressing.  Progressing slower than I would like and I didn't let Jason forget that this dream would one day become a reality.  And that making this dream a reality was entirely up to him.  And I sorta got obnoxious about it.  We started getting some leads and connections, we had dinner appointments with a potential lead in Zurich, Jason talked with Tokyo, he had connections with Capetown, there was an opening in Spain (if he spoke Spanish), Brazil and India were ours for the taking, Sydney may have a possible opening...I spent countless hours researching each and every opportunity that crossed our radar.  I had every single House Hunters International episode saved on my DVR.  Then a few months ago in February he got a call.  There was an opening in Stockholm, Sweden.  They interviewed him.  They wanted him.  This was it.  I contacted international schools, I scoured real estate sights, I contacted friends of friends of friends on fb that live in Stockholm, I joined a Sweden moms discussion board. I slept, ate and drank Sweden.  It seemed really challenging, but I was up for it.  Emphasis on "I" more than "we".  It has long, dark, cold winters, there's a major language barrier and the biggest was the extremely high cost of living.  Not to mention, the kids were not the least bit excited about it.  Kylie cried herself to sleep some nights.  She had a warped view of Sweden, she pictured it circa early 1900's where everyone wore lederhosens and lived in cottages in the woods, and there was no changing her mind.  Jason was hesitant, money talks and it was not saying good things.  I had visions of whisking away for a weekend in Paris, or snowboarding in the Swiss Alps, or exploring castle ruins, but there was a looming fear that all our money would be going toward food and shelter and there would not be much left to play with.  We kept the process going with Sweden, but we also kept our options open.  He reached out to his Auckland contacts, no openings.  He reached out to Australia and we had a teaser with Brisbane and some possible leads in Melbourne.  We were fishing, but nobody was nibbling. There are few things in life as nerve racking and exciting as waiting for a phone call. A phone call from a boy you like, a phone call from a sister going into labor, a phone call about a job interview, a phone call about an offer on a house, those life changing phone calls get my stomach all in knots every time.  My heart would jump just a little bit each time the phone rang over the past few months.  Then there was an opening in Christchurch, New Zealand.  He had a phone interview set up at 1:00 on a Monday.  I went along with my cleaning day routine, with a little more vigor in my shower scrubbing and a nervousness in my chest.  An hour had passed.  I carried the phone in my pocket while I vacuumed so that I wouldn't miss Jason's call.  Two hours passed and then I figured he probably had to go to other meetings and would call when he had a chance.  He finally called after spending over 2 hours on the phone with the partner in New Zealand, they totally clicked and it was inevitable.  I was thrilled, he was thrilled, and most importantly, the kids were thrilled.  We started planning, things got delayed, they said it would happen, we waited and waited and waited.  In hindsight, it really wasn't that long, but when your whole future is hinging on one email with one contract, then days seem like weeks.  It finally came at 9:30 pm last night and it was surreal.  We had talked, we had planned, we had prayed, we had stressed and we had waited for this moment for the past 18 months and that moment was finally here.  The contract was signed, and it was official.  Around June 25th we'll be on a plane heading to our new home.  And it had all come full circle since New Zealand was my top pick from the get go.  We feel so good about this move, I've had some very personal spiritual experiences along the way and feel that my testimony has really grown.  I hope this move will help me flex my spiritual muscles and challenge me in ways that will help me to grow.  Help us to grow.  I'm excited to simplify, to refocus my priorities and center my life entirely on my family and the gospel.  This could be like our own little mission.  So that's where we're at.  Up to our eyeballs in boxes and paperwork, but smiles a mile wide.  I can't wait to spend the next two years exploring the nooks and crannies of this breathtakingly gorgeous island with my rad little family. Tonight we went to Kiwi Loco to celebrate with some fro yo.  New Zealandars call themselves "kiwis", so we figured that Kiwi Loco would be very fitting, considering we'll be a couple of crazy kiwi's in a matter of months (If you know me, then you know my cheese and you know I've had this whole thing planned out for months. If it was Australia then we would have celebrated at Outback Steakhouse, if it was Sweden then we would have dined on Swedish meatballs at the Ikea food court.  It's safe to safe to say they were glad it wasn't Sweden :).  So ready or not, here we go....





6 comments:

Chris and Sally said...

This is so exciting!!! Chris would never move out of the country so I am going to live vicariously through you. And I've always wanted to go to New Zealand. My grandpa said it was his most favorite place in the whole world. I can't wait to see all the pictures. Are we going to be seeing you on house hunters international soon??

Chelsea said...

I still can't believe its really happening! I applaud your bravery, and for sticking to your dream! Its also awesome that the kids and husband are on board :) You know how much I will miss you & our phone calls and knowing that you're "just a bike ride away"...but I am really happy for you, this is a once in a lifetime and how cool to do it in New Zealand! I will look forward to every post and I am grateful you're a dedicated blogger and picture taker. Can't wait to see what New Zealand has to offer the Young family...

Jodee said...

I am SO excited for you guys!!! What a fun adventure this will be. You better believe the Chapmans are planning their next vacation to New Zealand. You guys will be great. All our friends who have worked abroad have said it was the hardest but most rewarding thing they have done. SO EXCITED!!!

Janessa said...

I've heard all your dreams and plan making over the past 18 months, but it was so fun to read through it all again. I am SO stinkin excited for your family. What an amazing opportunity. You guys are such great parents to jump in with both feet and give your family this experience. Good luck surviving the next two months! Wish I was there to help! And I love the different celebration plans you had in mind. You crack me up!

nicole said...

I am so so so excited for you guys!!! You are going to LOVE living overseas. It is so fun and exciting. Maybe I can come visit - Jonny's been thinking about doing an Ironman there next March?!?

Marisa said...

I loved, loved, loved reading about how this came to be. We are so twins!!! I crave moving and adventure all the time. You will have the most amazing experience. I'm so jealous! Want to pack me (and my fam) in your suit case??? I can't wait to see all you're up to and all the fun pics and experiences you have.