So, we are moving to China

We have traveled pretty far on this train, but I am finally now writing the whole beautiful, crazy decision in words.  There has been too much cardboard, road trips, family milestones, trips to Mexico, and sheer exhaustion to do much better.  After going to BYU, and living in Utah 10 years past graduation- we are closing a chapter and plunging into a new one.  Stuart and I have always talked and plotted and dreamed of moving abroad, doing something crazy and expanding our world view- but there is always a preparation time beforehand.  I am so grateful for the growth that Utah brought to our family.  We could very well move back there in a few years, but at least for the next 2-5 years we are centering our family in Beijing.  Jackson is ten and we knew our window for this kind of excursion was getting smaller.  It is hard to start over when you are already in high school.  

This is giving us all a good shot of resilience.

December was a blur of packing. We paused for a day of Christmas splendor, and then packed it all up and left our family home and the sweetest friends I know. Then we drove to California to spend a few weeks with family.  We sent our belongings in a truck to Texas where we will live for the next few months before the big plunge in June.  In all ways, I have felt the Lord guiding our path.  It isn’t easy to move around this much and to deal with so many changes, but it has been a great bonding time.  While in California, we visited San Francisco, took the kids to Disneyland, and then made a stopover in Mexico before we drove out to Texas.  

Somehow, uprooting ourselves and being in so many different places as a family, has helped us realize we can do this.  Packing up our whole life, purging a lot, and then unpacking again has helped me see how little we truly need to be happy.  It has helped us all learn and I am grateful for this period in Texas to prepare and finish all our visas, applications, and final tasks.  It also means we get to spend a lot of time with family.  Stu’s parents and 3 of his siblings live in Texas. We’ve had cousin playdates and lots of great moments to enjoy family.  

Stuart is an entrepreneur.  It’s in his blood; it’s who he is.  He is a co-founder of a tech company called Qualtrics and is still excited to help the growth as they expand to foreign markets.  They are opening some Asian offices in the next few years and this let’s him be much closer to the building stages.  Building a business, trying new things, pushing limits, and having big ideas are what he does best.  I love him for it and being in China helps him build in a new area for Qualtrics, and also helps him start some new investment opportunities.  I love to see his excitement for what this new life will teach him professionally.

Stuart and I have felt super assured about this decision.  But it doesn’t mean that the kids are all in.  One Sunday, an unsolicited protest erupted in the kitchen.  

Not too concerning, we actually just thought it was cute so we took a picture.  It is natural to be nervous- what kid wants to leave friends, the familiar and comfortable and do something that will take work.  Stuart and I have been working with a tutor to learn Mandarin and it isn’t easy, but it is so fulfilling.  The kids will get their chance to learn the language and dive in, but it doesn’t mean they won’t struggle for a bit.  I know they can do this, and when they realize they can do hard things, they will realize that the Lord can help them do anything.  He takes care of people everywhere, and I think they will understand better that we are all brothers and sisters of the same Heavenly Father.  Their worldview will be bigger; they will be different.

About seven years ago, Stu and I visited Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing.  I loved everything about it: eating dumplings, riding subways, walking through ancient temples and palaces, learning about the history, talking to the people.  I felt in my heart a longing to be there and to really know the culture, and I feel SO blessed that we get that chance.  My kids will thank me later. :)

We just bought plane tickets and we are officially flying out June 21st.  It is feeling real now- and I’m getting excited.