Are you ready?

As we get closer to our move the overwhelming question that I hear is, "Are you ready?" I really don't know how to answer that question. We have been watching world events and researching Taiwan. We have been culling through our belongings and cleaning our house. We have been talking to the kids about the move and trying to get things to help with the transition.

But does that make us truly ready?

We thought that we were ready for Georgia. We never would have imagined that we would have been evacuated by the State department a mere two months after arriving. And now with the uncertainty in Iran and North Korea. And the ever present missiles in China.

People do not understand why we would want to go overseas. I guess we think of things differently. Yes, there are some messed up countries out there. Yes, there is a chance of war. But that is universal. I sometimes wonder if we had grown up in another country and only relied on news sources to learn about the US if we would even consider visiting here, let alone moving here. I guess I feel that the media often only shows the bad, sometimes crossing a line so that there will be "news". I mean, how boring would a newscast about happiness and peace be? No gory pictures there.

For me, the best way to learn about the world and other cultures is to live among the world and those cultures. I'm not going somewhere to try to convert people to my way of thinking. I am going to learn. I want my kids to learn that there are more ways to look at things than the conventional way in the US.

I am in no way knocking the US. I am so happy to be a citizen of a country that allows me the freedom to pursue my dreams. Part of that freedom is the freedom to learn, and that is the main goal of our next adventure. We have every intention of returning to the US, it is our home.

So are we ready? Our bags are not packed, yet. But the house is almost squared away and we have worked to make sure our minds are open. So, yes, we are almost ready.

A Year Ago Today

A year ago today we boarded a plane and left the US for the first time. We were so excited about our layover in London and our arrival in Georgia.

We ended up sleeping our entire layover. Our departure from Georgia was premature and the memories still cause us sadness.

I miss Manana. I miss the family that I was accepted into there. I miss Georgia. I can't believe it has been a year.

Our lives changed a year ago. As we prepare for our next trip, we look back with fondness. We can not wait to see who we meet and what we learn. It truly will be our next great adventure.

Here is a link to our blog from Georgia. I have not updated it as I wanted it preserved as it was... http://schmidtsintbilisi.spaces.live.com/