A New Era

It seemed fitting to start a new blog as the countdown for 2010 begins. 2009 was an epic year for us - among our many activities / events two stand out the most: (1) November Wedding in the Philippines and (2) Pending relocation to San Francisco.

This family has experienced a range of emotions as we've made arrangements for a destination wedding, switched up preschools and made huge career decisions. The logistics could even get Martha Stewart a bit frazzled I'm sure. But here we are, 4 days from our winter cross country trip to our new home, marking a new era as the 'official' J-W clan and we have our health, sanity and a big a** smile across our faces.

For me, I can't believe how far we've come. It seems like it was only yesterday when I sat across from my then fiance and tried to make the case for why we should consider relocating. I had just received the opportunity from my company. It all seemed so impossible - after all, we had a mortgage, a 4-year-old, family close by, terrible job markets, a wedding to plan, you name it. There were obstacles all around.

The bottom line for me was that I felt I had out grown Michigan. I'm not quite sure what that means exactly but basically, I allowed myself the opportunity to trust my instincts and say out loud that I wanted to leave. In terms of the practical, however, I really wasn't convinced that Michigan would be a safe bet for either of us in terms of job opportunity and growth given our respective industries. And of course, whether we like it or not, employment is such a critical base / necessity for any happy, healthy family. I managed to convince them both. And between both Anna and Zane's support, I had the confidence to lead the charge for us to uproot to a new place.

Since then, our plans have fallen so perfectly into place that perhaps the fiercest atheist would term it, divine. Of course, all that planning was not without its share of stress and anxiety - in fact, I have the first 2 gray hairs to show for it! Regardless, we enjoyed an amazing marriage celebration in the Philippines, surrounded by loved ones near and far who have extended their undying love and support. We have packed and shipped our belongings to our new apartment, in a wonderful location where all three of us will be within walking distance to our respective offices / schools. And yes, you read that correctly, Zane got a job - during a time when most are losing one, not gaining one.

In short, we are in a reflective stage i.e. a point where we're not scrambling or stressing over getting something done by deadline. All the major tasks have been taken cared of and we are looking forward to 11 whole days off during a holiday season for which we have much to be grateful and thankful.

I'm hoping to capture and share the many adventures we have ahead of us on this blog for family, friends and anyone else interested. It's an incredibly exciting time :)

Happy Holidays!