Thailand.
We are moving to Thailand. Just writing that makes my heart flutter, mostly from nerves. (You're supposed to go on your globe-trotting adventures before you have kids. Not now!) But, there's a good amount of excitement mixed in too. Scratch that. A lot of excitement. I've been ready for this my whole life. Bangkok, we are coming.
When I think of Bangkok, I think of pink taxis, fish sauce, gigantic shopping malls, canals, temples, constant sweating, sweet pineapple, 7-Elevens on every street, orchids growing on trees, the most jumbled power lines I have ever seen, and last, but certainly not least, super spicy, super salty, super cheap street food.
As I look back on my life lived in four distinct, diverse places, and as I look forward to living in another new, totally different place, two thoughts come to mind.
First, I am really excited to raise kids who are global nomads. I hope it doesn't mess them up too much. I hope it causes them to become empathetic adults who are able to connect to people who are different than them and who are savvy at relating to others cross culturally.
Second, the price of being a global nomad is the loss of a sense of "home." This is no small price tag for me and my girls. When I look at my life, I feel like a homeless, nomadic wanderer. But, in the words of J.R.R. Tolkien, "Not all who wander are lost." That's right. I'm not lost. I know exactly where I'm headed. In the end, I will arrive at my final home - the beautiful, tearless, painless new earth that I hope in so deeply. I will kick off my shoes, settle down, and know that I am finally home.
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