Our trio is about the embark on a big adventure...

When we spent Alder's first birthday eating (vegetarian) bitterballen in a favorite park in Amsterdam, we didn't really expect that a little more than one year later we'd be packing up our house and heading  back for a long term relocation.

But here we are. Empty living room. Impending leases. Approved visas. The whole she-bang. 

Over the last couple of months we've spent many hours scrolling apartment listings on Pararius (and Funda and Kamernet). It has been our own real life version of House Hunters International (which I didn't realize was such a cultural phenomenon until I started telling people about the move and every single person immediately cited the show). 

I actually hadn't watched House Hunters International at all. Until now. I was known to watch Beachfront Bargain Hunt and roll my eyes but HHI had escaped my notice. Once I heard about it, I got appropriately nervous about committing a well-documented American faux pas so I indulged in a few episodes and promised not to comment on the size of the kitchen...

Unlike the house hunters on TV, we have been ridiculously lucky to have friends on the ground giving us tips about the apartment listings we've sent their way via What's App (a handy app for domestic and international text messaging). We've been looking for an Amsterdam apartment with plenty of space to host and some specific amenities to accommodate family life which meant we were apartment hunting in unfamiliar neighborhoods. Six years ago we stayed in Westerpark. Last year we were also in the West. But apartment listings for that slice of the city are slim so we've been on the exciting adventure of scouting for spaces in unfamiliar terrain. Every neighborhood is nuanced and we've been able to turn to friends and ask if our potential future apartments are likely to have friendly neighbors, Dutch charm, and access to green space.

Fingers crossed we found the right mix.

Thanks to Ricardo we have footage of a bike ride to our front door and a personalized video tour of our new space. 

Regardless, we are about to board a plane and move ourselves and our toddler into an apartment in a neighborhood in Amsterdam the we've never actually been to. It is going to be an adventure.

And adventure is exactly how we got ourselves here.

When Dre started dangling the idea of pursuing a professional opportunity in Amsterdam, I laughed her off. She couldn't be serious? We just signed our kiddo up for a dreamy Montessori school. She recently completed a gorgeous back deck. Alder had never been babysat by a stranger. Moving overseas just didn't make sense...

Until it did.

I indulged the fantasy ("yeah, apply") until I found myself buying into the dream. 

I want to be the kind of person who says "yes." I don't want to smother my marriage in routine. I want to be willing to learn and grow–even when it takes me out of my comfort zone.

And if 2018 taught me anything it is that I don't have a guarantee of forever. 

Dre charmed her way through a good many interviews and landed herself a great job opportunity with a great company (and by charmed I mean impressed them with her skills, experience and general bad-assery) and they were willing to do the work of securing our family the appropriate visas.

We started breaking the news to family and friends.

We started getting down to the nitty gritty of making arrangements. 

Nothing is without sacrifice and we've had to make some hard decisions, but as of today we are stoked and well positioned to make our move.

Dre has taken on the project of stocking Alder's carry-on bag with an assortment of brand new distractions and I've been busy pinning day trip destinations. 

Embarking on a move of this magnitude with a toddler in tow is no small task. We can't know what we don't know so for now we are doing our best and prioritizing packing favorite toys and photos. 

Everyone has upgraded their winter and weatherproof gear. 

Our apartment will be furnished and shipping is crazy expensive so we aren't taking "much" – much being a very relative concept. A couple boxes. A few suitcases. And this computer, which I will use to keep you updated on our experiences: good, bad, boring and enviable. I'm glad you are along for the ride. I'll try to be less obnoxious than the house hunters on TV and I look forward to the comments to keep me connected to home.