Marcum musings on life as an expat: Life Change 2.0

Tomorrow marks exactly two years ago that we pulled out of Clemson and headed toward Vancouver, BC. It has been two years of learning, soaking in, stretching and trusting; our lives are richer for it. It's far different than August 26, 2013 - I'm starting the day thinking not only about myself and worrying for my family, but looking to find new ways to stretch ourselves since we've gotten comfortable here. We're counting down to the start of school - familiar with the building's layout, looking forward to reconnecting with friends. Philip's role at work has morphed into its next phase - he knows the ins and outs of the offices here and he's looking for new ways to grow professionally. I'm looking for a part-time job - ready for an outlet that plugs me into a world different from full-time mom and household CEO. In short, normal has come to the place that was foreign two years ago.

When we visited Clemson this summer, we were outsiders - not that people weren't wonderfully welcoming and not that we weren't thrilled to reconnect. But the landscape had changed. Our neighborhood, while very similar, was different. Restaurants had closed, landmarks had been modified, roads closed, new folks had moved into town whom we had never met. It felt very different than when we left because we'd not been present for the gradual shifts. And we brought with us a sense of home in a faraway land where we'd built life for two years - two years that have seen changes in us as individuals we couldn't articulate or print on a t-shirt. We're different - but not. Defining this phenomenon is like trying to bottle a cloud. It's a dizzying, ethereal, amorphous blob of personality + life with a generous helping of cultural and personal influences. And since we're in the midst of it, I don't know that we even fully understand - seems that hindsight will be the great illuminator of what these two years have done to and for us.

What I do know is this: today I'm really glad that Philip and I decided to live as tourists in our new hometown. This is one life hack we're going to carry with us no matter where the wind takes us next. We've managed to squeeze more living into these last two years than we did during all of our time in Clemson. It's bizarre to consider when we lived in Clemson for eight years and stayed busy for most of those years. The difference is we seek new experiences - looking for ways to broaden our library of participation. I never would have considered we'd be able to say we'd visited a cheese rolling competition or the Quidditch World Cup or the FIFA Women's World Cup or acres and acres of tulips. Two years into this living intentionally thing doesn't see us with great stores of financial wealth or a huge house or a fancy car - but we've got stories to tell - grand stories of adventure and pushing against the bounds of our comfort zones. We're eager to drink up more.

On this second anniversary of our leaving the South, I'm nostalgic. Tears prickle the backs of my eyes as I think of family and friends we left behind and grieve the waning of relationships I'd thought would be lifelong. But those same tears that prickle are also tears of wonder about how far we've come, gratitude for new relationships that have percolated, and celebration of the ties that bind it all together. What joy to live into the next two years with my best friend and confidant and our children! We've come a long way, baby, and I'm excited to see where the road takes us next.

Year in Review