The Beginning

Well...kind of the beginning after the fact. The beginning really starts way back in January of 2008. Rick called me one morning and posed the hypothetical question of, "What would you think about moving to Bangkok, Thailand?" To which I replied, "Let me think about it." An hour later, I called him back and told him I was in....I thought it would be an adventure.



From that point on, our lives seemed to be dominated by discussing this potential move....would it happen? When would it happen? Who else at work was possibly in contention for it? When would we hear something? How would the kids handle it? What other cool places could we visit? Should we sell the house or rent it? When do we start packing? And maybe the most pressing, what in the world will we do with four kids under the age of eight on a 24 hour journey from Los Angeles to Bangkok?!?!!? (Any ideas you have are welcome -please share! ) In a process that seemed to move slower than molasses, we got from point A, that first phone call in January, to point B, now, on the verge of a gigantic, life changing move that should happen in mid July.



Why in the world would we move? What's in Thailand for us? Are we crazy? There's plenty of answers to those questions!



We are moving because an interesting job opportunity was presented to Rick to train some of the Thai engineers at Microchip's facility there to do what his group does here in Chandler, AZ. The job presents a challenge to Rick, a new direction for his career, and just lots of possibilities. For our family, it means exposing the kids (and ourselves) to an entirely different culture...to many different cultures, for that matter, if we manage to travel like we hope to while there. It will broaden us all and expand our concepts of self and of how we fit into what is rapidly becoming a global society. We'll see parts of the world none of us has experienced before, meet new people, and basically have the adventure of our lives! And yes, we are a little crazy to be doing this, but we've thought it through very thoroughly and feel confident in this choice for ourselves and our family.



We'll be living in an expatriate community just north of Bangkok called Nichada Thani, and the kids will attend International School Bangkok, where they'll mix, mingle, and learn with kids from all over the world. We'll fill you in on more details about house and home, school, etc. as we get them. Rick and I are heading over in about two weeks to find housing and get the lay of the land, and we'll know a lot more after that trip.



Right now, we are looking at the gazillion details that come up when planning a move of this magnitude for a family of six. What to ship? What to store? When to get the kids' passports?What immunizations do we need and how do we make it as painless as possible for all of us (I think I might be as a big a baby about this as the kids are! Unfortunately, I don't think anyone is buying me an ice cream cone, a Webkinz, or any other big treats after I get my shots and I probably need more shots than the kids do! I might, however, at least get lunch out of the deal!)



So that brings you up to speed with what has been happening with us for the past five months and how we now find ourselves soon to be residents of Thailand! We'll be sure to keep you updated on the process - keep checking back for details and photos!