My Life As A "Trailing Spouse"- Installment 1

It is my hope that this blog will serve as our family journal, documenting not only our big adventures but also our day to day existence living in a foreign country. I have in previous blog entries captured some of the day to day things which, in reality, ARE an adventure (shopping, haircuts, Starbucks). The installments into "My Life A 'Trailing Spouse' " are more for the people who wonder, "What does she do ALL day?" I am thinking of writing several installments which will cover the gamut of leisure time, school stuff, volunteering, church, etc.

To begin, I will start with travel - this doesn't seem like part of "day to day" things...but that's what's really different - here, travel actually is (while not really day to day) almost a monthly activity for us. We have been to Dandong, Beijing, Shanghai, and Harbin - all cities in China with diverse offerings of history, shopping, food, etc. In the states a big trip for us may have been San Francisco or Disneyland...this week we are heading to Cambodia and Thailand! We are leaving on Wednesday to visit Cambodia and the famous Angkor Wat for a couple of days and then we will spend about six days in Thailand. While temps here are still topping out in the 20s (fahrenheit) I have to dig out bathing suits and flip flops because we're heading south! Funny sidenote: Emma and Erin actually got out flip flops and were ecstatic to hear the familiar slap-slap on their feet. You might say they were giddy...like being reunited with a long lost friend.

Sometimes I wonder, how did I get here? In the last 25+ years I have lived in Chandler then Gilbert then back to Chandler. My travel experience consisted of various cities in California and Michigan...oh and a teaching workshop on the east coast! Truthfully, I still feel very out of my element when traveling. I have pinpointed my anxiety and have diagnosed myself with "fear of the unknown"... Partner that with "loathing to pack" and you know where my head is at this very moment. And so it is, part of my gig as a "Trailing Spouse" (I did not make that up, that is what the non-employed spouse is called) is to be travel-ready. While I do have certain anxieties (safety, bathrooms, food) when traveling, I know that these opportunities are to be treasured for what they are. What they are is eye-opening, spirit-enriching, culture-engaging, life-changing...

We are so very thankful that our daughters are learning and experiencing so much beyond the boundaries of America...in addition to Chinese culture and language, Erin can say a few words in Korean and corrects me on the correct way to say "Pakistan". Emma is always open to try new foods and can't wait to travel to Japan and Singapore.

So there you have it, travel goes hand-in-hand it seems with expat life...we take each opportunity and hold it close in memory...