Life is a series of adventures

When we moved to Switzerland almost three years ago, we moved with the expectation that our move would be a temporary, two year adventure. We also had uncertain feelings as to whether we would enjoy living here and what career prospects it would hold for Ryan. Accordingly, we envisioned ourselves having a fun time in Europe for two years and then quickly returning to Boston and happily resettling into our old lives.  Our temporary two year adventure quickly turned into three years and we not only explored Switzerland and the continent, but this country became our beloved home.

Our adventure in Switzerland has now led us to unanticipated, new opportunities.  As most everyone who reads this blog already knows, we have big news: we are moving to California! We both accepted jobs in the San Francisco area. Ryan is transferring offices and staying with the same employer while I recently left my job and accepted a position with a new company.  I will be moving this coming Thursday (so soon, ah!) while Ryan will stay in Switzerland until fall 2015 for work reasons and then move.

As I prepare to imminently leave our home and start our next adventure in California, I have a multitude of thoughts and reflections swirling around in my mind that I thought I would share:

1. You can't (and shouldn't) predict or plan many aspects of your life.  One opportunity leads to the next and life itself is a series of continual, grand adventures. We thought we knew what our life looked like after two years in Switzerland and yet now it looks completely (and wonderfully) different.
2. To get the most out of these adventures, take chances and risks. They almost certainly lead you to unforgettable experiences and new opportunities. A risk not taken is an opportunity missed. This is probably the biggest area I have been growing in over the past few years.
3. Time passes so quickly. Three years here flew past us in a flash and it is so important to make the most of it. Why does life keep moving faster every second, minute, hour, day, and year?! I'm still working on making every second count.
4. Home is where your family and heart is. Although it can be far from others that you love, with enough effort and focus on supporting each other, you can still feel "at home" living away from your original home. New friends became a second family and our time spent with visiting friends and family resulted in some our fondest memories here. These are comforting realizations as we look to establish a new home on the west coast.
5. Relocating internationally is (so far) easier the second time around. Partly because we're moving back to our home country but also because we've already gone through this before (the movers, flights, packing strategies, storage units, selling furniture, relocation packages, etc.). Although our to do list is again huge, we feel less stressed and we mostly know what to expect this time around. 
6. I will miss Switzerland immensely but I'm also really looking forward to California. I think it is abundantly clear that I have grown to love Switzerland - it is beautiful, clean, simple, and full of outdoor adventures.  From the little that I know about California, many of these characteristics also seem true and I'm excited to explore the west coast.
7. A long distance relationship across continents for 6-ish months will be tough, but I'm confident it will make our relationship stronger in the end. On that topic, please feel free to come visit Ryan or me in Switzerland or California during this time, we would love the company as it could get a little lonely!
8. I have learned several extremely valuable career/professional lessons over the past few years. Since this blog is focused on my personal life, I won't share them here, but I'm happy to discuss them offline.
9. The blog will live on!  I considered stopping the blog after I move back to the US, but I realized that it has become a virtual journal for me and I will treasure the memories that I have captured in these blog posts for years to come. So for anyone that wants to continue to hear me babble on for the foreseeable future, enjoy, although I may need to change the name of the blog…