Answering the Call of Adventure

Ever pick up all of your belongings and move to another country? Hey, me neither! Welcome to Into the Forests I Go, my new blog about my adventures moving to Vilnius, Lithuania, becoming an expat, and figuring out how to pronounce šaltibarščiai. (It's easier than it looks!)

Poll my friends and family, and they'd probably tell you they're not shocked. "She's always been a free spirit, you know?" But also: why Eastern Europe and why Vilnius?

Here's out it all worked out: rockstar CRISPR husband received an offer to start his own lab working at the forefront of gene-editing technology, so naturally, we had to level our American asses up and answer the call. Some big questions, though: what does this mean for our little family, including our sweet greyhound? How will this impact our lives?

In truth, this move answers a number of calls for us: living with a spirit of adventure, working as teammates, exploring new lakes to sail, people to connect with, forests to hike in, mushrooms to pick, blog posts to write (hi!)... It sounds romantic, doesn't it?

It is, and it's easy to get swept up in that spirit of adventure, even with my intimidating miles-high moving checklist. But, now that I'm only a few days out from my move to another continent, I'm confronting the necessary emotions: overwhelm, loneliness, and grief. This blog will acknowledge and welcome these emotions as I work through them and live in my present moment. These days, you'll find me in a constant state of awe and incredulity, knowing my life is about to take a completely different shape. As a singer, you could say I'll be singing a completely different tune.

So stay tuned, because the adventure of a lifetime is upon us. And I, for one, remain curious and open to all that comes next.