Dear Parents, Love Us

Dear Barb, Eric, BJ, and Sherri,

In 2014 we told you we were moving to the Philippines, just for a few months. In 2015 we told you we were moving to Ireland, for a little longer. In 2016, we told you we were moving back to the Philippines, this time for a few years. You could have told us not to go, but you didn’t.

We moved into your basement or guest room for weeks or months at a time in the midst of moving for the third, fourth, and fifth time in a couple years. You could have been annoyed, but you weren’t.

We asked for your help each time we moved. We forwarded our mail to you. We had you take us to and from the airport. We stored our cars in your driveway. You could have let us figure it out ourselves, but you didn’t.

We spent hours talking about what-if’s and planning what our lives would be like abroad. You could have questioned our motives, but you didn’t.

Throughout the last few years you have been nothing but supportive. You’ve told us to follow our dreams. You’ve learned how to use Skype and Facebook messenger. You’ve made trips to the bank for us. You’ve told countless family and friends why we weren’t at the family BBQ, Thanksgiving dinner, or Christmas morning. You still check to make sure we made it to our hotel or got on our connecting flight. You text us to see how we’re doing and remind us you love us.

We couldn’t be more grateful for all of you and everything you’ve done for us. When we reflect on our life and what made it possible for us to spend Christmas in Italy or give an elephant a bath in Thailand, we’re constantly reminded of your unwavering support. Thank you.

We hope that you’ll enjoy reading and following along on our journeys abroad, and that you’ll always know why we decided to move across the world — to find our path, to become better people, and to build a life that we can be proud of (not to put more distance between us, hehe!).

This blog is for you. We love you and miss you always!

Love,

Kayla and Tyler