So…after so much consistency, I essentially disappeared for several months. My apologies, folks. Here’s what happened:

Our little family visited the Detroit Institute of Arts back in July. We saw an abundance of incredible artwork by a myriad of talented artists across multiple centuries. I fully intend(ed) to write a well-researched, thorough, beautiful post about our stop at the DIA. Yet, I got Writer’s Block. Days, weeks, kept passing by. I could not put the words down on the screen, and I eventually discovered I was feeling burnt out. We discussed several options for overcoming it, other blog posts I could write instead. Beyond that, we decided to take an impromptu trip to see some friends and family down in Florida again. We had no idea how long we would all be down there for, which ended up being roughly three weeks. 

I continued to not write because we did not do any other bucket list activities while in Florida. In addition, I was still feeling stuck. With multiple checks scheduled on the calendar between then and the future Mexico move, I figured I would write about those after we got back. I do have a few things on the agenda to still write about, but many of those planned bucket list checks will have to wait. 

We Canceled Mexico

Most of our plans for the upcoming year have shifted and changed. We have rerouted to a different next stop, and decided to remain in the States. There are still so many things to do and see in this country! For now, it is in our best interest to metaphorically stay put. Nothing has changed our desire to travel, see the world, and share it with our children.

Oh yeah, I did say children, didn’t I?

This is my low-key pregnancy announcement! We found out a while ago, and after a brief period of anxiety and mild panic, we celebrated and began telling a few friends and family! About that panic: it is EXPENSIVE to have a baby in the States. Frank and I had sincerely discussed contingency plans and alternate countries to have our next child in, because we thought it would cost too much to stay here. Technically, that’s still true, but after a great deal of research, we discovered we cannot fly with a dog as big as Augustine (too expensive, crates aren’t big enough, etc.) Therefore, we will stay in the US for just a little while longer, but still take trips to see all this amazing country has to offer.

So What Now?

So, after finding out our news, figuring out we weren’t going to Mexico or leaving the country, we spent the next several days researching dozens of possibilities, potential destinations, and constantly re-thinking everything we ever thought we knew. Our life was essentially an episode of “Whose Line is It Anyway?”

For a hot minute, nothing made sense and we were making it all up as we went. Rumor has it, however, that’s how most of us navigate the world these days. Remembering that felt nice to not feel so alone. We finally made our choice, and get this-

We are moving back to Chicago! For about a year, just long enough to spend the rest of my pregnancy and adjust to two littles instead of one. 

Chicago, Again? Why?

So many factors went into this decision, and it was not made lightly. As much as we love our numerous loved ones in our Northwest Ohio corner, our Mexico plans showed how we itched to move on to our next destination. Just because we found out about our new surprise bundle of joy didn’t mean that urge to move went away. Thus, we selected a city close enough for us to visit this area, and for others to visit us, but still novel enough to keep the adventure alive. We lived there less than a year last time; we only scratched the surface on all Chicago has to offer! I recall lamenting how many bucket list items I left unchecked with our last move, and now we get another chance to plumb the depths of that enchanting city. 

And this time, we get to share it with our little best friends! So far, seeing the city through Victoria’s eyes makes everything feel brand new and exhilarating, and we honestly can’t wait to continue that with our next little one! Before anyone asks, we are once again waiting until birth to find out the sex of the nugget. No other big reveals until late April, I’m afraid!

We moved at the end of October, eager to enjoy again the richness of Fall in the Midwest. Before we left, we went back to Erie Orchards and made that homemade apple pie, which Frank couldn’t stop gushing about ❤️. We also came back to Sylvania to celebrate Halloween with the family, and our little ladybug experienced her first taste of Trick or Treating! Excuse the quick photo dump, I couldn’t help sharing the cuteness!

This time around, we will explore and get to know the neighborhood of Wrigleyville. In addition, I’ve been entertaining many dreams of enjoying many of the professional sports Chicago has to offer! Cubs games, Bears games, Bulls games, I can’t wait! Of course, you all know you can’t get me started on the food. We cannot wait to revisit all of our favorite spots, as well as discover new gems of other nationalities all over the city. As I said in a previous post, we’d go back to Chicago for the food alone!

Then what?

That’s the fun of our nomadic life plan; we have no idea, and we have a whole year to dream and figure out our next steps. We know what constraints will influence our decisions and have already tossed around possible next destinations. Yet, in the meantime, we are excited to live in the moment and enjoy ourselves. Naturally, we will keep all interested parties updated, and I fully expect to do better about updating this blog a bit more regularly. My first trimester has kind of knocked me out of commission so far, but I plan to get back to my old self as soon as my energy comes back!

Thanks for your patience in waiting for this, and we can’t wait to take you along for this incredible ride!