Life in Singapore

Our time living in Singapore taught us a lot about life in other cultures and we are moving back to the U.S. having learned a lot of lessons about how we want to live our own life. There are many things that Jacob and I will miss about living in Singapore, such as:

1. Efficient public transportation
2. Walking distance to the MRT, the mall, grocery store, movie theater, restaurants
3. Cleanliness of the entire city
4. Safe to walk around, even at night time
5. Good sushi, Indian food and other local favorites at Hawker centers
6. The Lokes
7. Jean
8. Having a swimming pool 12 months of the year
9. Tons of activities, parks and playgrounds for Juliana
10. Warm weather at all times (but we definitely won't miss the humidity)
11. People from all different cultures
12. Being able to travel to parts of Asia in 8 hours or less
13. One wardrobe for the entire year instead of different wardrobes for each season

Singapore was our home for over a year and a half and as we transition back to life in the U.S., I'm sure we will realize that there are even more things we'll miss about it. Fortunately, there are a lot of things we're already enjoying about being back, such as:

1. Grocery stores
2. Shopping malls aren't "the place to be" at all times, 7 days a week
3. American food
4. Having a car (although this is sometimes frustrating)
5. Spending time with family and friends
6. Being able to enjoy the outdoors without being ridiculously hot

...and the list goes on. One thing I do not like is living in temporary housing again, since it doesn't feel like home just yet, but that will change in the coming months. I do hope we get to visit Singapore again when Juliana is a bit older, so we can revisit and show her where she turned 1 and 2 years old.

A day in Maine

Being back in the U.S. to stay has been wonderful, because it means we get to see our friends and family as well as our favorite places of New England. Yesterday, we went up to Ogunquit Maine with my mom and grandmother for some time at the beach, Perkins Cove, the Marginal Way and lobster! It was a gorgeous day with a nice breeze and the ocean air was just as wonderful as I remembered. Here we are in York, where we stopped for lunch and ice cream by Nubble Lighthouse...

After walking down Marginal Way, we headed to the beautiful beach on Ogunquit where Juliana had a blast in the water...

Jacob and I already know there will be many beach days in the years to come since she's such a little fish. The water was cold, but that didn't stop her from enjoying it!

The day was a reminder of how nice it is to live in New England, especially during the warmer months. I don't look forward to dealing with the snow, but the change of seasons will be nice. I wish we could just skip over the cold months though...oh well!

Home and here to stay

As many of you already know, Jacob was offered a job in Cambridge Mass, and he is finally on U.S. soil. We are officially here to stay!! He accepted the job and we are currently in Charlestown until the temporary apartment is set up in another week and a half. It feels surreal to be here to stay, almost like it's not actually happening. I think things will sink in much more once we're in the temporary apartment and Jacob starts his job in a week. I can't wait to be in permanent housing though, unpacked and settling in to truly make this our home for the months and years to come.

When we left for Singapore, both Jacob and I were excited at the opportunity to live abroad and we have learned so much over the last year and a half. One of the hardest things about living in America is remembering that we don't have to "keep up with the Joneses," a huge lesson we learned in Singapore. Material things don't bring happiness, but quality time with family and friends does.

I look forward to keeping everyone updated as the move unravels and we have many new adventures in store.

Being H-O-M-E

It's been wonderful to be home and see family and friends. There is one major thing missing though and that's Jacob. Juliana's been telling me on a daily basis that she misses her daddy and can't wait to see him and I certainly miss him too. Luckily, the days are going fast since we've been busy and she doesn't have much longer until we see him.

It was a wonderful 4th of July, with family at my aunt's house and my cousin even had a few fireworks to set off in the driveway. This week, we got to go to Canobie with my brother, sister-in-law and niece. Juliana had a blast on the kiddy rides! When I left New Hampshire to move to Singapore for Jacob's job in 2008, I was very nervous as well as excited about the idea of living in another country. I have always been close to my family and very attached to the good friends I have, but I could never have imagined that I would miss them all so much. I just can't wait for Jacob to join us.

I got to meet my niece

Part of what has been so difficult about being in Singapore has been the missed holidays and events in the family, such as the births of my nieces and nephew. I finally got to meet Riley this afternoon and see my brother and sister-in-law. Riley was precious and Juliana had a blast entertaining her and playing with her.
I look forward to spending more time with her in the coming week and I think Juliana does too!