How did we get here? (Katie's Viewpoint)

When I met Sam, I literally did not know where Croatia was. Really. But being introduced to the Mirkoviches is like being introduced to Croatia. They are very involved in preserving their heritage: their food, customs, songs, language.

So three years ago, we spent 3 weeks retracing both of our roots. We spent a week in Croatia (for Sam), a week in Ireland (for Katie) and a week in Italy (because it's Italy.) It was a once in a lifetime trip-or so we thought.

Sam definitely caught the travel bug. As soon as we got home, he was already planning our next trip. Then he really started talking crazy...what if we applied to teach overseas? Now we've always "talked" about doing this. In the same way that you "talk" about jumping out of an airplane or "talk" about opening up a little bakery/coffee shop/gallery. They're fun to talk about because you know they'll never happen. But if there's one thing that has become very clear to me, it's that Sam is very persistent. :)

We started looking online, talking to people who knew about teaching overseas and learned about International School Services. Last winter, we filled out our application, paid our dues, and were looking for openings around the world.

Let me back up and explain what the last three years have included for us. They've been difficult. Our trip to Europe was supposed to be our last hurrah before having kids. We tried for a year, started seeing a specialist and had 4 false pregnancies. It was a very dark time, especially for me.

I was (and still am) working in a very challenging school. I felt stuck. I felt like I would be there forever. Although I love the people that I work with and I love my kids, I really wanted to be doing something else. Originally I hoped to get pregnant and be a stay at home mom. But that obviously wasn't the plan.

We decided at the beginning of this school year to take a year off, reevaluate and figure out how we wanted to proceed in our lives. Should we move? Adopt? Do foster care? Everything seemed up in the air.

Then one night in November, Sam woke me up in the middle of the night to say that there was an art job opening in Zagreb. Obviously, I mumbled something meaningless. rolled over and fell back asleep. But the next morning, I realized it wasn't a dream. Sam's dream job was available. We applied for the job and followed it up with an email. We didn't hear back from them for a month.

Then out of the blue, we got an email at the beginning of December asking if we wanted to interview with the American International School of Zagreb via Skype. Three days later, we were Skyping with the head of the school in Atlanta and the principal in Zagreb (technology is amazing.) That Thursday, they emailed to offer us the job. We talked to family and friends. We prayed. Sam made all kinds of spreadsheets. And we asked if we could bring Lucy. On our seventh anniversary, we emailed them back and formally accepted the job.

I have a very blessed life. I have wonderful husband, a great house, dear friends, and a job. I have nothing to run away from here in Yakima. That is not why we're moving to Zagreb. We are moving because we feel like it is an opportunity to explore the world, be challenged in new ways, and have unforgettable experiences.

This blog is for those of you who love us and will be here to support us. We look forward to taking you with us on this journey.