Family Gap Year

I realized we started with the what of Taiwan, but hadn't shared the why.  

So why are we doing a family gap year (aka #familyadventureyear)? 

Since I graduated or even while I was in college, I've always had an interest in living abroad.  There were a few opportunities that didn't shake out over the last 20+ years, but W&I added it as a 10-year goal in our "life plan" back in 2019.  As part of our small group, we work on annual life plans where we write down short-term and long-term goals: professional, spiritual, health, family, financial, legacy, etc.  As Warren and I entered simultaneous career transition moments, the idea of moving abroad came back. I had honestly forgotten that it was even in the goal sheet until after we made the decision.  Timing was a little bit before we were ready (Tori is on the young side), but decided to take the leap! 

Why Taiwan?

Originally, we were open to anywhere in the world without thinking through any of the logistics...anywhere from Malawi to Denmark. But in the end, we wanted to make sure the kids would have a "smooth-ish" experience and look forward to coming back to life in San Francisco.  Lexi and Ellie go to a Mandarin-immersion school, so we needed to maintain their language while we were abroad if we want them to return next year.  That eventually narrowed it down to a few options.  As we researched a few places (Taiwan, Singapore), it became clear that Taiwan was a good fit - Warren has family out here, the country had a visa process that made it possible to stay longer term, and the kids would get to attend a bi-lingual school here. 

What do we hope to do/learn/experience? 

We hope our family expands our worldview to understand more about life outside of SF.  It's a good challenge to shake up the routine and start fresh.  Ideally, Warren and I would like to find part-time work or volunteer opportunities to get to know the culture more deeply.  

One of the tips we heard from another family who lived abroad was involving the kids on decisions when we could.  So as part of our adventure year, each family member gets to "choose a place" to visit.  Lexi and Ellie continue to lobby for Disney Cruise, but we keep reminding them that it's not exactly a place to visit. :)  

• Warren said Taiwan was his pick.  
• I've always wanted to visit Kyoto and see the cherry blossoms.  
• Lexi wants to visit China (or go to Paris for the Olympics). 
• Ellie also she wants to see the cherry blossoms (and sometimes she throws in the curve ball of Australia).  
• We're not sure on Tori's pick yet, but excited for our adventure to come. 

Braving the rain ahead of Typhoon Gaemi