My family and I lived in Ukraine for a year and a half before we were evacuated by the U.S. Embassy in late January 2022. We lived side by side with Ukrainian families in the outskirts of Kyiv. My son attended Ukrainian preschool, my husband worked with Ukrainian colleagues, and we had Ukrainian music teachers, fellow Ukrainian girl scouts, and Ukrainian friends.
The ups and downs, the joy and the challenges of a U.S. Foreign Service Family lifestyle — and how it all works.
"I don't know how you do it."
If I had a dime for every time someone mentioned that in passing to me about our lifestyle, I would own a private island in the Caribbean. Or a nicer minivan. But probably a nicer minivan, because I'm practical like that.
People often tell us how wonderful it is that we get to raise our children overseas and wish they could do the same. Others tell us that they admire the lifestyle, but they themselves could not, or have no desire, to do it themselves. I get it. So what is it like for us to raise our family overseas?
It's a gift. It's hard. It's a lesson in so many things.
My family and I lived in Ukraine for a year and a half before we were evacuated by the U.S. Embassy in late January 2022. We lived side by side with Ukrainian families in the outskirts of Kyiv. My son attended Ukrainian preschool, my husband worked with Ukrainian colleagues, and we had Ukrainian music teachers, fellow Ukrainian girl scouts, and Ukrainian friends.
"I don't know how you do it."
If I had a dime for every time someone mentioned that in passing to me about our lifestyle, I would own a private island in the Caribbean. Or a nicer minivan. But probably a nicer minivan, because I'm practical like that.
People often tell us how wonderful it is that we get to raise our children overseas and wish they could do the same. Others tell us that they admire the lifestyle, but they themselves could not, or have no desire, to do it themselves. I get it. So what is it like for us to raise our family overseas?
It's a gift. It's hard. It's a lesson in so many things.
