There are no foreign lands

Indonesia from above

When we set out to build our life together abroad, we thought of ourselves embarking on an adventure in foreign lands; we’ve evolved.

Over the past three years, we have spent most of our time outside of the U.S.; first Ecuador and now Indonesia have become our homes, and we’ve spent time in at least 11 other countries. In fact, we have found that our expectations for normal life have adjusted to the countries in which we are living. Rather than living in a foreign land, we are the outsiders, learning to adapt and being shaped by our new homes. Our identities have evolved and we realize that now, we may feel like foreigners in the U.S. too. As Robert Louis Stevenson once wrote, “There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.”

At the same time, we think this blog has evolved. Rather than a personal newsletter, it has become a forum for sharing current events, and discussing interesting cross-cultural issues from our perspective.

We wanted to adopt a name that more accurately reflects this experience. So we’ve decided to change our URL, and make the site more inviting for people we have not yet met.

Welcome to NoForeignLands.org.

About Katherine

Katherine lived on four different continents before settling in to Washington, D.C., to raise her family. She works at a global think tank during the day and raises twin boys the rest of the time. When she isn't working on a spreadsheet for work, she loves walking in the forest with her family, which invariably involves stomping in puddles and climbing on logs. Though she is less of a world traveler these days, she continues to seek out adventures, from exploring D.C.'s museums and playgrounds to taking road trips to national parks. When it's time to unwind, she can be found snuggling with her husband on the couch. Likes: adventures, sleeping past 7 a.m., being surrounded by forests, the sound of her boys laughing, and locally made ice cream. Dislikes: whining, the patriarchy, and people who judge parents/kids.

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5 Responses to There are no foreign lands

Every Day Adventures in Asia says:

June 4, 2014 at 9:24 am

Interesting perspective as always! Welcome “No Foreign Lands!” :-)

- Katherine says:
  
  June 4, 2014 at 9:35 am
  
  Thanks for the support “Every Day Adventures”, of the same heart, I believe :-)
  
I&I says:

June 4, 2014 at 9:50 am

I love the name change and the evolution. Jon and I were just talking about how five years ago we never would have imagined seeing Bruno on an elephant. That’s just a small surface example but the change shines through your eyes, through your writing, and we can’t wait to see you so you can share your wisdom with all of us.

monica says:

June 4, 2014 at 8:18 pm

I love reading and following your adventures. Those that I have not read are kept in a file to be read when I am free. I am from Singapore and my family love Indonesia too and deep down I know someday I will settle down in Indonesia. You did such a wonderful job please continue writing and posting. Cheers! Monica

- Katherine says:
  
  June 4, 2014 at 8:56 pm
  
  Monica, thanks for reading, and great to know you. We’ll do our best to keep it up!