Why We Started This Blog (Right in the Middle of Everything)

There’s a one-way ticket on the dresser and a baby due in October. In just a few weeks, we’re moving across the globe to Japan — and somehow, in the middle of the chaos and the countdown, we decided… why not start a blog?

So here I sit, in our nearly empty home. The home I’ve poured my heart and soul into these last two years. Now it’s filled with oddities and those last stubborn items that just won’t get packed until the very end.

It feels like I’m living in the junk drawer version of our once carefully curated space — cluttered, sentimental, and strangely poetic.

We found out last December that we’d be relocating to Japan. Morgan, my wife, is active duty in the Marine Corps. And since you’ll be hearing a lot about her, let me take a moment to tell you what kind of woman she is.

She’s a badass — unstoppable, stoic, and somehow still the funniest person I know. She holds her own with the strongest Marines, consistently crushing her fitness tests and then turning around to dominate in ground wrestling. But it’s not just her physical strength that defines her — it’s her heart.

On hikes, she’s the one at the back of the pack. Encouraging. Motivating. Helping others who are struggling. That’s who she is. And as impressive as she is on the outside, she’s equally strong — and soft — on the inside. Nurturing and disciplined. Fierce and gentle. I’m a lucky gal.

Anyway — back to the story.

Before Japan was even on the radar, we had already been deep in conversations about starting a family. Researching, interviewing clinics, mapping out timelines. Two life-changing journeys. One we could control, and one… not so much.

Naturally, we decided to go full throttle into both. Because why not start a family and move across the world at the same time? (Thank god for Zoloft.)

And honestly, that’s what brought me here — starting this blog.

Every step of this process has felt like walking with a cinder block strapped to each foot. Moving to Japan, even with military support and after tons of research, is incredibly challenging. Doing it with two dogs? Even harder. Doing it pregnant? Wild.

Starting a family has been its own maze — emotional, expensive, overwhelming. Put the two together and you’ve got the perfect cocktail for sleepless nights (maybe we’re just getting in practice for parenthood?).

So here we are. Queer, expecting, relocating — and figuring it out as we go.

This blog is a place to share our story as we navigate new roles, new countries, new commands, and a whole new chapter of life. Thanks for being here.