One-way ticket to Dorado, Puerto Rico

A year ago, we went on a 6-week sabbatical to South America with our two young kids. We both were taking a break from intensive careers that, quite frankly, put a strain on our #1 job (parenthood) and our #1 priority (our family). The first part of our trip was, like many we’ve done before, checking off items on our bucket list. The second and most important part was about rekindling our passion for life and each other. We dropped our to-do lists and focused on what made sense, what felt right here and now. It was magical.

One particular moment struck the most — we were on the boat home from the Amazon, and Ron and I took a last look at the rainforest. Staring deep into the green unknown, I asked him, “We’ve always said we’d take this big leap of faith into unfamiliar territory — what are we waiting for?” He looked at me and said, “I’m waiting for you.” I stopped. It was a question for me all along. I’ve always been the one with the carefully managed agile boards and the never-ending task lists that kept me awake till the wee hours of the morning. After over a month of fully investing into our kids and each other, I said, “I’m ready. Let’s do it.”

So here we are, a year later — finally making the big leap. We’ve uprooted ourselves from the familiarity of our Northern California life, and moved 3000 miles away to Puerto Rico. It’s been a crazy ride preparing for this (because we just can’t take the planner out of us), but it’s a calculated risk that we’re hoping will pay off. Hello, Dorado!