Answering Questions….

Good evening all!

We have started to adjust to our new lifestyle. As that has happened, we are hearing some of the same questions over and over again from friends and family. I figured I would answer them here:

1. The biggest question we get asked is: WHY are you doing this? Our response: WHY NOT? We can! We are able to financially and physically! We are going to LIVE now and experience as much as we can as long as we can.
2. Will you settle down somewhere again? Eventually, yes. When we talk our almost daily walks we talk about having a home again someday and what that would look like. Currently, there is no timetable for that to happen and we are both okay with that.
3. What is your address? This is probably my least favorite question. I am not trying to be mean, but my response to that is usually: Which one? Do you want out mail service address (Basically a PO Box, but you give the people the authority to open your mail and email you a scanned copy of it?) Do you want my parents address? How about our house that we Airbnb’ed in Michigan? Brett and Sarah’s address? (Side Note: I have been known to wander the earth with junk mail in my purse so I know my current address. Don’t judge me.) Between Jerry and I we can pretty much rattle off all of the above addresses. If we have to do them individually, um…..you might be waiting a bit.
4. Where do you go next? We leave Michigan on Saturday and go to West Lafayette/Lafayette for a few days. From there we will head to South Carolina to stay by the beach for a while. Then a quick stop in Atlanta, followed by heading back to Metro Detroit, then a stop in Chicago, then Columbia, MO and then it is Thanksgiving. Confused yet? 🙂
5. Are you EVER going to Australia?! YES!!!! While we have been released by the cardiac surgeon, we have not been released by the cardiologist yet. It is kind of a grey area. We meet with the cardiologist on November 11th and are hoping that she is on board with us flying to Oz mid-January.
6. What does your family think? They are ALL super supportive!
7. Do you have a job? Jerry has been fortunate to continue to work for AndyMark, just in a bit different role. I have also been fortunate that I continue to work for Salud Revenue Partners in a part time HR Management role.
8. How do you decide where to go next? To be honest, it took me a bit to wrap my head around the delay in going to Australia. Once I accepted that change, figuring out where to go next has been my favorite part. It is an amazing feeling to look at your person and say “Where should we go next?” and mean it. It REALLY feels like the world is our home at this point and we are excited to explore it within the boundaries we are given, which at this time is anywhere we can drive. (Whether or not Jerry is “cleared” to fly is a bit of a grey area at this time. We could push for some clarification, but for now, we are just being conservative.)
9. Why did you go to Metro Detroit for his surgery? I move to Metro Detroit in May 2003 and moved away from Metro Detroit in September 2010/April 2011. This is where we got engaged, where we first lived together, where we got married. This is also where I worked for a family with the last name of Sakwa. Dr. Marc Sakwa and his family welcomed me into their home and their family. I had never deleted their cell phone numbers. When Jerry was diagnosed with a bilateral aortic valve and needed a replacement I waited 2 days and then texted Marc. What is Marc a doctor of? Minimally Invasive Aortic Heart Valve replacements. Surgery is rough no matter what you are having done. But to know the surgeon, to know the surgeons family, to have the surgeons cell phone number….it offered a huge sense of calm during a chaotic time.
10. What do you miss the most now that you are living this way? If I am completely honest….i miss fostering/having a dog.

If you have a question, please feel free to comment and we will answer to the best of our ability.

Thank you so much for following along on the journey. More soon, NB