Happy Holidays To You

Christmas has come and gone and now we are ready to celebrate the new year. How are we going to celebrate you may ask? Well, in about an hour (thats 9pm CST) we will be heading to bed. The hubby has to work a 12 hour day tomorrow. 

I'm trying really hard lately to focus on the positives. So, while yes, it stinks that he has to work on the holiday, at least its day shift and I get to see him in the evening. 

Last night we had a BIG discussion. At the end of it, we had pretty much decided we were going to take the opportunity to work abroad again for a bit. Then this morning we thought about our hamster. It may sound silly to some. But we don't want to leave him behind. I have become so attached, I was actually in tears this morning at the thought of leaving him. 

There is also the fact that we haven't been in the States for an entire year yet. Its been a ROUGH 9 months. So, much so that I'm not sure how many more months of this lifestyle I can take. But, I can't leave my hamster.

So, lets focus on him for a bit! In April Ed and I celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary. We had only been in the States together for a few days at that point. We didn't have a whole lot of money to spend on a presents for each other or a night out. When we were in China we had pet-sat for a friend a few times. We loved having her hamsters run around our apartment. So, we thought we would get one for us. It would be our first step towards settling in America. Plus, they were on sale that week for $9.99! Ha Ha. We went to the pet store and picked out our hamster. We brought him home that night and instantly fell in love. Huey the hamster is a spoiled hamster. He has two large "homes" and several additions, he has two wheels and is given an abundance of treats including boiled egg and meal worms. 

While I am sad that I am not packing my bags tonight to head somewhere else. I am happy that I have a husband who loves me, and our hamster, as much as I love him.

Between the two of us, we have achieved a lot this year. On paper, it looks really good. We've moved between 3 countries, I ran a 10k and Ed ran his PB half marathon. He also completed a full marathon. We both completed academic achievements this year. We also both started our own businesses. We both have jobs. Like I said, it looks pretty good on paper. But, that doesn't really mean anything if we're not happy. I'm not sure what 2018 will bring for us. You can never really be sure. Whenever I think I've got a plan, life takes a turn and surprises me. The only thing I can be sure of, is that we will make the best of it.

Happy New Year everyone. 

Its All Relative

Quickly approaching is another holiday here. This will be our first Christmas in America. We've got our tree up and the stockings are hung. I've begun Christmas shopping. But, I must admit I'm a little behind and don't quite have everything yet.

This time of year always makes us think about time with our families. When we were in China we missed it, but made the holidays great by spending time with amazing friends. Its crazy though, we moved to the other side of the world and I actually feel like I see my family less. When I would visit, I would squeeze in as much family time as possible. Now, I barely see them outside of the holidays. I think I had a very distorted picture of what moving closer to them would be. Its not like life stops and everyone can quit work and just hang out all the time. 

Then there's my husbands family, which I consider my family as well. They are still half way around the world. We FaceTime them as often as possible. But, we don't know exactly when we will see them again. Its tough. When we were in China, we had two paid breaks (of over a month long) in which we could visit our families. 

In many ways, living abroad in a neutral area was actually easier. 

We've got a busy few days coming up... Three Christmas gatherings in two days. We also hope to FaceTime family abroad during Christmas as well. Plus, we have a busy work schedule leading up to and following Christmas. It's not a time we would have off when we were working in China. But, the lifestyle we lived there allowed for a lot more free time with friends. So, it wasn't something we thought too much of. And of course we knew the Chinese New Year was coming up and we'd soon have a whole month off of work. Its crazy that even though we were in a totally foreign culture. The holiday times were actually less stressful! 

Despite the challenges life is currently presenting, I'm happy and grateful that I get to see some of my family this Christmas. Christmas is one of or is possibly my favorite holiday. Everyone is more cheerful this time of year. You see so much kindness this time of year. It really is lovely. 

I hope you all have a wonderful time with whomever you love. ♡♡

Making The Best

Week four already! I can't believe how quickly time goes. This week is the week where Ed and I don't get to see each other very much. On top of that I got a migraine and a cold! YIKES! Regardless, we decided we wanted to take the little time we had together this week and make the best of it. 
We had one full day together and it was WONDERFUL. We had a lazy morning together before running errands together. Its amazing how even the most mundane task, can seem enjoyable when my husband is by my side. We then went to lunch at one of my favorite restaurants. Its a little place called Zuppas and I love everything on the menu. Plus, they make some pretty delicious sweets as well. We then came home for awhile before heading out to meet some friends for dinner. It was great to see them and catch up. All in all, I'd say even though we were limited on time, we made the best of it!

All of this is find and good. But, as the day drew to a close it was a reminder of the long weekend to come. It also reminded us of how little time we have spent outside the home since we moved here. Our friends were married at the end of October and it was a fabulous wedding. Until Thursday night, the wedding was the last time we had seen them. The work culture here doesn't allow for much socialization if you also want alone time with your spouse, to keep your house clean, and to live a healthy lifestyle (i.e. skip the fast food and cook dinner, exercise) . There just aren't enough hours in the day. Unless we all give up sleeping....maybe thats it. We just need to find a way to allow us to never rest. Seriously... its hard to fit everything in and I don't think I'm the only one who feels this way. 


This weekend I was able to see a good friend of mine. We hung out TWICE. This is the first time (besides going on a run together once) that we got together in 7 almost 8 months. It was so good to see each other. It was great to talk as well. She totally gets me and always will. We've been friends since we were in the fourth grade. We can go months without even speaking and pick up right where we left off. Our relationship fan-freaking-tastic because we both just want whats best for the other. Even if that means we don't see each other as often as we'd like. 

Tomorrow Ed and I have off together. He will be pretty tired after 3, 12 hour nights. But, I have no doubt we will make the best of it again. Right now thats kind of how life feels to me. Like I am trying to make the best out of a situation I don't really want to be in. It may take some time to figure out what we need to do to change our situation. But, I know we will. Ed and I are on the same page when it comes to happiness. We don't need much, just each other. 

Our Unique Situation

Hello all! Thanks for returning. This week was interesting. Ed has started a new shift pattern at work. This week was his short week. So, in theory we should've seen each other more. This kind of happened. This weekend we were able to spend more time with each other than we had in a long time. But during the week not much was different. We shall see... maybe this shift pattern will be better for us. Maybe it won't. Its too early to tell right now. 

This week I'm going to talk a bit about our life and the choices we have to make. We find ourselves to be in a seemingly unique situation. Whenever we talk to friends or family or even complete strangers about our life, we get the same responses. A huge part of our current lifestyle that we find frustrating is how little we see each other. When we discuss this with people, we are often told "That's life" or "We have had to do that for a long time" or "You'll get used to it" etc. I don't mean to insult anyone when I complain. It's just that its really not the way Ed and I want to live our lives. 

We have had some awesome experiences in life, and aren't quite ready to give up that lifestyle. Currently we work, eat, sleep and repeat... We thought we were ready to settle down. But, now that we have had a taste of life here. It doesn't seem to suit us. We are lucky, we both want the same things out of life. One thing we agreed on long before marriage was the fact that kids weren't really in the picture of our future. So, when it comes to living a life where we pack up our bags and move, its just the two of us. But, does this mean we should...? We have the opportunity to move abroad again, we've been offered a short term position overseas. But, we also have tempting offers here. Such as a house, and jobs with potential to make decent money. So, what do we do... can we do both? We have so much to think about and so many options. Its really hard to choose. But, in the end, we need to do what's best for us. Not just what everyone thinks we should be doing. What's the value of a job/money/lifestyle if its not making you happy? Another response I get when I tell people about what's going on in my life is "You're not getting any younger". OUCH . Ha Ha. While this statement is very true, its not something I'm terribly worried about. My husband and I are fairly responsible when it comes to our finances. We still treat ourselves to ice cream and nice things. But, we are not extravagant people. In the end as long as there is a roof over my head and food on the table, I'm happy. At the end of my life, I would much rather look back on my experiences and think "Yeah, that was a good life" than look at my bank account. NOW when I say this PLEASE don't take offense if you are someone working towards retirement. ESPECIALLY if you are someone who has kiddos to think of. This is why I think our situation is different than most. I sometimes feel like I don't really want what everyone else does... but, I'm ok with that. I just want to be happy. 


One happy moment I have been looking back on lately is when Ed proposed to me. I'm pretty sure, when any girl turns around and see's their significant other with a ring in their hands, its a happy moment. But, man Ed shot this one out of the park. He took me up to a pagoda on a nearby mountain to watch the sunrise and there he proposed. How could anyone say no?!? Really though, it was amazing. I would have said yes anywhere at anytime, but having it be in such a special place makes me realize how lucky I am. Being able to see places like this, is something else I miss. Heck, even going to buy vegetables at the market in China was an adventure. There isn't much adventure in our life now. Like I said, its pretty much work, eat, sleep and repeat. 

So, what would you do? Would you stay? Would you go? Would you try to do both...? 

Dreams vs Reality

Well, I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving! I had something to be extremely grateful for. I got to see my parents. I haven't seen my Dad in over a year! So, the fact that they were able to come up from AZ to WI to hang out with us for a week was and is great. I love my family. 

Now, as for my husband and myself... It was our first Thanksgiving here in America and I didn't see Ed until after 8pm. Now, don't worry... not every post I write will be me moaning about life. But, right now, this is life and I am trying to paint a clear and true picture for you all. The previous week Ed had worked about 60 hours and was offered overtime for Thanksgiving. This makes for one tired hubby. He worked 3am-3pm the day of Thanksgiving and even though I had spent time and effort into preparing a lovely (it was pretty dang good) turkey for Thanksgiving, he wasn't able to join in the family gathering.

It has been a rough week. I am trying my hardest to be happy. Something, I might add, that I don't think I should have to try so hard at. My parents are visiting and I feel as though I am not giving them the attention they deserve because I am too wrapped up in my own head and emotions. But, I am trying. I'm trying to enjoy the time I do have with my husband. But, all I keep thinking about is "Is this our future?" "Is this it?" "We work all day, sometimes all night, sleep, eat and do it again?". I don't socialize. Between working, maintaining the house (grocery shopping, cleaning, etc), and trying to exercise; I don't have any spare time. The very little spare time I have, I try to spend with Ed when we aren't on opposite schedules. Quite honestly, its depressing. 

When Ed and I were in China we would have a huge crowd over for Thanksgiving. It was wonderful. We weren't all Americans, but it was a good excuse to get together. We would have a huge meal together, everyone would bring something. We worked for a foreign language university, with majors from many different languages, requiring teachers from many different countries. The food on our Thanksgiving table was as diverse as we were. We would all sit down to eat and, as cheesy as it may sound, say one thing we were thankful for. This was my favorite part. I loved hearing about the joy in my friends' lives. 

This year I got to see my family. It was great. As I said, I love my family very much. We don't get together all that often (life is busy), but we try to for most holidays. However, even though I was home and with family. It still felt as though something was missing. I don't know if it was because Ed wasn't there or because it was a different experience. But, I couldn't shake this feeling of feeling out of place. This is not in ANY way due to my family. They are some of the most supportive, loving, and kind people on this planet. Its just the way it was. 

When we were dreaming of our life here... this isn't how I pictured it. I can't really describe how I pictured life to be. But the reality of life here is not what we want. Its hard to adjust to a new lifestyle when that one person you're supposed to have to lean on, isn't available. When we were in China, we had not only each other, but countless friends going through similar experiences. I guess that's why I decided to write this blog. I feel like we can't be the only ones who are going through this. So, if you're feeling like I'm feeling... you're not alone. We will get through this. We will find happiness. I'm not sure when, where or how... but we will. Life is funny, not ha ha funny, but an intriguing and crazy and unpredictable kind of funny. Somewhere in this great big ball of water is our happiness 🌏. 

Choosing Happiness

The first thing you have to do when you decide to write a blog is name it. I've been contemplating writing for awhile now. But, what do I call it..? I knew what I wanted to write about. I want to write about our life. I want to write about taking every opportunity we are presented. I want to write about what the world has to offer. I want to write about not settling for a life I don't like. I want to write about happiness. 
So, after MUCH deliberation. My husband and I settled on the name, Choosing Happiness. 

Welcome to our story. My name is Christiana and I will be the main composer of this blog. I graduated college in December of 2012 and decided to move to China. It was there that I met my wonderful husband Ed. We spent four years there together. In 2015 we became engaged and married. We then applied for my husbands green card to the States. I should pause here to say that my husband is from England. So, we applied and anxiously awaited word on the status of the application. Boy, do they make you wait. After various steps, fees and a final interview we were granted his green card (permanent resident card) in the beginning of 2017. 
We were excited and nervous. We had talked about what we would do. He is a certified personal trainer and would begin working in a gym and I would go back into teaching. Ohhhh if only it were that easy. 
At the time the green card was granted we were staying with his family in the UK. I am only allowed to stay in the UK for 6 months out of a 12 month period. Because we had visited for the Chinese New Year, my time was up before his official paperwork would arrive. So, I headed to the States to start our life. I moved into my parents home (my parents had recently moved to another state and left us their home to rent, but thats a whole other story) and began to make it our home. I applied for a few jobs and began interviewing. I was made several offers, but ended up deciding I was going to take a job in retail for awhile. I love teaching, but thought while I was settling in I needed a 9-5 job. Teaching is not and will never be a 9-5 job. The company offered a decent wage and benefits. So for what I needed, it worked. I was still working the retail position when Ed arrived. It was his turn to search for a job. He had a few interviews at gyms, that ended up not choosing him. I then decided I wasn't happy in my current job and needed to go back to teaching. So, I applied at a childcare center near our home and was hired. I was still working the retail position, while Ed searched for a job. After countless applications he took a job in a factory. It wasn't what he wanted to be doing, but the people were nice and it paid. It was then that I was able to leave the retail job and begin teaching. I also started my own business by becoming a Pampered Chef consultant. Soon after Ed started at the factory, they began having layoffs. He realized the work was not going to be reliable enough and began applying elsewhere. After a few interviews he found a place that seemed to be a better fit. It was closer to home and was actually requiring over-time from its employees rather than having to lay them off. 
We have now been in the US for 7 months. We are both working, and we hardly see each other. This is not the life we want. This is not the life we signed up for. 
Now, I don't want you to read this and think we were naive and thought all the pieces were just going to fall into place for us. We knew it was going to be hard. Moving is always a challenge. We weren't just moving, but starting a new life. We thought there would be ups and downs, just as we'd experienced in China. We just didn't expect it to be like this. For the past 7 months, there have been more downs than ups. Most days I feel like packing our bags and just leaving. One of the hardest things is not being together. My husband makes me a better and stronger person. Together I know we can conquer anything life throws at us. But, right now we aren't able to be there for each other. We are in this together, and yet some days feel so alone. 
Right now, I don't know what we are going to do. But, I know THIS isn't working for us. There are opportunities out there in this great big world that will lead to happiness, and we are going to choose them. We will choose us over anything else. 
There is so much more I could write, about our past, our future, and everything in between; but I will save that for the weeks to come!