This adventure began in 2012, when Darling Husband was offered an overseas post (this is its own story for some future time). I bid my colleagues and the Working Spouse lifestyle Auf Wiedersehen and was promoted to, “Trailing Spouse.”  The children excitedly planned where to spend their “Fall Break,” “Winter Break,” “Ski Break,” and “Spring Break” from the American School. As for our Foxhound, to whom we promised a dog-friendly life in exchange for nine hours in a plastic crate flying across the Atlantic, his was truly a dog’s life. He traveled across Europe with us; chased trout in Austrian lakes; and ate Schnitzel mit Pommes at the Hütte on every weekend hike.

Fast forward to 2019. Our time in The World’s Most Livable City reached its end and we returned in June to the Red, White and Blue. The oldest child is a University of Michigan graduate paying his dues as a policy wonk in Washington, D.C.; the youngest one is an American School alum who attends Trinity College Dublin.

Barely one month after repatriating Darling Husband was invited to join the brilliant minds at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Knoxville, Tennessee. In the subsequent two months we I house-hunted; coordinated the move of our household goods in storage (from 2012) and the sea freight that had arrived from Austria; and oversaw the pack-out of our little short term apartment in D.C. The following day we pointed the wagon toward Knoxville.

As for not-so-dog-friendly America, naturally the Foxhound has a few thoughts about that.

So here we are.

And here’s where we’ve been. Follow along to see where we’re going. Welcome!