Now that the news is out about our big move, I’ve been getting a lot of people telling me that they’re “so jealous!” of our new adventure. And to be honest, if I heard about a friend moving abroad to Europe for a couple years, I would probably have a similar reaction. (And, let’s be clear here, the people who are “so jealous” are saying it more in the “OMG I’m so jealous! That’s awesome!” kind of way, not the actual jealousy kind of way.)

I am super excited for our move. I picture all the exciting, good things that we will be doing in Amsterdam — finding a (hopefully adorable + charming) Dutch apartment, going out for delicious European coffee (at a cafe, not a coffee shop. ahem), drinking Belgian beers that you can’t find in the states (helloooo St Feuillien Blonde, I’m coming for you!)

But at the same time, I think about the parts that are a little less “let’s have a glamorous European adventure.”

I’m worried about flying overseas with a one year old child. Yes, we have a seat for her and are booked on a red eye, so hopefully she’ll sleep most of the way (fingers crossed!) And I’ve done a bunch of research on what to bring to keep her occupied and calm; but still, we’ve never flown with her, so who knows what’s going to happen?

And I’m nervous not just to be starting over in a brand new country — I’m giving up my job to do it. I’ve dreamed about staying home with Prim, but going from working full-time to being a stay at home mom in a country I don’t know, with zero support system — I’m not under the impression that it’s going to be all hearts and flowers. (Parenting is hard, people!) On top of that, the actual act of getting settled in a new country is bound to be a bit of work. We were able to ship a few things over to the Netherlands, which we opted to take advantage of so Prim could have her crib and high chair and stroller and what-not, but the majority of our stuff is in storage and will be staying in the US, which means we will mostly be starting from scratch in Amsterdam.

In a lot of ways, it’s going to be awesome and amazing and all those other light-up, buzzy sort of words. I mean, when you think of a fresh start — this is about as fresh as it gets! But as with just about anything else that’s exciting and new and different, there’s a lot of adjustment involved. I’m choosing to focus more on the positives and tapping into the excitement of the whole move, but I thought it was worth talking about the tough parts, because it is going to be tough. I’m sure I’m going to feel lonely and out of place for a bit. I’ll miss my family and the comfortable life we’ve built over many years in the Bay Area. (Um, and getting Prim onto European time? Lord help me.)

The good news is I have this little space to share allllll my complicated feelings while we embark on this new adventure. Lucky you! 😉

Have you ever gone through a big transition? (I mean, who hasn’t?) Did you just slide right into your new life with zero issues, or did you take some time to adjust? I’d love to hear your tips and tricks if you have any!

Oh and PS: If you can’t name where the title of this post came from, clearly you weren’t a 90’s kid obsessed with Saved by the Bell like I was. (Remember Jesse Spano and her caffeine pills? She’s basically my type-A spirit animal.)