Our First Post Together: San Francisco to Dallas

It was a beautiful morning in Oakland. The sun was shining, the sky was crystal blue, and the day’s agenda was to go for a hike in the Berkeley Hills. Little did I know that what would normally have been a relaxing morning filled with coffee and a leisurely attitude, would turn into a jolting moment of the news that was about to be shared.

Jonathan and I had just recently married, and yes I knew that I had married a Diplomat. And, I was constantly reminded of what it meant to be the spouse of a diplomat; being open to relocating, uprooting your personal and professional life, starting over. It was all believably fantastic in theory. But, as we began our scenic hike surrounded by the tranquility of Mother Nature Jonathan carefully chose his words and slowly broke the news that he had received a new post in Dallas, TX. As we continued to walk, time began to slow and my thoughts began to race.  A feeling of uneasiness came over me as I began to realize that all I had come to know over the past six years would no longer be. The path I had consciously chosen for myself had been disrupted by the professional path of my spouse. The 2 paths initially seemed incongruent. How would I adjust to a major life decision not being made by me? How would I come to rely on someone else financially in the near term? How could I place my faith in knowing that this change would bring us closer together not drive us apart? That I would find the type of work that interested me and allowed me to continue to learn? I didn’t.

I spent the next 2 months wrapping my head around the news and gaining clarity of thought. There were many restless days and nights where my personal fears seemed to be winning. The logical part of my brain would weigh the pros and cons while my emotional side created an uncomfortable inner restlessness I couldn’t shake. Ultimately, I distilled my thoughts down to a simple decision making question of What was truly important to me? The answer started to become loud and clear; the personal growth that would come from embracing the uncertainty, and my love for an amazing man and human being regardless of the outcome. I knew that I had accepted the unconventional path, but I have never been very conventional so it seemed fitting. 

Written by Kevin Huntting, Founder of The Proud Diplomat