Re-Branded!

 As they say... out with the old...

 And... In with the new!!

We had our first visit to the adidas employee store yesterday, and it's hard to explain how difficult it is for a daily exerciser to replace the workout clothes she has accumulated over the past 6 years.  It took a few hours, but I think we have what we need to get started... including eight new pairs of shoes!

Lost in Translation??

Wow... I was just two months shy of checking "spinster" as my marital status on my visa application.  Think I need to talk with the Hong Kong government about changing this to "single and awesome".  I'm sure this is the first of many funny translations we'll tell you about...

One car down, one to go!

Moving to a different country is exciting... what is not exciting is trying to get rid of or otherwise figure out what to do with all of your worldly possessions.  One of the most expensive possessions that most Americans have is their car... I am no exception.  When I came back from Holland, I started living every Portlander's dream by buying a brand-new, fully loaded... drumroll please...  Subaru Outback!  I absolutely loved my car - I would have kept it forever... only we are moving.  This past weekend, I took it into the dealer where I bought it only 18 months ago, and they gladly bought it back from me, and at not too bad of a price.  We are relieved to have sold one of our cars - now, anyone know a person in need of a nice truck??  :)

We're Moving (again)!

While we once upon a time thought that we had had enough life-changing events in the past year (you know, buying a house, getting married, having an amazing honeymoon in Peru...), we've decided that we might as well add one more to the list (and, NO, I am NOT pregnant!).  When it rains, it pours, you know?

All joking aside, I've been on a pretty emotional roller coaster over the past month trying to decide between staying in a place that is very (VERY!) comfortable, from a location, friend, access to cool stuff, and work standpoint, and taking a leap of faith to a new company, a big promotion, and a location found just about as far from home as you can get.  It's been hard, to put it mildly.

After weeks of going back and forth on what we should do, Brian and I have decided that we are going to take a chance, and start a new adventure.  Does this honestly surprise you, coming from a couple that elected to go on a backpacking trip through Peru for our honeymoon rather than enjoy drinks from a pineapple on a beach?  (okay, in hindsight, the drinks from a pineapple on the beach might have been a TAD more relaxing, but I digress...)

I have accepted a job with the adidas group (I know, GASP!), and Brian and I will be relocating to Hong Kong in mid-October.  I am excited, and terrified, at the same time.

This job is going to be a huge learning experience for me, but I'm ready for it.  It's what I've been wanting to do for the past few years - working in the costing area on the manufacturing side.  I've enjoyed working in corporate finance, but, to be honest, I've been a manufacturing geek since straight out of college, and it feels like coming home to me.

Now, for some questions that I keep getting:

Will I miss Nike?  You bet.  I have been with the company for 5 1/2 years, and I have never known such a supportive, family-like company.  I have mentors there that I trust like a favorite aunt or uncle, and friends that are as close as siblings.  But, at the same time, there sometimes comes a crossroad when you can choose what is comfortable, or choose what is hard and is going to take a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to make it as good as what you've got.  I believe that I can do that, and I believe that the reward, the experience, and the adventure, are worth it.  I will never forget my time at "the berm", and I am so thankful for my time there. 

Will we miss Portland?  Oh yeah.  I've left this amazing place already once for another "opportunity of a lifetime" (seriously, I think I got the long end of the stick in the luck department).  I wasn't sure I'd ever leave again.  The friends that I've made here in my nine years are hands down some of the best people I have ever known.  My "sole sisters" have been the constant in my life since I met them 8 years ago training for our first marathon.  Who would have guessed that, 8 years later, after marriages, breakups, deaths, and joyous births, we would still be slogging out the miles every Saturday morning?  These girls are a highlight of my life, and a constant that has always been there for me.  Through these girls, I've met so many other wonderful people, through book (ahem, WINE) clubs, kickball, and anything else you could imagine.  And their partners are wonderful too.  Brian and I are both so blessed when it comes to friendships.  But, we know that via Skype, trips home, and the lure of the Orient, we WILL see each other again, somewhere, somehow.

Are we bummed to be so far from our families?  Without a doubt.  Our sister, Lisa, just gave birth to a beautiful little boy, Oliver Adin, on Saturday.  We are definitely sad to only get to see him every once in a while.  Brian and I are both very close with our families, so the distance is going to be a challenge for sure.  But, where there is a will, there is a way, and, while Christmas might look different than it normally does (luau in Hawaii, anyone?), we know that family will never be far.

Is your marriage strong enough for a move like this?  You're just newlyweds.  Yes, we are, but, anyone who was at our wedding knows that in the vows we wrote, which we hadn't seen before the wedding, Brian and I both talked about how when we met each other we felt that we had come home.  Home isn't a location, it's a feeling, and Brian and I have that together.  People will also remember the speeches delivered by my matron of honor and Brian's best man, talking about both of our senses of adventure - it's part of both of us, and one of the reasons that we are such a good match. This is just another adventure in a series of many that we are going to have in our lifetime.  First, Hong Kong... then ???

I will try to keep this blog as up-to-date as possible, and feel free to harass me if you check back and I haven't updated it recently.  Guilt trips work wonders on me.  ;)

Much love to all, and please do keep in touch!

Kristen & Brian