Why Are You Going to CHINA?

A lot of friends have been asking the same question: “Why are you going to China?” I thought I might attempt an answer to that question and will answer other questions in subsequent posts. Thanks for your interest!

First and foremost, our family's decision to go to China comes down to a feeling. William and I, for personal reasons, simply feel it is right at this time for our family to move there. As has always been the case before, the real reasons will show themselves after the fact, I’m sure. So, I would say that’s the first reason---a feeling. Lots of sub-categories under this “feeling” umbrella, but those are for us to sort through as we go through this exciting process.

Now, getting more concrete, and on to reason two. Our kids’ education. We have always wanted our kids to be bilingual, to be fluent in Mandarin and English. So far, that has not happened. They understand some Chinese but without context, they are in no way actually speaking it. There is a window of opportunity for the linguistic miracles to do their thing and we are coming to the end of that window with our oldest.

More than just the language issue, though, is education in general. William and I both have fairly strong feelings about what education means to a person’s life. We also know our kids, and know that they will benefit from a structured learning atmosphere, prior to what the U.S. kindergarten system (as wonderful as it is) can provide for them.

Second, we have family there. Yes, we also have family in the US and it has been wonderful to spend time with them these past 5 years. We have tried unsuccessfully to bring William’s parents here, even for a visit, only to be denied by the U.S. So, if we want our kids to know their only living grandparents, we are going to need to go to them! Having them associate with their extended family there will be a great blessing to them, I’m sure.

Third, money! We will have an opportunity to save money over there, whereas here that is impossible for us. Granted, we do live in one of the most expensive parts of the country, but our potential to save will increase quite a bit by working and living in China.

Well, those are the top three reasons, I guess. There are more, but that gives you an idea of why we’ve decided to move to the other side of the world. In an upcoming post, we’ll tell you more about what we’ll actually be doing there! And remember, if you’ve ever had the desire to visit China, we’d love to show you around. It is an incredible place!