Returning to Hungary.

Things have changed so much since the last time we were in this country. We've got two kids now that we didn't haves the last time we came here. We've been married a lot longer. It seems to be more of a move toward something than away from something.

That last is probably the most surprising part. The last time we came to Hungary in many ways we were running from the U.S., from our families, from our small town lives. Now we are running toward something. We are moving toward a future with more possibilities, toward a higher position in the company for Rachel, toward new experiences for our kids, toward a restarted career for me. These are all positive things, but also in many ways more scary. I think sometimes it's easier to run away from bad things than to chase down good things.

I don't just think it is easier to run away from bad than to run toward good, I know it. I think we all see people every day doing just that: People that can't accept themselves and be comfortable in their own skin use all kinds of devices to run away. It takes a good deal more courage to run towards the unknown than to run away from anything. I think in many ways it is even easier to stand still than to run towards the unknown, and if success is unfamiliar it's hard to move towards it even when it is knocking on your door.

I have been disappointed in many ways by the hit or miss nature of support from Rachel's company and the Cartus team that is supposed to be helping us adjust to living as expats again, but in some ways it's good. It's good to stand on your own skills and trust your own judgment and make mistakes and have success, but really own both. We aren't done with this journey yet. Really it's only just begun, but I think ultimately we are going to be okay.