Unpacking The Journey
The last two months have been what we will call “pivotal” – you know, life changes that can redirect where you’re headed: those moments you’ll look back on as significant.
In July, Michael lost his job after eleven years with World Vision International. He has been our sole “breadwinner” since we moved to Costa Rica in 2022 while I’ve been busy having babies and figuring out this motherhood ordeal.
Our jobs have always connected us to the place we call home. We met in North Iraq as humanitarians, continued work in Jordan, and ultimately, it was his job which moved us here to Costa Rica. When he finally got a phone call letting him know that his role was being made redundant - what did we do? We started packing. Immediately.
Michael pulled down two large suitcases and tossed his favorite memorabilia into one while I filled another with books I wouldn’t be willing to part with.
“Anything you want to keep and move to our next home, pack it!” he instructed as he grabbed a picture frame or glass vase that we got as a wedding gift.
We were headed to the States the following week and figured it might be a good idea to bring a good amount for storage while we figured out what was next. By evening, our room looked like a tornado hit. In a sense, I felt like we were in the middle of one. Were we really going to move? Again? Where? Why? What would we do?
We didn’t have the answers. So, the next day, we unpacked it all. It hadn’t even been 24 hours and our response to job loss was moving. That is all we had known. You live somewhere because a job places you there, and when the time is up, you move somewhere else.
During our trip stateside we talked a lot about the next best thing. Buy our first home Stateside? Apply for jobs around the world? Stay in Costa Rica? We were at a crossroad.
The day of our flight from Orlando to Chicago another pivotal moment helped to add some clarity: a positive pregnancy test! Today, the baby is nearly 15 weeks, which means that I am entering the second trimester. The questions shifted from where we will live to “Where will we have the baby?”
After some back and forth we decided that Costa Rica just makes sense. Emma and Gabie have dual citizenship because they were born here, and it is a beautiful country with such a warm culture to be a part of. The cost of healthcare is significantly lower as well. With the potential loss of insurance, and the need to search for a new one, the cost of delivery in the United States is a pandora box.
It may not be a long-term plan, but we’re often only given a few sure steps to hold onto. It looks like there will be more fun adventures ahead with the addition of a fourth little Wicker. It looks like Michael and I will have to do some deep soul searching as we figure out what our income will be in this next season. And it looks like we have to remain open to pivots in the journey.