The Great American Whisper
Why Families Are Quietly Planning Lives Abroad
It starts as a whisper in your mind: a late-night scroll through international schools, twenty-seven browser tabs open comparing healthcare systems abroad, and quick closes of your laptop when colleagues walk by.
You're dreaming of leaving America, but you're afraid to say it out loud.
I get it. America is supposed to be "the dream, " the land of opportunity, the place people come to, not leave FROM. Your parents or grandparents might have sacrificed everything to get here.
But here's what no one talks about wanting more for your family doesn't diminish those sacrifices or that dream. It honors them by continuing the legacy of choosing better opportunities, even when they look different than expected.
The Fear Is Real
When we announced our move to Qatar, we heard it all:
"But what about the kids' education?"
"You're interrupting their lives!"
"You're making a huge mistake!"
Notice I said, "announced." Not asked, not discussed - announced. Because here's the truth: You and your family know what's best for you. We're not in our 20s anymore, testing the waters of life. We're parents with little ones counting on us to make the best decisions for their futures.
The Private Planning Phase
I see you:
Researching international schools at midnight
Calculating time zones for potential remote work
Wondering about healthcare systems abroad
Dreaming of better work-life balance
Looking for signs that this isn't crazy
And you're not alone. My DMs are full of families just like yours—planning privately, researching quietly, afraid to comment publicly, but desperate for guidance and support.
It's Okay to Want More
Let me tell you something deeply personal. I felt this overwhelming sense of guilt when I first started exploring life abroad. Here I was, with a successful business and a comfortable life, still wanting something different. Something more. Not just more stuff - but more experiences, more family time, more opportunities for my children to see the world differently.
I remember a conversation with my mother, who had immigrated to America for a better life. How could I explain that I was seeking what she sought - a better future for my family - just in a different direction? Her brave choice to leave her home taught me that geography shouldn't limit our dreams.
The truth is that wanting more isn't about being ungrateful for what you have. It's about being honest enough to acknowledge that success looks different for every family. For some, it's a house in the suburbs with a white picket fence. For others like us, it's watching our children easily navigate multiple languages and cultures, developing a worldview that no textbook could provide.
When we moved to Copenhagen and later to London and Doha, each step wasn't about running from something—it was about running toward possibilities—toward a life where family dinners aren't rushed between meetings, where vacation means more than two weeks a year, and where our children's understanding of the world isn't limited to what they see on screens.
This journey isn't about rejecting your roots. It's about being brave enough to grow new and keep the old strong. It's about showing your children that life's biggest adventures often start with someone being courageous enough to say, "What if?"
Where could you be in 2025?
Your Permission Slip
Let me share something I wish someone had told me during those late-night research sessions: You don't need permission to dream of a different life for your family. That voice inside you, the one wondering if there's a better way? It's worth listening to.
I remember sitting at my desk in London, surrounded by sticky notes and spreadsheets, wondering if I was crazy to consider another move. But that questioning led us to where we are now—watching our girls grow into citizens of the world with perspectives and opportunities I couldn't have imagined for them.
You see, wanting more for your family isn't about rejecting what you have. It's about being brave enough to acknowledge that different doesn't mean wrong. Wanting your children to experience world-class education, family-centered cultures, and global perspectives isn't selfish—it's visionary.
When I look at my daughters now, playing in the fountain gardens of Doha or chatting with friends from a dozen different countries, I'm grateful I listened to that inner voice. The one that said maybe, just maybe, our family's best life was waiting somewhere unexpected.
That voice you're hearing? The one that keeps you up at night exploring international schools and calculating time zones? It's not wrong. It's not crazy. It's the voice of a parent brave enough to consider all possibilities for their family's future.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Join us at the Your Expat Life Summit on January 18th (10 AM - 1 PM ET) - where you'll connect with families who've made the leap and experts who can show you how. Get answers about:
International schools
Global Housing
Remote work opportunities
Building community abroad
No judgment, no pressure - just real guidance from families who've been where you are.
To those still planning privately, I see you, I support you, and when you're ready, we're here to help you make your family's global dreams a reality.
Remember: Sometimes, the bravest thing isn't saying yes to the adventure - it's allowing yourself to consider it in the first place.