Rewards of raising kids internationally

Over lunch, my 3 year old asked me, "Mama, can we go to the restaurant with the kitties? Because I really love the restaurant with the kitties!"

(me:) Do you remember where that restaurant is? No? Chiang Mai, Thailand.

"Oh yeah! I love Thailand! We can go there and play with the kitties and ride in tuk-tuks. Can't we just go there again?"

At which point my 6 year old chimed in and the enthusiasm was unending.

I couldn't help feeling thrilled.

The expat lifestyle is not an easy road. It brings a host of extra challenges to parenting, on top of all the typical challenges of parenting. Different cultures, different languages, different faces, far from family...but so much benefit. Sometimes, I even get to see it in unexpected places, like at the lunch table.