We used to be that house on Halloween—the one kids loved and parents secretly dreaded. Now, our haunted house is closing for business.

When you grow up in Texas, a ‘mum’ means a giant, glittery chest-sized flower covered in ribbons, bells, and enough school spirit to weigh a teenage girl down. Up here in the Northeast, mums are polite little shrubs that politely announce fall. So, when Mikey and I went to the Bristol Mum Festival, I wasn’t sure if I should expect sequins or shrubbery. Spoiler: it was more food trucks and car shows than flowers—but the company made it worth it.

Moving to another country comes with plenty of hurdles—paperwork, pets, and packing. What I didn’t expect was that the hardest part might be convincing Texas A&M to notarize a transcript. Spoiler: it was less “efficient university process” and more “Kafka meets Office Space.”

You know those moments when reality suddenly shows up on your front porch in an Amazon box? Yeah, that was us the day the dog crates arrived.

All we needed were fingerprints. What we got was a mystery, a power trip, and two very fine nice looking officers.

Sometimes the smallest details can throw a big wrench into even the best-laid plans. Today, a single date on our dogs’ paperwork forced us to rethink everything about our departure to Uruguay.

Two Mikes. Two totally different moving styles. One house to clear out. What could possibly go wrong?

Letting go of things we’ve held onto for years isn’t easy. Yesterday was our first real attempt at passing furniture and keepsakes on to others—and while it didn’t go exactly as planned, it reminded us that every step forward, no matter how small, is part of the journey.

Yesterday was heavy—struggling through Spanish lessons, sorting through memories tucked in Christmas ornaments, and feeling the weight of what we’re leaving behind. But even in the hard moments, I know this journey is about love, growth, and the new life waiting for us in Uruguay.

Meet Magdalena Lazaneo
She’s our go-to immigration specialist in Uruguay—and honestly, a total lifesaver. From our first email to in-person appointments, she’s been warm, organized, and endlessly helpful. In just a few meetings, she guided us through residency paperwork, healthcare appointments, and even helped us start planning our new life in Montevideo. We couldn’t be doing this without her!

Moving abroad comes with its fair share of questions, but one we hear more than any other is: “What about the dogs?”

For those of you who don’t know, we share our lives with two rescued greyhounds—12 Oaks, our gentle 13-year-old, and Tyson, our goofy 6-year-old soon turning 7. They’re not just pets; they’re family. And of course, they’re coming with us to Uruguay. The “yes” was easy—figuring out how to make it happen has been the real adventure.

When we tell people we’re moving to Uruguay (yes, it’s still in the Americas!), the same questions pop up: Where is it? Why move? Have you been there? What about 12 Oaks and Tyson?

I’ll answer each in separate posts. Today’s question: Have we traveled to Uruguay? Spoiler—yes, and the journey itself was an adventure.

We’ve got some big news—we’re moving to Uruguay! Yep, it’s official: in just 53 days we’ll be starting a brand-new chapter of life in South America.

So why such a big move? The short version: the U.S. no longer feels safe for us as members of the LGBTQ community. Rights we’ve relied on for years are being chipped away, and the direction of the country made us stop and ask—where do we want to live and truly thrive?

That question led us to Uruguay.