We’ve already shared the news with lots of family and friends. Here are the most common questions we’ve gotten, along with their answers.

Why are we moving home?

Our time abroad was never intended to be permanent. We always knew we wanted to move back to Cincinnati. Our families live in Cincinnati. We are very close to both of our families and have a strong community of friends. It means a lot to be near to them. The two things that bring me the most joy in my life are my family and being abroad. Sadly, it is impossible for me to have both (a fact that brings me much distress)! There is a lot that excites us about going back to Cincinnati, even though we aren’t quite ready to move back. Now is the time though.

If you aren’t quite ready, why are you moving home now?

Jay’s work. Jay has been working at Sanger & Eby since 2002. When we decided we were going to move abroad, they decided to let Jay work remotely. They were a huge factor in making our time abroad go smoothly. Sanger & Eby decided though that it was difficult for Jay to be a part of its growth if he was abroad. They want him in Cincinnati to fully contribute to the team.

After careful consideration, we decided it would be foolish for Jay to give up a job he is really passionate about when we planned to eventually move back to Cincinnati anyways. Many people at Sanger & Eby have become like second family to him. His boss, Mike, and the owners, Donna and Lisa, have helped him develop from a shy intern into a leader in the company. We are both eager to see where Sanger & Eby’s potential leads.

Why aren’t you moving home when Jay does?

It was a difficult decision, but I know I will get a lot out of two more months here. It will give me an opportunity to really immerse myself in the language, especially since I will be living with one of my Spanish colleagues. It will also allow me to finish up a fun large project I have been laboring on at work. It will be much more satisfactory to see it through.

Isn’t it weird to want to be away from your husband? Won’t you miss him?

No, I don’t find it weird. Yes, I will miss him terribly. We are perfectly happy and comfortable with our relationship. We believe our support of each others individual pursuits in life makes our relationship stronger. I am confident I will benefit a lot from my two months here. I’m sure it will fly by and we will together before we know it.

Where are you going to work when you move home?

I don’t know. Work here has discussed with me continuing on as a freelancer. That is the plan right now, but nothing has been formalized. Being abroad and experiencing new working opportunities has definitely cemented for me that I love being a designer. I enjoy solving problems with smart multi-disciplinary teams. I am a very curious person, which is probably the biggest reason I have a passion for traveling, and also one of the main reasons that I love the field of design.

Cincinnati isn’t San Francisco or New York, but there are plenty of opportunities for designers in Cincinnati. It is time for me to learn more about all of the options out there, decide more precisely what I want and to go for it. I’m definitely up for suggestions and advice. I’ll probably be hitting up many of you up individually in the next few months for precisely that.

Where are you going to live when you move home?

We will be joining the ranks of the boomerang generation and invading my parents’ empty nest. Living with my parents for a few months will make the move back to Cincinnati easier and give us an opportunity to save more money for a down payment on a house. Jay and I are lucky to have families who are both more than happy to have us around. Jay will be living with his parents until I get home.

When you do buy a house, in which neighborhood will it be?

No idea. There is so much to consider:

• We don’t want to be too far from our families. (My family lives north of the city in West Chester and Jay’s family is 45 minutes away from them, west of the city in Delhi.)
• We want to be near a major highway and not too far from downtown (definitely inside the I-275 loop highway).
• We’d like to be in a good school district. (We aren’t having kids soon. I don’t know when we will, but when we do we want them to go to a good school, and preferably not a private one because we both had very positive public school experiences.)
• I’d also like to be able to walk to places, but I’m not sure how realistic this is.

The good school district makes the biggest challenge. We’ve started perusing online ads in areas like Wyoming, Sycamore, Indian Hills and Madeira just for the fun of it, but houses in those neighborhoods are nearly 50% more than houses in other neighborhoods such as Colerain. We know we can always move again before our non-existent kids go to school, but we feel like housing prices are low now, so we’d be missing a good opportunity if we didn’t buy in a good school district. Of course, we have no idea what the future holds, so we feel silly thinking about all of this now, but buying a house is a huge investment, so here we are, thinking about all of this silly stuff. Once again, I am definitely open to suggestions and advice.

Are you going to stop blogging?

I don’t think so. Even though this blog started out as simply a way to share our adventures abroad with family and friends, its grown for me in meaning and in audience. I’ve always enjoyed writing and keeping a blog has been a new outlet for creativity. The blog will, of course, change. I’m just not sure how it will transform yet.

If you could do it all over again, would you still decide to live abroad?

100% definitely! It may be the best decision we’ve ever made.

Most of the differences aren’t good or bad; they’re just distinctive. The more I pondered the differences, I realized that there are a lot of similarities too – and perhaps some of these are universal design studio truths.

DIFFERENCES

• Language: Most business is conducted in Croatian (duh), so I am definitely on a need to know basis. Sometimes this is nice because I can really concentrate on design work. I just make sure I ask lots of questions so I don’t miss anything important. Luckily the biggest project I work on is with a German client (who owns a castle which houses a hotel and restaurant on a Croatian island) so all business and meetings are conducted in English.

• No project briefs: In the United States I was accustomed to getting project briefs containing all sorts of information from project goals to priorities of communication to the target audience. Here I start projects on a wing and a prayer. It would be nice to have more information from the client before the project started, but on the bright side, I find that I am getting the opportunity to learn a lot more about business planning and marketing because we are creating that for the client too. It is something I really love about my job.

• Informal pitches: Most project pitches here much less formal than American ones I’ve seen, and they usually involve many chats over coffee.

• Less resources: I miss all of the resources I used to have like large format printers and a library of magazines. I know this just goes with the territory of being in a smaller company – not really a Croatian thing.

• Formal work hours: I start work at 8:00am, take a 10 minute break in the morning, take an hour lunch break, take a 10 minute break in the afternoon, and leave at 4:30pm – everyday. Sometimes I find this stifles my creativity, but the advantages of leaving at 4:30 everyday completely outweigh that. It lets me find other outlets for my creativity and enjoy living life here with everything Split has to offer.

• Clients are less educated: Jay and I often feel that Croatia is 20 years behind the rest of the modern world in many ways. In the last 20 years design and innovation seem to have become the most popular buzz words in the business world, but definitely not in Split, Croatia. Many clients don’t see the value design adds to their business at all.

• No eating at my desk: In the United States it was quite common to eat at my desk along with my other co-workers so we could finish a rushed projects or leisurely do online research for a new project. Here I was told that no one eats at their desk. I assumed that was to make sure everyone took a proper lunch break, but it’s actually so no one gets crumbs in the keyboards.

• Work is more varied, but roles are more defined: I’m enjoying that the types of projects I work on varies a lot from corporate identities to packaging to advertisements to websites. Though I see a bigger variety of work, I find my role is more defined than it would be in an American work setting.

• Client payment is tricky: Getting paid by clients is tricky in all Croatian businesses. Clients rarely pay when they say they will and the complications seem to dominate everyday work life in Croatia. Bills can go unpaid for 12 or 18 months, or sometimes forever.

• No designated amount of sick days: Croatian companies do not designate workers a certain amount of work days. If an employee is sick, he or she has to go the doctor to get an official note and stay home from work the specified number of days the doctor thinks it will take to get better. To me, this is one of the most illogical Croatian work policies. Almost everyone is friends with their doctor and often employees take advantage of this because doctors usually write them notes saying they need to be off work for a week or more.

• No work days off for weekend holidays: If a holiday falls on the weekend, I don’t get the Friday or Monday off. Luckily, Croatia does have a few more public holidays than the United States so it makes up for it.

• More vacation days: I get 25 paid vacation days a year! And everyone in Croatia gets at least 18 vacation days. I think that is one of the best things about working in Europe.

SIMILARITIES

• Write-ups: I still get write-ups – papers with project numbers and due dates.

• Crazy client requests: There are still days when clients drive me crazy with never ending and unorganized requests.

• Getting the client to pick our favorite: I still strategize with colleagues on how we can get the client to pick our favorite concept option for a project.

• Good times with co-workers: I still go out to lunch sometimes with co-workers and we share stories from our weekends.

• Sketching: I still start every project sketching in my notepad.

• Inspiration: I still find inspiration in everything around me – now my environment is just new and different. And I still keep tabs on my favorite blogs and news web sites for inspiration.

• Telling stories: One of the things I love about being a designer is helping a brand tell a story to connect with its consumers. It is not necessarily expected here, but I still find the opportunities to bring story telling into many of my projects.

• Work is still work: A lot of people think I am just on an extended vacation here, but I promise that I am not. Work is still work. Some days I love it and some days I don’t. I’m still always happy when the weekend comes around. Maybe one day I’ll find that perfect job where I don’t look forward to the weekend, but I doubt it. I think no matter how much I love a job, my brain will always be ready for a small interlude after five days.

I think the father/daughter and mother/son dances may make me feel even more gooey inside. It’s the only time I almost cried at my own wedding (I’m not a happy crier) and the dance gets to my heart at every wedding. The parent always looks so proud and emotional. He or she is so happy for their child and for all of the great lifetime memories yet they are just a little sad that their baby is all grown up. It is so bitter sweet. It always feels precious to be able to stand back in the shadows around the dance floor and see two people share such a special point in time.

On July 25, 2009, Jay and I were in Cincinnati celebrating Jenny (Jay’s sister) and Chad’s wedding. Jenny and Chad are two very significant people in our lives, so of course, I loved seeing their first dances, but the day began well before that. My morning began at 6:00 am as my mom came rushing into our room slamming shut our windows as the rain poured in from a powerful thunderstorm. Jay and I rolled out of bed a couple hours later, cleaned up the window sill and carpet still wet with rain, and packed our things for the day as we hoped the persistent rain would soon stop. The forecast and weather radar did not look good.

I arrived at the Larbes home around 9:30 am and then we headed to the salon to meet all the girls in the wedding party and to start getting beautiful. Jenny’s girls included her mom, Julie (maid of honor and sister), Carlye (Chad’s sister), Becky (childhood friend), Katie (high school friend), Michelle (friend from year in Atlanta), and me (matron of honor and sister-in-law). There was lots of teasing and hairspray. Rain or shine our hair was going to stay beautiful. The elderly ladies who were Saturday regulars at the salon fawned over us as they asked who was the bride and gave us best wishes for a sunny afternoon.

The rest of the morning and early afternoon was for makeup, food, and relaxing. Katie, one of the bridesmaids, did Jenny’s makeup. They went to Sephora the weekend before the wedding to pick out her look and colors. The consultant had Jenny in bright blue eyeshadow, which isn’t quite her style, but by the big day everything was worked out. Jenny looked radiant in soft pinks. Her look was accented by the beautiful array of pinks from the roses in her bouquets.

As the finishing touches for makeup were applied and all of us bridesmaids got into our dresses, the clouds started to break up, the rain stopped and the sun even came out. By some miracle the rain stayed away for the rest of the day. We heard jokes from people all day about how they called in a favor to God for Jenny and Chad.

The photographer arrived at 2:15 pm for “getting ready” photos before she headed off to meet the guys at Mt. Echo Park for group photos. Mom Larbes, Julie and I helped Jenny into her dress, jewelry and shoes. Jenny’s dress was elegant and beautiful. The bodice was covered in lace with two small bows that accented her waist. The body was an a-line silhouette with smooth satin that fell to her feet with a small a-train in the back. Jenny’s necklace was elaborate pearls, which belonged to Grandma Maley and was worn for her 50th wedding anniversary. Jenny’s look came together perfectly. She looked stunning.

The only malfunction while getting Jenny ready happened when I accidentally stuck my finger in the moving ceiling fan as I helped with the dress. Luckily there was only a little blood, but it was quite painful. I still have a nice scar that is slowly healing.

The limo picked all of us girls up for photos at 4:15 pm. Mt. Echo Park provided a great backdrop. I tried to take a lot of photos throughout the day for Jenny, and Jay snapped photos of us at the park. We left the park and arrived at Our Lady of Victory Church shortly before 6:00 pm. We visited with Grandma Maley, Grandma Larbes and a few other family members who snuck back, and Julie and I helped Jenny go the restroom one last time before the walk down the aisle at 6:30 pm.

Have you ever thought about how a bride goes the restroom in that big poofy dress? If you have ever been a bride or bridesmaid you probably have. It seems to be the exact same ritual for almost every bride and it is a good laugh for everyone involved. You start by looking at the poof of the dress to determine how many bridesmaids are needed. For Jenny, Julie and I were sufficient. Then you all squeeze into a bathroom, preferably the handicap stall for extra room. The bridesmaids pick up the poof; there are layers and layers of fabric overflowing from their arms. They are extremely careful not to drop any fold of the dress into the toilet. At this point, the bride can’t see anything except the layers of white fabric and she is usually quite unbalanced as she tries to lower her undies (sometimes assistance is needed for this part too, but luckily Jenny could handle it on her own). The bridesmaids eye the toilet and the bride and tell her to shimmy backwards until she is perfectly positioned over the toilet. She has no choice but to trust her bridesmaids as she plops down and hopes she lands properly. Then she has to go the restroom with people standing just a few inches from her. Luckily she has the privacy provided by her poof. Somehow this all usually goes off without a hitch and is just an afterthought in a day full of great memories.

Now to the actual ceremony. Jay had lots of duties early; he escorted his mom, both of his grandmas and me down the aisle. It was nice to get to walk with Jay. He looked so handsome. The girls got to sit in the pew right next to where Chad stood waiting for Jenny. He looked a little nervous, but mostly eager. It was fun to watch his face as Jenny walked down the aisle with Dad Larbes. Surprisingly there was no flood of tears – just glossy eyes and super big smiles. My head probably looked like I was at a tennis match as it moved back and forth: looking at Jenny, looking at Chad, looking at Jenny, looking at Chad. I think Jenny won my attention in the end, but I didn’t have to decide long because Dad Larbes passed Jenny’s hand to Chad and they were together from then onward.

Jenny and Chad had a nice short Catholic wedding ceremony, which means no mass was given, but there was still plenty of substance. We listened to readings, a homily, and music sung by Jenny’s friend, Megan; we said a few prayers and offered peace to each other; they said their vows; Chad kissed the bride (very nice – passionate, but no excessive tongue – thank you), they received a blessing and walked out of the church hand in hand as Mr. and Mrs. Chad Noward!

We had family and bridal party photos at the church and again at Mt. Echo Park before we headed to the Benchmark reception hall to get the party started. Jenny and Chad started the fun by entering to Black Eyed Peas’ “Boom Boom Pow” and then cutting their cake. They had a “tight pact” not to smash the cake, but egged on by Dad Larbes, Chad smashed a big handful of cake in Jenny’s face. She was ready for it though and made sure she got him good by using both hands to smash cake all over his face. It was all in good fun. Luckily Jenny wasn’t too much of a mess. With a quick trip to the restroom, her face was easily made back to its original beauty and Mom Larbes helped clean out all the cake that had fell down her cleavage into the dress.

After a delicious dinner, Mark (best man), Julie, and I gave our speeches and wedding toasts. I really don’t mind talking in front of people, but still speeches are always a bit nerve racking. I told this to Jay as I was preparing my speech and his idea of consolation was to tell me not to worry about it because no one would remember it the next day anyways unless I bombed it. I don’t know if this made me feel better or annoyed me because it’s true, yet I spent so much time trying to make it good, sincere and thoughtful. I know Julie was very nervous because it was the first time she had given a speech, but I thought she did wonderfully. She had everyone in the audience laughing. So did Mark. Here is a video mix of our speeches:

The first dances were next and they did not disappoint. Jenny and Chad looked so happy and at ease as they danced to Michael Buble. Chad even showed off his moves by spinning Jenny. Jenny and Dad Larbes danced to Tim McGraw’s My Little Girl and I think this has to be one of the best songs ever made for a father/daughter dance:

You’re beautiful baby from the outside in.
Chase your dreams but always know the road that’ll lead you home again.
Go on, take on this whole world.
But to me you know you’ll always be, my little girl.

Now that has to make you smile just a little. Chad and his mom danced to Rod Stewart’s Forever Young. I’m sure it’s a moment Chad’s mom will always remember.

After the bouquet toss and garter toss, we spent the rest of the night shaking our booties on the dance floor and visiting with family and friends. Jay and my time in Cincinnati went by so quickly and the wedding day went by even quicker. We really appreciated that our last night in town was so special and we got to see so many people we love. I think Chad described it best when Jay asked him how the night was on a scale of 1-10. He said it was definitely a 20.

A few more of my favorite photos from the day: