Where in the World?

John and I have had several babymoons in the past month.  (I refer to them as babymoons, but John calls them job interviews.)  I like to tag along so I can check out the ophthalmology practices, neighborhoods, elementary schools, and housing options.  Each interview is an all-day affair, going from about 8 AM through 10 PM.  They are exciting and very stressful!  John doesn't want me to reveal TMI about the locations, since nothing is signed or official yet (and we still have one interview to go), but here are some pictures from our recent adventures.

BABYMOON #1:

This city is so friendly and trusting, that the airport vendors don't even lock up their food at night!  John and I took advantage and stuffed our pockets.  (Just joking.)

And the city was also very granola-ish.  (Which we like.) We were nerds and took a picture of this "waste reducing exfoliating body cleanser" (AKA soap) that was in our hotel bathroom.  

We met the boss' beautiful horses.  John desperately wants a horse now.

Not many job interviews involve catching runaway chickens when a fox is spotted in the backyard!  John was a hero and rounded up a bunch of the chickens, and locked them safely in their coop for the night.  

And here we are at an incredible restaurant (Barbacoa) with the boss and his wife. These guys are actually long-time family friends!  The doctor's wife was my Young Women's president when I was a teenager in Philadelphia.  She was a huge shaping influence on my life.  The interview with these guys felt like we were with family.

BABYMOON #2:

While John was assisting with cataract surgeries, I took the time to look at houses with a realtor, eat a fancy lunch with the office manager, and check out some sites nearby. 

BABYMOON #3 and #4 (same city): 

We took a little time away from interview #3 to enjoy the local temple

While John was shadowing the different doctors, I checked out tons of apartments (since houses are so expensive in this city).  I also visited a few schools and was VERY impressed.  They are some of the top public schools in the country.  During one afternoon, I went to a movie by myself (Austenland) and was amazed that instead of traditional popcorn and soda, the concessions stand offered artisan cheese platters and Toblerone!

And I had to snap a picture of the desserts at the swanky restaurant (Seasons 52) from interview #4.   During this dinner, I faced my fears and ordered Ahi Tuna in an effort to appear sophisticated.  (And I popped it in my mouth without hesitation or gags.  John owes me big!)

BABYMOON #5:

John took an hour away from interviewing in the afternoon to check out the neighborhood with me.  And it was gorgeous!

A little shout out to our boys...

(My parents dropped what they were doing and watched B&C in Philadelphia all week while John and I were on our interview blitz.  We are still trying to figure out how to repay them.)

34 weeks!  This picture taken while overlooking the mansions and yachts across from our dinner restaurant, One Fish Two Fish.  I was very grown up and ordered Tilapia.  John owes me again.

BABYMOON #6:

I had a great time checking out this town...

John and I would have very interesting neighbors if we moved here.   I had to cut off my tourism to join John and the doctors for a meal at Schlessingers, another a-maz-ing restaurant.  John and I need to run 50 miles to recover from all this wining and dining!

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And that's the end of the job update!  Despite the vastly different feels to these cities, we think we could be happy in any one of them.  We are currently in the soul-searching phase, and trying to decide which location is the best place for our family and best opportunity for John's career.  We hope to have official news to share soon!