The Adventure Begins… | Erik Rathwell

Sometimes you must take a leap. While the reasons vary—some clear, some intuitive—my wife and I sensed greater opportunity abroad than remaining stationary. Discovery in February of visa sponsorship eligibility through my wife's status as a "High Potential Individual" crystallized our decision to relocate to the UK before our youngest child started school.

Kitchen renovation during our move preparation — Along with just cleaning out and packing up the house, we decided to add a light kitchen upgrade to the mix!

Our family faced an ambitious timeline: securing visas, preparing our Seattle home for sale, liquidating possessions, obtaining pet certifications, and saying farewell to loved ones—all within six months while maintaining full-time employment. I can only characterize this period as "a noble form of madness."

Beyond logistics, psychological and financial uncertainties loomed. Yet my wife and I repeatedly concluded we would regret inaction. We prioritized providing our daughters with enriching experiences, accepting temporary displacement and fear as acceptable costs.

Shipping pallets with our belongings — Saying goodbye to the 2 pallets worth of stuff we packed for our family of 4.

To take this project on, we needed to mine the depths of confidence in ourselves and each other and trust that with our kindness, humility, creativity, intelligence, and accumulated talents, we will be able to forge a life in Scotland that will be rich with all of the things we value.

HBO work badges — I was with HBO or some variation thereof for 9 years, so it was a bit wild to retire these badges.

Two months into our Scottish adventure, the family has successfully navigated bureaucratic challenges, established ourselves in our new neighborhood, enrolled our children in school, and begun job searching. I'm grateful for local designers' generosity and plan to explore emerging design tools during this transition period.