My husband Peter and I find ourselves at an incredibly fortunate juncture. Each of us has earned a public pension at a relatively (very!) young age: he from a career as a civics and history teacher and I from a career as a lawyer for the state of Colorado. It’s time to migrate to a new life!
For years, knowing this moment was on the horizon, Peter and I obsessed over what we wanted to do when we “grew up.” We went over (and over) the possibilities. I made countless (incredibly helpful) suggestions to Peter. Like any good husband, he ignored me. Likewise, Peter made countless suggestions to me, the most frequent of which was that I should open an immigration law practice. He supported the suggestion with multiple, admittedly quite valid reasons. Like any good wife, I ignored him.
But over the past couple years, as the country has entered a particularly cruel and ugly era, I began to think Peter may have been right all along. Last September, I attended the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network’s (RMIAN) day-long seminar designed to recruit and provide basic training to potential pro bono immigration attorneys. I took on a few small cases for RMIAN, and I was hooked.
I was able to speak with my RMIAN clients in Spanish, but not confidently or competently enough to have the most important conversations without an interpreter. It was clear I needed to improve! Conveniently enough, one of Peter’s life-long goals has been to master Spanish. And we both wanted to take some time during this migratory phase of our lives to see the world.
A decision was made: We would travel through the majority of the countries in South America. Along the way, we would enroll in formal Spanish programs in multiple cities and towns while experiencing the wonders of the continent. Upon our return, my goal is to follow Peter’s (wise) suggestion to become an immigration attorney, or in some other way to use my legal skills and—I hope—greatly improved Spanish fluency in service to those who migrate.
just before leaving for Ecuador
This blog is for our friends and family who want to follow our migration.
Great adventure with great heart. I hope refining your Spanish is successful and your experiences enrich you again and again. Sending love!
Yay Claudia and Peter! So excited to follow your dreams and live (a bit vicariously too.) Glad all the travel glitches happened at the beginning and may that mean that no other hiccup will happen. Mazel Tov! Love, Fran
I am so jealous and even more eager to read about your adventures and live them vicariously. What a wonderful way to spend the next few months and to prepare for next steps back here in the crazy U.S. Wishing you safe, fun, enlightening travels, classes, time with each other. And sending love.