At times, life is stranger than fiction. This is our current reality.

There’s a storm brewing in our household. I’ve been casually logging things on Instagram for months but have neglected to properly catalogue all the mayhem.

What mayhem, you ask? Just our semi-homelessness, restless life after academia, a bizarre connection to Tennessee, and an unexpected pregnancy. *gulp* I’m afraid it’s true.

#WattsHQ has been helping people keep up with our nomadic existence. We’ve moved at least a dozen times since arriving in Canada. A housesitting gig here, a family reunion there. The itinerary may induce nausea or dizziness. Fraser Heights, Sunshine Hills, Burnaby, Seattle, Bellingham, Spokane, Mount Pleasant, back to Fraser Heights, Pender Harbour, and now Point Grey. We’ve packed out guest rooms, shimmied in and out of condos, curled up in basement suites, sprawled out in abandoned suburban homesteads, wandered along rustic waterfront property, and played dress up in a five-million dollar family home. It’s been anything but dull.

Throughout all our transitions, the quest for Steve’s job keeps us all on our toes. It also keeps my hair from staying put. (The stress is damaging my hairline permanently, I swear.)  #thethesisishistory has been neatly sorting these moments on my behalf, all the highs and lows that make up life after academia.

Along the way, Tennessee got a firm grip on me. #heguidedmetotennessee is more than a lyric stolen from Arrested Development’s debut album. It began with an exchange student praying to meet a family in Scotland and culminated in camping on Johnny Cash’s farm outside Nashville. As a result, Team Watts will be living in Knoxville for five weeks because….well, because we have nothing tying us down during my second trimester and there’s work to be done. That plus the fact that Tennessee barbeque is calling my name and we have a beautiful place to call home before we jet off to Australia for three weeks. (More transitions! Yikes!)

There’s also the not-so-subtle plot twist that blindsided us in November. It’s true: Team Watts will be welcoming another baby, due on the one year anniversary of our departure from Scotland. Our friends’ prayers for #onemoreWatts are being answered despite my spirit’s kicking and screaming. Truthfully, I’m coming to terms with it. Prayers have moved from “Hell no!!” to “Are you kidding me?!?” to “Okay, if you say so.” Occasionally I’m even bubbling up with mild enthusiasm. But I shed buckets of ugly tears when my suspicions were confirmed in the form of that damn little pregnancy test. The story of that sweet little miracle is far from over.

So consider this your warning that I will be gradually republishing the mini Instagram narratives on this platform. This will allow me to organize them properly and bridge the gaps with links. If you subscribe to this blog via email, apologies for flooding your inbox. The stories appear to be merging into one captivating narrative, at least from this perspective, and I sincerely hope you’re as entertained as we are. Thanks for riding this rollercoaster with us.

Love, E