This is the first of many entries in what we hope will become a full chronicle of our move to Europe. My wife and I are in the middle of a big transition: we’re relocating to Europe, and we’re kicking everything off with a six-month stay in the UK.

The basic idea is simple. Because the visa timeline we’re working with runs about six months, we decided the UK would be our starting point. It will serve as our initial home base while we navigate the different visa requirements and long-term options elsewhere in Europe.

From that base in the UK, we plan to explore, get a feel for different countries and cities, and figure out where we actually want to be for the long haul. The goal is that once we’ve found that place, that’s where our roots will start to grow.

This journal is our way of documenting that entire process—from the very beginning to, hopefully, a positive and successful end where we land in a place that truly feels like home. Along the way, we’ll share the speed bumps we hit, the little tricks we learn, and how we navigate all of this in the 2026–2027 timeframe.

We’ve created a few tools to keep everything organized, including a website that will track our progress over time. This post is part of that effort: a simple, friendly explanation of what we’re doing, how we’re approaching it, and what it looks like in real life to move to Europe and build a new life from the ground up.