Welcome to Our Buena Vida!

Welcome to Our Buena Vida. I used to wonder what it would be like to be married or to be a mother. I would often think about traveling to places far beyond the confines of my childhood home in Edison, New Jersey. I never wondered what it would be like to do all of these things at once.

In the last 10 months I have become pregnant (January), engaged (February), unemployed (April) and by choice) married (July), moved to a foreign country (August); become a wife, expatriate, and mother of three (two dogs and a newborn). It has been a Tilt-A-Whirl of a ride and we truly believed the culmination of all of this would be this last week (October 7) when our daughter Rafaella Rubio was born. We quickly realized... this is just the beginning.

The truth is, this has all been thrilling, exhausting, and scary at the same time. I was incredibly heartbroken to leave my family and excited about the possibilities that awaited me in a new country with no job and some freedom (baby trumps free time) to begin my writing/photography career. I was nervous to become a mother but couldn't help and wonder what she would look like, sound like, be like.

There will always be things that I miss (my family, Starbucks, and fall weather) living away from home. There are things that will be different in each new place we hope to experience. But looking forward into a somewhat unknown future with my husband and starting family fills my heart with hope and unbelievable joy. And through all of these valleys and divots of emotion, Mike and I keep wondering is this really happening? Are we really starting to live the life that we always wanted but were afraid to? And the answer is yes. We are living a good, good life. Our Buena Vida.

Good Life

- One Republic

Woke up in London yesterday
Found myself in the city near Piccadilly
Don't really know how I got here
I got some pictures on my phone

New names and numbers that I don't know
Address to places like Abbey Road
Day turns to night, night turns to whatever we want
We're young enough to say

Oh this has gotta be the good life
This has gotta be the good life
This could really be a good life, good life

Say oh, got this feeling that you can't fight
Like this city is on fire tonight
This could really be a good life
A good, good life

To my friends in New York, I say hello
My friends in L.A. they don't know
Where I've been for the past few years or so
Paris to China to Colorado

Sometimes there's airplanes I can' t jump out
Sometimes there's bullshit that don't work now
We are god of stories but please tell me
What there is to complain about

When you're happy like a fool
Let it take you over
When everything is out
You gotta take it in

Oh this has gotta be the good life
This has gotta be the good life
This could really be a good life, good life

Say oh, got this feeling that you can't fight
Like this city is on fire tonight
This could really be a good life
A good, good life

Hopelessly
I feel like there might be something that I'll miss
Hopelessly
I feel like the window closes oh so quick
Hopelessly
I'm taking a mental picture of you now
'Cuz hopelessly
The hope is we have so much to feel good about

Oh this has gotta be the good life
This has gotta be the good life
This could really be a good life, good life

Say oh, got this feeling that you can't fight
Like this city is on fire tonight
This could really be a good life
A good, good life

To my friends in New York, I say hello
My friends in L.A. they don't know
Where I've been for the past few years or so
Paris to China to Col-or-ado

Sometimes there's airplanes I can' t jump out
Sometimes there's bullshit that don't work now
We are god of stories but please tell me
What there is to complain about