This is the first of two new posts that examines the past year, our first year, of expat life in Bangalore, India. The second is on its way.

When Masan was a year old I started this tradition of giving her a photo book for her birthday each year of the best photos of the past year. That way we could all revisit the fun adventures she had over the past year. She even had a book of her baptism and her trip to Disney (grandma did this one). I continued the tradition when Evie came along, and was doing so well, right up until Evie was about 3. Poor Mia doesn’t even have one photo book. This unfinished project is something that bothers me a great deal, and I cringe when I think about it, yet every time I would go to work on them one of two things would happen. 1) I would become sidetracked by something more pressing, like making dinner, doing laundry, or sleeping or 2) I would be swept down the photo rabbit hole reliving every single good time we have had that I would’t be able to come up for air, let alone finish a book.

My big plan in India was to finally catch up on the photo books for all 3 kids. A year in and the photo books are right where they were when we arrived. However, thinking (stressing) about them as I do from time-to-time inspired me here in this blog. To show instead of tell. The opportunity that Bangalore has given us as a gateway to so much of this magical country and even the great, big, wide world, has been truly a gift. With the day-to-day frustrations and hardships that can get under the skin of any expat living abroad in any developing country, it’s key to take a step back and look at the big picture—what have I seen, learned, and become because of this country? Below are the pictures that captured well the great, big, wonderful adventure the last year has been for this Brooklyn mama and her family.