Hi! We are Sanjana and Philipp, and we come from different backgrounds and grew up in completely different parts of the world (India and Europe). We met in our first year of our MBA program and started dating soon after. We moved to Texas after we graduated and got married in a stereotypical “big fat Indian wedding.” Since then we have traveled to almost all 50 states in the U.S., hiked up volcanoes in Guatemala, and spent two years living in London. Most of our weekends are spent watching Formula 1 racing on Sundays, traveling, taking long walks, and cooking together. A year ago we adopted our son, Liam, and our lives changed forever. We love being parents and having this bundle of joy in our lives. We are eager to grow our family and for our son to have siblings, just like both of us do.

We have family in almost every corner of the world and try to see them as often as we can. We love that our niece (aged 11) and nephew (aged 8) call us often now that they have learned how to use Zoom and even organize family calls over the weekend themselves.

Sanjana grew up in India, where every summer, Diwali and Christmas vacation were spent traveling in no less than groups of 15 uncles, aunts, and cousins. Even though we’re all grown up now, all cousins (now with spouses and kids in tow!) meet for a long weekend where we go wine tasting, kayaking, or hiking or spend time indoors playing board games. Philipp, who grew up in Europe and the U.S., is also very close to his extended family.

Even though our immediate families are scattered across four different countries, we still meet several times a year, and sometimes both sides of our families will travel together over a Christmas trip. No matter what, we talk to our parents and siblings at least once a week over FaceTime and have several different family groups where we are always texting and sharing photos and updates, and, of course, jokes and memes get sent around too!

Our two-story home is newly built and has an open kitchen floor plan. Like our family, it is a blend of our two cultures. The decorations and items remind us of the places we have lived and our families. The neighborhood we live in is quiet and close to work. There are several parks and play areas for kids nearby. Every weekend an ice cream truck plays music and stops on our street. We enjoy playing host and having family and friends over for meals or even longer stays, as is often the case when they visit from abroad.

Growing up in India, Sanjana always knew adoption was in the cards for her. We’ve been married for 11 years and are ready to expand our family again. The joint decision to adopt was one we made over a year of discussions and talking to friends and family who have adopted. We know this is the right way forward for us as a couple. After adopting our son last year, we are excited to start on this journey again to bring in a brother or sister to our family of three.