Dear Birth Parent,
We are so honored that you are taking the time to get to know us! As you consider the courageous decision of placing your child for adoption, we would like you to rest assured that we are committed to providing them with a house full of warmth, laughter, and, most especially, love. We look forward to sharing with your child the unique opportunity to travel the world and live in different countries.
We have long-desired to build a family together and we are excited by the possibility of having a child that we could soon share our lives with.
No matter what decision you ultimately make, please know that we support you fully in your commitment to putting the best interests of your child first.
How we met
We met online while living in Amman, Jordan in the spring of 2014. Dan was in Jordan working for the U.S. Government.
Riyadh had been living in Jordan for the previous four years, first obtaining his Masters Degree and then using that degree to teach German at a local university. We began dating almost immediately, bonding over our shared love of travel, cooking, and new experiences. We were soon taking trips together around and outside of Jordan to visit the Bedouin camps of Wadi Rum, swim in the Dead Sea, and cruise the Bosphorus in Istanbul.
In 2015, Riyadh accompanied Dan to the United States, where he met Dan’s family (parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins) for the first time. They quickly came to appreciate him for his sense of humor and warmth, along with his amazing skills in the kitchen!
Following our trip to America, we dated long distance, with Dan working in Tunisia and Riyadh continuing to teach in Jordan. We visited each other multiple times over our year apart, including a trip by Dan to Jordan to meet Riyadh’s visiting family. Dan hit it off with Riyadh’s mother and immediately bonded with Riyadh’s sister over their shared love of the movie
“Frozen.”
During a trip to Thailand in February 2016, We decided to get married, tying the knot in August of that year.
Early on in our relationship, we knew that we wanted to bring a child into our family. We hope to give them all of the advantages that come from the opportunity to live all around the world.
Neighborhood & Life
We live in a beautiful town-house in a diverse residential neighborhood in a large East Coast city. Purchasing our first house together in late 2020 was a big step in our relationship; something we always wanted since we got married. We have since then enjoyed transforming it into our home.
We love the amenities that a big city provides, from museums and restaurants to the arts scene. The local elementary and middle school are both within walking distance of our home.
We are lucky to have some of our closest friends living within several blocks of our house. We often find ourselves in one another’s kitchen on multiple times per week as we cook meals for one another and play games. We even travel together frequently in the region, visiting nearby lakes and national parks.
Dan on Riyadh
Riyadh is simply unlike any other person that I have ever met in my life. While he will often hide it at first, Riyadh is incredibly funny and in a single deadpan word can bring a huge smile to my face. His humor is leavened by his genuine warmth. He gives so much of himself to the people with whom he surrounds himself.
Whenever a friend or family member is in need, Riyadh is always the first one there to lend a hand or cook a meal. And you have not eaten a meal until you have eaten one cooked by Riyadh!
He is fluent in four languages (Arabic, French, German & English) and the way that I have seen him seamlessly slip from one language to another never ceases to impress me.
I know that Riyadh is going to make an absolutely incredible father and I cannot wait to go on this journey with him.
Riyadh on Dan
What immediately attracted me to Dan was his charm, calmness and patience. After meeting his family, I knew where he got that from. The love and care he has for his family, friends and all people surrounding him makes me feel how lucky I am to have him as my husband by my side.
After all these years, Dan never stops amazing me with his broad knowledge in various domains. Thanks to him, I have been introduced to many movies, books, and activities I would have never thought I would enjoy.
I know he will be the most amazing father because I have watched him in the time he spends with all of the kids in our life. My sister with special needs met him only once and they bonded immediately. She is always excited to talk to him over the phone and is telling me already about all the games she can play with him when she comes to the States.
The Future
We are so excited about the possibility of expanding our family with a child and providing them with all of the opportunities and experiences that our life affords us to see and be exposed to different cultures. Dan’s job provides us with the ability to live all over the world and Riyadh is originally from Algeria, where most of his family still lives. During the course of our relationship, we have lived together in three countries on three separate continents. It is very important to us to instill in a child a global perspective that will benefit a child as he/she moves forward through life. We don’t know where the future is going to take us, but wherever we end up we will experience it together as a family!
