So, Who Are We?
Hi, we’re the Punkes! An American family currently calling Germany home, with a little boy who has already become quite the traveler. Our life now most certainly looks a lot different than we imagined five years ago.
Where It All Started
Before Germany, before the passports filled up, and definitely before Micah, it was just the two of us. Ryder and I actually went to high school together, but we didn’t connect until college. It’s amazing how the Lord’s timing is always perfect. In high school, we ran in different circles, but we knew of each other. How we connected in college is one of those IYKYK type of stories, but I will say that tequila wasn’t my friend that night. Ryder swept me off my feet figuratively and literally by being such a gentleman and conveniently being in the right place at the right time. Looking back, maybe good ole’ tequila was looking out for me that night…after all, I ended up finding my future husband.
Contrary to high school, we now ran in the same circles. Ryder and I both were college athletes at the University of Illinois, me a cheerleader and him a wrestler. We saw a lot more of each other, both unintentionally and intentionally. We became friends then more than friends, and four years later, we said I do.
The Question That Changed Everything
If you’ve read the About Me page, you already know I’ve worn a lot of career hats. You also know that I was on the path to a degree in law but changed course suddenly to pursue teaching all because of a single question posed by Ryder.
“If money wasn't a factor, what would your dream job be?”
This question inspired me to switch my major to English, minor in Secondary Education, and obtain an endorsement in Middle Grades Education. Teaching did make me extremely happy for that first year, it really did, but then something shifted. I don’t know if it was the location, grade, or the fact that we were coming off of a global pandemic, but I wasn’t happy anymore.
At the time, Ryder had graduated with a major in Kinesiology and was working as an arborist while awaiting next steps for medical school. I vividly remember sharing a meal together one evening at our kitchen island and thinking What are we doing with our lives? Is this truly where we’re meant to be? I thought back to that same question Ryder asked me years ago: “If money wasn't a factor, what would your dream job be?”, and I asked Ryder.
After a few further questions, Ryder revealed that he primarily wanted to serve something larger than himself, and we started talking about the military. Coming from a military family myself, this was a world I was comfortable with and open to. Then, me being me, I reached for the stars and brought up wanting to work in bridal. We spontaneously agreed to go for it, to leave our current career paths, and to chase happiness. I’m truly so proud of our “early twenties selves”. We stepped forward in faith rather than back in fear, and I can honestly say that question alone led us to a level of happiness that I never knew was possible.
The Military Changed Our Address…and Our Perspective
In September of 2022, Ryder shipped off to Basic Training in Fort Jackson, South Carolina. I moved out of our townhouse in our college town and moved back in with my parents (which I swore I would never do) while I waited for Ryder. Since money wasn’t really a factor, I chased that dream of working in bridal and started working at a local bridal shop two days a week. It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with the industry, become full-time, and climb within the business. I got to live out my “Say Yes to the Dress” dreams by working as a bridal stylist; I was surprisingly strong in sales and thrived in this position.
Six months later, it came time for Ryder to graduate Officer Candidate School in Fort Benning, Georgia. He was commissioned as a Military Intelligence Officer, and we were headed to Fort Huachuca, Arizona together. Just when I thought I would have to leave the job I loved, I was offered a remote position with the bridal shop which was such a huge blessing. Miraculously, the bridal shop had two locations: one in Morton, Illinois and one in Mesa, Arizona. I planned to work remotely but travel up to the Mesa store once a month for in-person training as I now held the title of Training and Development Coordinator. Helping with on-boarding and on-going sales training, leadership development, and hiring, I loved that this position allowed me to channel that lingering passion for education.
We lived in Arizona for a short seven months while Ryder completed Basic Officer Leadership Course (BOLC). It was time for us to move again, but we had no idea that we were about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.
Then Came Europe
In October of 2023, Ryder received a call from his branch manager. She shared that he had five options of places to go and needed to tell her immediately which one he wanted. Ryder made his selection, put me in the car blindfolded, and drove us to a German restaurant to announce that we were moving to Germany…in two weeks.
Those two weeks were a whirlwind. I still don’t know how we managed to pull everything off. Moving to a different country across the world is not for the weak, but as soon as we arrived, it was already worth it. We quickly fell in love with everything about the European lifestyle from slow Sundays to accessible public transportation.
Somehow during those two chaotic weeks, we had found the time to make a bucket list of the countries we wanted to visit while stationed here. There were 30 countries on that list. We immediately got to work and went on our first trip after just two weeks of being here. Taking advantage of long weekends became our thing, and before we knew it, we had gone beyond our bucket list. While we traveled, I continued to work remotely for the bridal shop as well as picked up a few additional contracts working for a bridal software company as a product marketing manager and a content blog writer. In order to comply with German tax laws, I had to get my business license making me self-employed and in charge of my own schedule. Although stressful at first, this shift gave me total flexibility which fit perfectly into our on-the-go lifestyle.
Our cups were so full. We were both in careers we loved, getting to explore God’s incredible creation, and fostering relationships with new friends all over the world.
Two Became Three
As you’ll soon learn, Ryder’s perspective on life is truly inspiring. He had the outlook that “every day without a child is one less day we’ll have with them.” After four years of marriage and two years of nonstop travel, we decided it was time to extend our family. Our journey to parenthood wasn’t linear, and it came with more ups and downs than we ever expected. After losing our first two pregnancies to miscarriage, we held tightly to our faith and continued to trust in God’s plan. In time, we were blessed with our sweet double rainbow baby, Micah.
Waiting on the Lord’s timing taught us a lot about His faithfulness, and ultimately each other. So much so that we decided to continue stretching our patience to find out the gender of our baby until birth, resulting in the most joyous surprise. Just like the prophet Micah, our son is the hope and peace that came after a time of ruin and despair. He is the light of our lives and certainly awakened a new level of happiness and love within us that we didn’t know was possible.
We knew that having a baby would change some things about how we travel, but it wouldn't discourage us from booking that flight or showing him the world we've grown to love. As soon as Micah’s passport arrived, we were on the go again, seriously…we drove to the airport the next morning to catch a last-minute flight to Sicily.
Learning to Love Home Just as Much
The more we've roamed, the more we've realized that adventure isn't the only thing that makes a life meaningful. Some of our favorite memories are the quiet ones at home. From Friday night pizza to Sunday morning brunch, gathering around our table together is just as fulfilling. With every new place we’ve called home, familiar family recipes have been one of the ways I’ve brought a little piece of home with me.
As a military family, we have a choice: we can either have the perspective that our homes are only temporary, and we shouldn't waste time and effort on home improvement and decor, or we can choose to hang the pictures, paint the walls, and do what needs to be done to make our house a home. Whether it’s a six month assignment or a three year tour, I always choose the latter. Although we love to roam, it’s always worth it to have a place that feels like us to come home to.
Why We’re Sharing It
Even though there’s days that we feel like we’re living in a movie, our goal isn’t to gain fame or become influencers. Our hope is to document our experiences for our future selves, inspire others, preserve the little things, and create something for Micah to eventually look back on. I’ve been around the block and back when it comes to finding the right way to share our story. From video editing to scrapbooking to journaling, I tried it all, but nothing felt quite right. Then I had a lightbulb moment: I have an English degree, I love reading and writing, and I’ve even published blogs before…duh, why hadn’t I thought of starting my own?
Maybe someday Micah will look back at these stories and see the places we took him, the meals we made, the home we built, and the life we were so grateful to live. Looking back, I can see God's hand in so many of the twists and turns that brought us here. The plans we thought we wanted, the doors that closed, the unexpected opportunities, the places we've called home, and the people He's placed around our table all feel like pieces of a story we couldn't have written ourselves.
Thanks for coming along for the journey. There's still so much world to roam, so many memories to gather, and a whole lot of life left to live.
All our love,
Kylie, Ryder, and Micah