Jenni sat in a noodle shop on Jeju Island, for a well-deserved quick trip away from the hustle and bustle of Seoul.  Though she tried to remain calm, cool, and collected on this trip, she couldn't help but feel increasingly flustered. Having a baby in your mid-40s was challenging enough. Add to that navigating a divorce and settling into a new country without knowing the language, is another thing.

"Why did I make such a rash decision?" she pondered. Oh, right, her ex-husband. The man who had demanded a divorce as soon as she showed him the positive pregnancy test.  Instead of comforting her, he yelled at her insisting he'd always been clear about not wanting children. It was as if she had somehow become pregnant all on her own. Being pregnant hadn’t been high on her to-do list either. Yet, due to an improbable twist of fate, her ex-husband's vasectomy had failed.  She found herself a divorcee with a beautiful, well-mannered 3-month-old named Grace.

Despite life literally throwing her a curve ball. Jenni was determined. She would pour the love of two parents into Grace, and give her an upbringing she herself had never experienced. 

During the contentious divorce proceedings, her ex relinquished all parental rights. Though her ex gave up all his parental rights, she did take him for all he was worth during the contentious divorce.  Thank goodess for the Judge. He ensured Jenni got a settlement that kept her and Grace out of poverty.  And since her ex made almost three times more then Jenni, the judge ordered alimony to be directly deducted from his salary. The judge, wary of the ex's possible refusal to pay, had made sure of that.

When a job posting came up in Seoul with her job, she begged her manager for it. She longed for a fresh start, free from the pitiful glances of friends and co-workers. Having grown up in foster care, moving was second nature to her. Her ex-husband had been her sole anchor, and before him, she'd shifted homes so many times she lost count, never really having any ties to a place.

So, just one month after Grace's birth, Jenni packed their meager belongings to start their new life. Her friends would often joke she was a minimalist, but in reality, years in foster care, moving from one home to another with just a garbage bag of her belongs, had taught her to live without attachments.

With three months of maternity leave left, Jenni planned to make the most of it. Her to-do list read:

• Settle into the new apartment.

• Establish a daily routine, both pre and post-work, to ensure a smooth transition.

• Find daycare.

• Enroll in Korean language classes.

• Explore their new country, with at least two trips outside of Seoul.

• Prioritize fitness. She had to stay healthy for Grace.