What happens if you take an American family and send them to Europe for ten years? In the summer of 2000, Bill and Elisa Meara, accompanied by 2 year-old Billy and 4 month-old Maria, left their home in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. and moved to the Azores. There they experienced the highs and lows of diplomatic life in a small, isolated corner of the world. After three years in the Azores, they spent four years in glittering London and three years in the beauty of Rome. Overseas they lived in two houses and two apartments, went to five schools, used four different health care systems, experienced one earthquake, 9-11, the terrorist attack on London, tea with the Queen, the election of Barack Obama, and a lot of other events. They lived mostly with the locals, learned Portuguese, Italian, and a bit of Cockney, and made many friends (foreign friends ) They returned to the United States in 2010 with a changed view of the world. This is their story. Bill Meara is a U.S. Foreign Service officer. Before joining the State Department he spent five years in the U.S. Army. Elisa Meara is a Garden designer. She was born and raised in the Dominican Republic. Billy and Maria Meara are currently students in Northern Virginia.