Hawaii is our happy place — the spot we daydream about when life gets busy and the one we keep finding our way back to. We have wandered Kauai together, just the two of us, and explored the Big Island and Oahu with Urvashi’s family, including her parents, her sister, and our niece and nephew. Each island gives us something a little different, but the feeling is always the same: island time, salt air, lush green landscapes, and the distant sound of waterfalls.

We tend to be active travelers. We have snorkeled century reefs, swum alongside wild dolphins, watched sea turtles drift through quiet bays, and spotted monk seals and manta rays. We have hiked down a dormant volcano, walked through lava tubes, and once trekked eleven miles to swim beneath a waterfall. We balance the adventure with sunsets, cultural sites, and small traditions of our own.

What we dream about most, though, is sharing it with our child — small hands building sand castles, first time snorkeling and spotting a fish, boogie boarding into giggles, hiking a trail together, or just splashing at the hotel pool. Hawaii gives us peace and adventure, and we cannot wait to give it to them too.

Education is a cornerstone of our family. Urvashi has JD, and John has a master's in history along with advanced certifications in financial services. John have also taught at the college level at Central New Mexico Community College, so the value of learning — and the joy of it — is something we live, not just preach.

We plan to enroll our child in one of Albuquerque's strong charter or private schools, chosen carefully to match who they are and how they learn. But school is only part of the picture. Both of us intend to be deeply involved in our child's education, going well beyond checking that homework is done. We want to nurture curiosity, help them build sound reasoning and problem-solving skills, and encourage them to ask good questions about the world around them. We also believe learning happens outside the classroom. We will support our child in sports, after-school clubs, and activities that match their interests, because those experiences build confidence, friendships, and character. Above all, we want our child to grow into a curious, capable, and connected person — someone who loves to learn and knows their parents are right there learning alongside them.

We live a full, active, and grounded life with plenty of room for a child to grow into it. Urvashi is a partner at a law firm, and John is a Vice President at a local credit union. Both of us have flexibility within our work schedules and we know a little one will fit right in. Our weekday evenings are warm and unhurried. We picture homework at the kitchen island, a walk around the neighborhood with the dogs, time in the garden, and dinner together over a show we love — West Wing, Gilmore Girls, Big Bang Theory, and Top Chef are household favorites, and we can't wait to discover what a child of ours adds to the rotation. Evenings wind down with reading side by side or just chatting about the day.

Weekends are where we really come alive, and a child will be right in the middle of it. We bike, hike in the mountains and along the river, wander farmers markets, and find new brunch spots. We take on house projects with a small helper in mind, and both sets of grandparents are close by and eager to spoil their grandchild. Fall belongs to football. Urvashi is a die-hard Eagles fan, and John bleeds Steelers black and yellow, and the friendly trash talk has become a household tradition we cannot wait to share — and let our child pick a side.

We are a family who shows up for each other — through tradition, food, laughter, and the small everyday acts of love that make a life together. Urvashi is warm, funny, organized, and brilliant — a financial wizard, a wonderful cook, and a lover of books and crafts who will pour all of that into a child. John can talk to anyone, is warm and funny and driven, and can fix just about anything. We met on a blind date and bonded over music, books, and football. We are partners and best friends who resolve the rare conflict quickly and make every decision together.

Around us is a circle of family woven tightly into our daily life. Urvashi's parents live five minutes away and would love nothing more than to spoil their grandchild with sweets, share Gujarati words, and pass on the traditions of Diwali and Holi — including Urvashi's mom's legendary Pani Puri. John's parents are equally loving and generous; their Catholic faith shapes their home, and they are deeply thoughtful about honoring Urvashi's heritage too. Easter ham and New Year's corned beef are family rituals we look forward to every year. Urvashi's sister and her family live in Los Alamos. Our nephew R is sweet, introspective, and a Minecraft devotee; our niece A is funny, carefree, and loves crafting with her Aunt. We can't wait for them to meet their new cousin.

We live in a four-bedroom home on a quiet cul-de-sac in the suburbs of Albuquerque, where kids ride bikes, skateboards, and scooters in the safety of a dead-end street. Several young families live nearby, so making friends will come easily. An elementary school and a newly renovated park are both within walking distance — the park has a playground for younger children and fields for kickball and soccer as kids grow.

Inside, the kitchen is the heart of our home. A big island invites cooking together, orchids bloom in the window, and one of the doors has a chalkboard surface just waiting to be drawn on. The TV room is where we land in the evenings, and there are several nooks throughout the house where a child can play and let their imagination run. The child's bedroom has a large window that fills the room with light.

Our backyard is where summer happens — apple, pear, and mulberry trees, flowers in bloom, and plenty of room for hide and seek and water balloon fights. My wife and I spend most evenings on the patio under New Mexico's famous skies. Bike and hiking trails are fifteen minutes away, and we have a condo across town with access to a private pool.

Our family rounds it out: Jackson our little shihzu, Ginger our medium size mix, and Rascal our cat. Both sets of grandparents live nearby and are a constant, loving presence in our lives.

There is no easy way to begin a letter like this, so we'll begin with the truth: thank you. Thank you for opening this profile, for considering us, for the love and courage it takes to even be in this moment. We don't pretend to know what you are walking through, but we know that the very fact that you are reading these words is itself an act of love for your child. That love is already shaping their story, and we hold you in our hearts no matter what you decide.

We are John and Urvashi. We met on a blind date through a mutual friend and spent that first evening talking about everything, books, music, philosophy, football, the things that make a person who they are. We have been partners and best friends ever since. We have built a life together that is steady, warm, and full of laughter, and for years we have hoped to share it with a child. After several years of trying, we came to adoption with open hearts, because what we want, more than anything, is to be parents, to give a child every ounce of love and care we have to give.

Our home in Albuquerque sits on a quiet cul-de-sac where children ride bikes and scooters and the neighborhood feels safe and known. Inside, the kitchen is the heart of everything, a big island where we cook together, orchids in the window, and a chalkboard door waiting for small hands to draw on. Our backyard has apple, pear, and mulberry trees, and room for hide-and-seek, soccer, and water balloon fights in the summer. Jackson the shih tzu, Ginger our loyal mixed breed, and Rascal the cat are already practicing being the world's most patient siblings. Family surrounds us. Urvashi's parents live five minutes away and are at the center of her daily life; John's parents and sisters are close too. Both sets of grandparents-to-be are warm, generous, and overflowing with love already. Our home is a blend of culture, Urvashi is Gujarati, and John is Italian and Irish, and we celebrate Diwali, Holi, Christmas, and Easter with equal joy. We have traveled to India together, and we are committed to honoring your child's full heritage, including everything they carry from you.

If you choose us, here is what we promise.

We will love your child unconditionally, every single day, in the easy seasons and the hard ones. We will tell them their story from the very beginning, woven gently into who they are, so there is never a moment of discovery or surprise. We will speak of you with love, respect, and gratitude — always. We want your child to know that they were placed into our family by someone whose love for them was so large and so brave that it changed all of our lives.

We also want you to know that we hope to stay connected with you. Sharing pictures, letters, and updates is something we look forward to, simply because we believe you deserve to see the child you loved enough to give a future to. We want you to know how they are growing, what makes them laugh, the little person they are becoming.

We will raise your child to be kind, curious, honest, and grounded. We will fill their life with traditions, travel, books, music, football Sundays, mountain hikes, ocean swims, and grandparents who adore them. And we will make sure they always know that they are deeply, fully, and forever loved, by us, and by you. Whatever you decide, please know that we are rooting for you, holding you in our hearts, and grateful beyond words that you are even reading this.

With love,

John & Urvashi