Hi there! We’re Harrison & Rachel from Maryland. We’ve long dreamed of becoming parents and sharing not only our love, but the love from our expanded family around the world with our future child. Through Rachel’s work as a U.S. diplomat, we have the privilege of traveling the globe and submerging ourselves into diverse cultures and new experiences. We are so excited to share our adventures with your child, but we are looking forward to providing a loving home for them even more.

After getting married in 2021, we immediately began thinking about how to expand our family. Though we have been unsuccessful thus far, it hasn’t diminished our desire to be parents. It’s also why we are so eager to take on the awesome responsibility of adoption, and are so grateful for the opportunity to welcome your child into our family. We view adoption as a beautiful way to become parents and build a loving community where your child will be treasured.

It had to be fate for us to meet, because the odds were stacked against it ever happening. Rachel traveled the world for work and only happened to be in New York City for three years, where Harrison had lived for the past decade. The stars aligned, though, and after swiping right on Bumble and a first brunch date on the Upper West Side, we were inseparable. We realized we were the missing puzzle piece in each other’s lives. Nothing could keep us apart, not even the adventures of dating during a pandemic and later moving to California and then Maryland.

No matter what challenges get thrown our way, we know we are stronger together. We know our bond will be the foundation for many wonderful years as a family.

Many of our favorite hobbies we share in common revolve around the outdoors, travel, the 90s and food. Each year we do a family ski trip in Utah along with Harrison’s nephews, where the kids play in the snow and learn how to ski. Bike riding has been a shared passion no matter where we have lived: in New York, it was biking along the Hudson River; in Los Angeles, it was along The Strand which runs up the Pacific Ocean; and in Maryland it’s been the trails that take you right by the monuments in Washington, DC. Our best trips together have been to Hawaii and a road trip up the Pacific Coast Highway all the way from Los Angeles to Seattle.

We have a shared passion for music and bonded over many artists and bands from the 80’s and 90’s. We’ve seen Alanis Morissette in concert in both California and Maryland. We also love fun food experiences like taking cooking classes together. We’re already looking forward to all the fun adventures we can have as a family one day in Europe, whether it’s high tea in London, eating baguettes in Paris or a gentle boat trip up the canals in the Netherlands.

I grew up in Southern California and was a dreamer from an early age. Whether it was running a lemonade stand empire or convincing my parents to let me go on a two-month camping trip through Europe, I have always been excited by new experiences and living life to the fullest. I’m excited to become a mom and instill in our future child a sense of adventure and to encourage them to follow their dreams.

My job as a US Diplomat has allowed me to travel the world and be posted to fun spots like Dubai and the United Nations. I enjoy serving my country and knowing that I am contributing to a greater cause.

I love reading, classic Hollywood movies, and all things British royalty. My childhood dream was to ice skate so when I was an adult I started taking lessons. While I’m not quite ready to head to the Olympics just yet, I have one performance under my belt and take every opportunity to drag Harrison onto the ice.

One of Rachel’s many great qualities is how engaging she is. Whether it’s friends, family, or me, she is the best at nurturing relationships and being there for other people because she cares so deeply. She does so much for others, whether it’s in a professional or personal capacity, and she brings out the best in everyone. When our niece was born, she went out and bought a dollhouse, but not one already put together. Rather, she spent months painstakingly building it herself, which also speaks to how dedicated she is when she puts her mind to something, and one of the reasons I know what a wonderful mother she will be.

Her infectious personality brings me out of my shell and gets me to do activities that I otherwise wouldn’t be doing such as ice skating, or going to see a classic movie like Casablanca on New Year’s Eve, or pushing me to go the extra mile (or miles) on a bike ride. She is the perfect mix of goofy and dedicated, sweet and sassy.

I was raised in the Maryland area and spent the first 25 years of my life there before eventually moving to New York, California and back to Maryland again. I’m very much a Marylander at heart, loving nothing more than a bushel of crabs on a summer day or heading to the beach. My favorite childhood memories were my parents teaching me how to ride a bike and to ski. I can’t wait to create amazing memories like this with our future child.

I may seem quiet and introverted, but I’ve been known to have a quick wit and one of my favorite ways to express my sense of humor is through my work as a sports editor for the New York Post. I enjoy watching sports because of my career, but I also enjoy being outdoors with Rachel and our dogs. I’m also looking forward to planning a ski vacation in Europe when our future child is old enough to enjoy the slopes!

Harrison is the most supportive and loving person I know. He is the favorite of everyone in our family (including our dogs, niece and nephews, and my dad) due to his amazing ability to connect with everyone that he meets. I love his smile and the way his eyes light up when he says something witty (which is often!). Harrison is good natured and goes with the flow — he is always up for any fun idea I might have whether it’s to sign us up for a bike ride down a volcano or driving cross-country with our two dogs. I truly admire Harrison’s passion for journalism, a love that he has nurtured since he was a little boy.

Harrison is the best Uncle to our niece and three nephews — he is known for the most thoughtful gifts, building awesome snowmen, and throwing them the highest in the air. I know he will be an amazing father — one full of love, support and a desire to provide them with the best and most caring guidance possible as they grow up and navigate the world.

When we’re not living abroad, we call the Washington DC area home. We are currently located in Chevy Chase, a DC suburb, where we enjoy spending time at the Maryland Shore eating crabs, bike riding in Rock Creek Park, and visiting the many museums and landmarks.

Our neighborhood is very family friendly and we enjoy walking to our local farmers market every weekend. Our favorite season in Maryland is Fall when we go apple-picking with our nephews at a nearby farm.

In late 2025 our next 3-year posting will be in The Hague, Netherlands, a diverse city with a large international and expat community. When posted abroad, we enjoy being part of a tight-knit US Embassy community where we receive top-quality housing and form strong lifelong friendships. Overseas, we are provided very good housing in safe neighborhoods. Diplomatic children attend top-ranked international private schools where they can meet and form friendships with children from all around the world.

We both come from loving, supportive families who are very excited for our adoption journey and are eagerly waiting in the wings to love and support a new addition to the family. Rachel’s two younger brothers, parents, and her entire extended family live in Southern California where we were fortunate to live for the past three years before moving to Maryland. Rachel’s family is multi-cultural, tight-knit and loves spending time together — whether it’s sailing on her parents’ boat to Catalina, our annual trip to a dude ranch where we go horseback riding, or spending time in Palm Springs at her parents’ home.

Harrison’s parents were married for 50 years. Sadly, his father recently passed away, but he was excited to be a Poppy and Harrison’s mom to be a Grammy to a new grandchild. Harrison’s younger sister and wife have adopted all 3 of their sons – giving us a firsthand view that love is really what creates a family. We love skiing vacations with Harrison’s family where we hit the slopes, go tubing and enjoy sitting around the fire pit at night.

Our families are very close, and our parents have even vacationed together without us! Our connection as a family is very strong and there is a large community waiting to welcome your child with loving and open arms.

Dolly is a Jordanian Street Dog that Rachel rescued during her tour in Amman, Jordan. Dolly is an international jetsetter, having lived in Jordan, Dubai, New York and Los Angeles. When Rachel and Dolly met Harrison in New York, they were joined by his dog Lucky, a mini labradoodle, who loves walks in Central Park and pizza.

Dolly and Lucky love to snooze on the couch, snuggle and receive belly rubs from our niece and nephews, and the neighborhood kids.

It’s our greatest wish to build a family together and experience the joy of nurturing and supporting your child as they grow into their own person. We will honor you, their background and heritage, and we look forward to new family traditions.

Harrison’s father always made sure to end every conversation by saying “I love you,” a small but important tradition we hope to pass on to our future child so they know just how loved they are.

We look forward to reading books every night, quality time as a family and providing a safe and loving environment where they have a strong support system – emotionally, physically, and financially – not only from the two of us, but our large extended family as well.

We know this isn’t an easy process for you but from the bottom of our hearts we want you to know that you have our deepest gratitude and love for considering us as your child’s adoptive parents.

The pregnancy challenges we have experienced have only reinforced our desire to be parents, and we can’t thank you enough for taking the time to learn a little about who we are. While we may come from different backgrounds and have different life experiences, we hope to have the opportunity to learn about you and what your wishes are for your child as well.