See more of this family on Instagram (Wanderlust_Dads).
“Some call it an adventure, we call it our way of life!”
Both of us have an insatiable desire to explore and experience the world and the various cultures within it. It was our strong family values, adventurous outlook on life, and desire to share our lives and adventures with others, that brought us together. We both believe that “Real happiness doesn’t come from getting everything you want. It comes from sharing what you have with the people who matter”. We both have been very blessed in our lives and would be beyond humbled to share these experiences and resources with others who bless our lives.
Our Adventure / Why Adoption:
Paul and Jordan met on the dating app Hinge while Paul was on his annual snowboard/ski trip in Park City, Utah. Whilst adoring the winter wonderland and cuddling up on a couch with some friends, Paul and some chosen family (close friends) started to swipe. Jordan’s profile popped up and they were intrigued – sense of adventure, family values, and professional. Upon first glance of Paul’s profile, Jordan thought he looked like boring dentist – well Paul isn’t a dentist and Jordan could not have been farther from the truth. Paul’s adventurous spirit and genuine happiness is contagious and bubbles for all to see – it also keeps Jordan on his toes for what will come next.
During the COVID era, Paul decided that instead of spending his days working from home in a tiny San Franscico apartment, that he would fulfill one of his dreams to experience more of the world (he had previously taken a year off work to backpack and sail around the world – as well as take his parents for Europe for a month). It was during this six-month period of time that Jordan and Paul graduated from a chat here and again on the platform, to daily messages and video calls. Eventually the two decided that they should meet in person and Paul was able to squeeze Jordan into his jet setter life between living in New York City and Hawaii.
Jordan invited Paul to stay at his house for the week and wasn’t worried if it didn’t work out, because Paul was essentially Airbnb homeless/a vagabond with a job, but Paul made sure to book a rental car in case he needed to jet and didn’t want to wait for an Uber. Thankfully it did not happen, and both were so surprised how easily they got along. It was in this rental car that the couple took their first of many road trips to Jordan’s condo in Moab, UT. On the way there, there was a crazy hail and lightning storm and the couple saw how calmly each other reacted during intense situations.
Things went so well that Paul invited Jordan to come visit him in Hawaii, and Jordan booked a flight for the following week. This trip further reiterated how well the couple could coexist, as they both worked out of a tiny studio apartment a few blocks from Waikiki beach. Jordan was working at Goldman Sachs at the time and started work at 2am to support the market, which meant their afternoons and evenings were spent chasing sunsets, wandering around town, taking street-art bike tours, and exploring restaurants and massage schools – Jordan always finds a deal and even took Paul on a coupon date, but that is a separate story.
After Jordan left, Paul quickly realized that paradise wasn’t quite so magical without someone to share it with – even though he had a steady flow of friends and family to come visit. So after both completed some previously arranged travel, Jordan in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro for a friend’s wedding, and Paul with some friends around Hawaii and Burning Man, Jordan flew to California to meet Paul’s family (only the second boy to meet the fam) and then bought a one-way ticket back to California a little over a week later to move Paul to Utah.
The couple has been living in Utah ever since, but comes back to the bay usually every 1-2 months for a few weeks for family parties and to maintain close connections with siblings, nieces/nephews, and friends. Being an active component of both families lives and cultures, is something that both prioritize. In fact, both listed the importance of families and being fathers on their dating profiles and have really tried to grow their lives so they can provide an environment for children to excel.
After Jordan proposed atop a cliff, above the St. Francis Azizi (Paul’s and his mother’s saint) monastery, off the coast of Italy at sunset, the couple was wed at a ski resort in Utah in a cultural emulsion of a wedding that incorporated both Paul’s Vietnamese and Jordan’s post-Mormon families cultures. Because the couple likes to dress up and party, and also keep cultural traditions live, most of the guests changed outfits three times – we won’t say how many outfits the grooms had. The grooms flew to Vietnam to explore and get traditional attire for both sides of the family, so all could participate in the various traditions and ceremonies. Creating an accessible and respectful (food, religion, culture, etc.) ceremony/event for all was very important.
All in the wedding had ~200 in attendance and an additional ~300 for the evening open house and dance. The couple DYI’ed almost everything – even the wedding cake. It was a huge party with tons of food: Vietnamese, American, Indian, Tibetan, Lebanese, European, and even liquid nitrogen ice cream (a family favorite on Jordan’s bio dads side), a build it yourself Vietnamese spring roll demo (favorite from Paul’s family), and a lick it up plate (essentially various savory purees that the guest had to lick up at their tables as an ice breaker) the whole event ended in a white party.
Their whole courtship and marriage, has been focused on completing conscious steps to prepare themselves to be prepared and eligible to adopt and share their love of the world with another special someone(s). For them, it has been great to take parenting classes during and after courtship and listen to parenting and adoption podcasts and resources on road trips throughout the US and when they drive between Utah and California. The more they learn about parenting and each other, the more they continue to fall in love with each other. They cannot think of another individual that they would rather parent with and share of love of people and the world with!
Meet Jordan
Jordan is the oldest of 11 (all of which are half siblings) and was adopted by his dad (step dad) when he was ~12. He maintains relationships with all siblings and parents and greatly appreciates his bio-dad allowing him to be adopted. It is because of his own non-traditional family experiences, that he supports allowing the bio family and child to be the guide to the openness of the relationship and is grateful that he was afforded the opportunity to be adopted and determine what that would look like and was able to maintain positive, regular relations with both families. In fact, both families were an active part of the couple’s recent wedding and all love Paul – but what’s not to love.
Jordan was born and raised in Utah and moved to New York at 18 to attend college on a scholarship he got from participating in the international science fair. He subsequently moved to/lived in Thailand, Spain, Antigua and Barbuda, and Utah over the next five years while he finished his Bachelors in Molecular Biology, MBA, and Masters of Education in Instructional Design. He later went to school to earn a Master’s of Science in Leadership and Management – primarily to get cheaper symphony and opera tickets and because work would pay for it.
Jordan currently teaches yoga at a five-star hotel and is about to start a job with the US Government as a Software Program Manager, in addition to some property management he does on the side. He has previously worked at multiple startups and fortune 500 companies across the finance and biotech sectors and used to run a non-profit in Southeast Asia and a regional science fair in Utah.
Jordan has always had a strong desire to be a father, and told himself growing up that if he wasn’t married by 24, he would just adopt and be a single dad. Well 24 hit and he realized he wasn’t quite in the position to be a father yet, so he became a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) and has been volunteering with children in the foster system ever since. Then in 2019 he again felt a strong desire to mentor more, so he started taking classes with Utah Foster Care and Catholic Community Services and became a refugee unaccompanied minor foster parent. When there was a gap in placements, Paul moved in and Jordan had to stop being a foster parent due to state policies around unwed couples cohabitating while fostering. Jordan was okay with this because it was all a step towards his ultimate goal of being able to adopt and he knew that there was something special about Paul and really loved his family values.
Jordan has completed training programs with Utah CASA, Catholic Community Services, Adoption Learning Partners, and Utah Foster Care (2019 and 2023) and is excited about the opportunity to adopt and be a full-time, permeant parent.
Jordan speaks English and Thai, some French and Spanish, and is learning Vietnamese.
Jordan (by Paul)
I have great admiration for Jordan and for his kindness and compassion. I still remember the first Christmas flight we took together to fly back to the Bay Area. Jordan brought a bunch of Korean paper facial masks to give to all the flight attendants and workers at the airport. He did so to show his gratitude for their service. I was impressed by his thoughtful gestures towards strangers and people around him.
Jordan serves as an inspiration for me to lead an eco-friendly lifestyle by purchasing sustainable products and volunteering in my community to help the underprivileged. He constantly reminds me to visit my mother’s crypt at the church and say a prayer for her. I have always wanted someone like him in my life so that we can start a family together. His kind heart and tremendous dedication to making a difference in the world are truly remarkable.
I am looking forward to raising children with him.
Meet Paul
Paul grew up in Vietnam and immigrated to the US at age 12 post the Vietnam war with his parents and three older siblings. He remembers going “camping” in Vietnam with his family and coming back after only a few days. Later he learned that the “camping” trip was a failed escape plan. Paul and his family first moved to the Monterey, California area where his mother worked as a housekeeper at an inn. Paul’s first job was actually a bell boy at this same inn that looks out to the Monterey coast. His family instilled a strong work ethic and worked extremely hard to get off of welfare, start a family business, learn English, and ensure the children were able to excel. Education was a strong focus in his life and he graduated with Bachelors in Finance and Business Management, as well as an MBA.
Paul’s professional career has been primarily in Tech working at Intel, Palm, Hewlitt Packer, Twitter, Square, and Coinbase with a three-year stint as a Deputy Sheriff for Santa Clara County, after the financial crisis in 2000. Paul currently is a senior contract manager at Coinbase and also does some property management. Paul has lived primarily in California in Monterey, San Jose, San Franciso, and Chico, as well as abroad in Barcelona and Girona in Spain. Upon meeting Jordan, he quickly moved to Utah.
Paul has always had a strong desire to be a parent and has attended multiple parenting workshops and conferences on how gay and single men can start families, as well as completed training programs with Utah CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), Utah Foster Care, and Adoption Learning Partners. Paul actually has had multiple offers to co-parent with other single gays/lesbians and lesbian couples, but felt that he wanted a more committed partner to best support and share loving the child with and is grateful he has finally found this with Jordan.
Paul speaks English and Vietnamese and some Spanish.
Paul (by Jordan)
Paul is one of the happiest, most genuine people I know. The way he looks at life and the world, is as if he is experiencing it for the first time. He takes lots of pictures and is always on an adventure. His pure joy, for even the simplest things is contagious. It is crazy how quickly he is able to connect with others and make them feel special. Seeing Paul interact with my nieces and nephews has completely demonstrated how great of a dad he will be and the positive impact he has on others. One of my nephews (age 4) that lives out of state, shared only a few days with Paul at my step-mother’s inn, in upstate New York, and almost a year later made sure that Paul was the one driving the Mars rover on his play expedition. Or Another nephew (age 5) asked where Paul was, while riding a rollercoaster, because he liked hanging out with Paul so much – Paul had stepped away for an escalated work call, but quickly came back and rode a ton more rides.
Paul is a great partner and is super supportive, not only of me, but of other members of my family. I truly appreciate how he prioritizes family events and finding way to individually support and connect with my immediate and extended family. Paul prioritizes people and the balance of living in the moment and preparing for the future. He is extremely resilient and has far too many hobbies to list, as his main hobby is life, and living life to the fullest, with those he loves most.
Some of Our Hobbies, Traditions, and Favorite Things:
Socks: A game played by Jordan’s bio-mom’s family that is a mix of dodgeball, hide and seek, and sardines played indoors -inside the house, when it is dark outside with the lights turned off (minus maybe a couple small lights for safety) with clean socks. The family actually has special socks saved just for this game. Currently played by picking a walnut out of a bowl that one of Jordan’s brothers made. The walnuts have either an “S” or “H” on them (seeker or hider) and were grown in his parent’s front yard. The hiders go out first equipped with a couple socks and hide and wait for the seekers to come and attack- also with a couple socks. The dodgeball element of this game then ensues and the team that is wiped out first loses – if you are hit you can be saved by going to the safe/starting room and being tagged back out.
Tết: Short for Tết Nguyên Đán, is the most important celebration in Vietnamese culture. Tết celebrates the arrival of spring based on the Vietnamese calendar. It is a time full of celebrating family, current and past – through honoring our ancestors and elders and passing on luck and good fortune onto those younger. For our family, it is an occasion to wear our Áo dais (traditional Vietnamese dresses), eat lots of food, give red envelopes and blessings, and share our cultural identity through visiting the Vietnamese temple. It is sort of like New Years and Memorial Day combined with a lot more importance placed on the family (past and present) and brining in prosperity and health for the family into the new year.
Phở: A Vietnamese noodle dish the couple enjoys and makes all sorts of ways. Phở is like a multipurpose staple in the house used sometimes as a meal, a second meal, late night snack, immune booster, and so much more. It is a warm comforting dish that can be adapted for the situation and mood. The couple likes to make ghetto phở, a lot with various basic broths, a bunch of herbs (there is always, ginger, garlic, Thai basil, etc. in the house), and noodles. Definitely one of Paul’s happy dishes and also one of Jordan’s favorites.
Other Hobbies, Traditions, and Favorite Things
- Bike rides (especially between street art)
- Board Games
- Celebrating Cultures
- Eating
- EDM Concerts
- Family adventures/spending time with family
- Gardening
- Home remodeling
- Karaoke
- Kayaking
- Performances (ballet, symphony, opera, street acts, EDM, jazz…)
- Rollerblading
- Scuba Diving/Snorkeling
- Skiing/Snowboarding
- Sunsets
- Spending time with our nieces and nephews (family)
- Tag or board games with the nieces and nephews
- Taking pictures
- The sun
- Travel
- Walking around the neighborhood
- Wandering around new cities
Our Family
We are an interracial couple that celebrates our love and differences and love of life and would be humbled to share our love of the world and life with whatever children bless our lives.
The picture was taken at the wedding with some of the family in attendance.
Jordan’s Bio Mom’s Family
Family photo taken under the family walnut tree before a backyard pizza party. Notice Jordan’s grandma’s house is in the background. Jordan grew up living next to his grandma and grandpa and a bunch of cousins.
Jordan’s Bio Dad’s Family
Some of the siblings at the Inn in upstate New York, sipping homemade butter beer and preparing for a Harry Potter night.
Paul’s Family
Just a sliver of the Nguyen family. This group is known for their extravagant parties and their amazing cooking, dancing, and karaoke abilities.
Chosen Family
What people think of us as parents:
- “Loving, adventurous, open and very involved parents” – Brother
- “They will be a lucky, lucky baby! … No two people I know have a broader range of experiences caring for others than Paul and Jordan. With literally a combined dozen younger siblings, they always prioritize time with each person, even when we are spread all over the world.” – Step-Mom
- “Your child will be in amazingly loving hands!” – Former boss
- “I know you will be amazing parents. You have lived a life of service so being a parent will come to you naturally.” – Long time friend met dancing in the street
- “You two will make great, loving and caring parents!” – Career and Life Mentor
Final Thoughts/Our Promise:
- WE PROMISE to allow the child and you to be the guide for the openness of the adoption
- WE PROMISE unconditional love, support, and guidance
- WE PROMISE to provide great educational opportunities and support for late night school projects and competitions
- WE PROMISE to provide a safe environment to allow them to grow into their best self
- WE PROMISE to teach family values: respectful, honestly, tolerance and respect for differences, kindness, strong work ethic, and love for others
- WE PROMISE to prioritize family
- WE PROMISE to have continuous adventures, laugher, and joy
Sincerely,
Any child regardless of age, gender, or racial identity. Our target is age three or under to help the child assimilate into our niece and nephew peer group, as well as be around the same age as our core friend groups. Open to any race or nationality and Open adoption.
The ability to balance between living frugal and living large/experiencing life. The respect and support provided to others. Ability to prioritize family and provide grace in disagreements. Thoughtfulness and ability to make genuine connections and friendship and considerations given to others and for the environment.
