School applications had to be filed by December 31 and involved no less than 30 documents per institution, including formal IQ tests, immunization records, three years of report cards, letters of recommendation for the students and letters of intention for the parents, long form birth certificates, deposits, test fees, and administration fees. In all, I submitted six International School applications between the two girls, and woke up at 5 a.m. to do phone interviews with the head mistress...

The response I’ve heard most when telling people I was quitting my job as the president of a digital media company and going on sabbatical with my husband and two young daughters was almost universal: “We always wanted to do that but now it’s too late.” I admit, it’s a huge luxury to be able to to do this, but with the sale of a property in Palm Springs, California, plus savings, we decided to just go for it. Our children’s school in Vancouver was being rebuilt...