Andrew Potter & Michael Virata

We met in 2004 when Andrew responded to an online ad Michael had placed while searching for a roommate. Meeting for the first time, we instantly hit it off as we had many of the same interests, including both owning a copy of Britney Spears’ movie, “Crossroads,” likely the only two ever sold! As our friendship developed while roommates, so did our love for each other. In 2008, we were fortunate to become legally married in California -- on the beach, surrounded by our family and friends. We are looking forward to starting a new chapter in our life together as parents in the same home we lived in as roommates, best friends, and spouses.

Andrew is enjoying a career in local government. He currently works for the County of San Diego, managing the operations of an administrative department. Michael is a scientist at a local biotech company where he conducts experiments and manages development projects related to DNA sequencing.

We both share a passion for travel and have been fortunate to explore numerous countries by land, air, and sea. We love to immerse ourselves in the culture of the places we visit, and as self-acclaimed foodies, we enjoy indulging in the local flavors.

We live in a diverse community called Hillcrest, centrally located in San Diego, California. Hillcrest is known for its tolerance, diversity, and many locally-owned businesses, including restaurants, cafés, and trendy shops. We enjoy weekend runs through the neighborhood, exploring local trails on our mountain bikes, searching for bargains at our many outdoor shopping malls, or just relaxing at home watching an episode of "Glee." We also share our home with our dog Parker whose talents include snuggling and smiling on command.

Our home is a block away from a weekly Farmer’s market and we can’t wait to introduce our child to a variety of fresh produce. We are a short stroll to Balboa Park where we look forward to exploring its many cultural attractions, including museums, playgrounds, and the San Diego Zoo through the eyes of our child. Given Michael’s science background, he can’t wait to explore Sea World and the local tide pools, teach our child about the animals at the zoo, and play at the Children’s Science Museum. With Andrew’s love of the outdoors, he is looking forward to spending time at the beach with our child, splashing in our pool, and bike rides through the park.

Spending time with family is important to us. Andrew’s family lives only an hour away in San Clemente, California, where we enjoy weekend family gatherings at his parents’ home or out on the family boat. Michael’s parents live in a suburb of Las Vegas and have recently retired. They are looking forward to spending lots of time in San Diego with their newest grandchild and traveling with us to the Philippines to visit our extended family.

During the holidays we rotate between San Clemente, Las Vegas, and Colorado, where Michael’s brother lives, to ensure we get to see our loved ones as often as possible.

We learned the importance of open adoption through a personal experience in Andrew’s family. Andrew’s mom gave birth to a girl at the age of 18. Her daughter was immediately placed in a closed adoption and his mom kept it a secret for 42 years. Fortunately, in 2009 after searching for her birth daughter, Andrew’s mom found her and she has been a close part of our family ever since. If Andrew’s mom had been given the opportunity to choose open adoption, the questions and uncertainty endured by Andrew’s mom and birthsister would have been minimal.

We want our child to know his or her birthmother. We hope you will follow his/her journey and join us in celebrating our child’s milestones together. If you choose us, you will always have a special place in our lives.

We promise to raise our child in an environment filled with unconditional love, compassion, and happiness. We vow to raise our child with faith, truthfulness, and strong values. Through travel, we are excited to share experiences and learn about different cultures around the world as a family. We both value the importance of a solid education and look forward to giving our child the opportunity to follow his/her own dreams and passions.

~Michael & Andrew
viratapotter@gmail.com