Phases of living abroad

Reflecting. It's something we do A LOT here. Daily, hourly, by the minute...you get it. We talk a lot about life here, what we like and what we don't, what we hope life will be like when we move back to the states, etc. We probably talk more than is comfortable for Adam, but it's been realllllly good for us. We're on the same page and I love that. We've got each other's backs when things get tough and we share big smiles and happy hearts when we experience great things together.

Right now I'm in the place everyone said I'd get to. I'm past the honeymoon phase (where life is pure bliss) and I've coasted through the "What were we thinking?" phase. To be honest, I'm not sure I've ever fully had that phase. I'm now in the, "this is my life" phase. I feel content, but not permanently content, if that makes sense. I still have my ups and downs. I also know Adam has those moments.  He's missing his district, staff, and administrator in a BIG way. There is no font big enough or bold enough to emphasize the word BIG. He misses his job back home and feeling like he made a difference. I'm so proud of the educator he has become and wants to be.

Our temporary home is comfortable. But it's missing Ella and carpet. The cement floors are going to cause Adam to have a heart attack with his worry about the boys falling and hitting their heads. I do miss watching them play football and tackle each other. That said, it's a comfortable place for us to be for the next 19 months. We love, love, love the pool and how child-friendly our complex is. It's wonderful to hop off the elevator and have people greet us and happy to see the boys.

We can't wait for our first visitors in 5 weeks. Dick & Vicki will spend 2 weeks with us here. There are so many great places we want to take them, foods we want them to eat, etc. I think their timing will be perfect, as we're ready for some love from home. Speaking of love from home....I want to thank those of you who text, email, Skype, post on Facebook, call, etc. because it all means so VERY much to us. I talked to my mom recently who passed on some messages from people about our blog. Those mean a lot too. Just knowing there's people back home who are following this journey of ours keeps us close and connected.

This quote rings so true for me when I think about home:

“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.”