When our time in Norway was about to expire we were uncertain as to where we would be next (we only found out where we were going five weeks before we moved). Even though we had limited options and control of our situation we asked our son for his preferences. Our son's response was heartfelt and has stuck with us since; his reply was he didn't care where we went as long as our family could/would maintain its strength and unity. When you move to a new country with a new language, new culture and no friends you very quickly learn to rely on each other as a family. One of my greatest worries about returning to Houston is losing what we have as a family. We recall what the culture and the nature of our lives was like before we left, and chances are we will revert back but hopefully it will be to a limited degree and we will be able to retain what we have as a family. Fortunately we will have some control over this concern, requiring a conscious effort to hold onto what we attained "by default" living overseas.
One of my biggest complaints/adjustments I had when we arrived in Norway was food. One of the biggest concerns I have about returning to the US is food. Since moving to Europe we have abandoned process food and greatly reduced eating-out. Most of our meals are home-made using fresh ingredients. European guidelines/controls allow us to freely pick fruits and vegetables which have little or no chemicals and are not harmful GMO's. With some effort I should be able to get the good fresh food I need. However, my concern is that we do not start down the slippery slope of the convenience of processed and fast food.
As a family we have discussed the above situations. We are committed to doing what it takes to continue our family bond and to eat healthy.
Wednesday, May 30, 2018
Friday, May 25, 2018
Sweet and Sour
Returning to the US stirs up a mix of emotions. Our move is a return
to a place we lived before versus returning home (home is where you as a
family are at). We are excited about rekindling friendships and taking
advantage of the people, places and things we are familiar with and
have missed during our absence. Conversely we are saddened at the
thought of leaving a continent we have grown to love and all the
experiences and opportunities it offers.
An ever present feeling is that of uncertainty. We have been told that repatriation can be more difficult than expatriation. When you move overseas you expect things to be different and mentally prepare for that, but when you return from where you came you expect things to be "the same." Reality is that we have changed, our friends have changed and the city has changed. We do not know what we do not know.
Our recent trips to Houston have started to open our eyes to what is to come. When we moved overseas we looked for housing ending up with the best available. Even though our housing was not perfect we knew we could survive the living situation for a few years. Looking at houses in Houston was different, we did not have to settle, we could search for the ideal house since it could be long term. The concept of getting what we want rather than having to settle is a good one.
A piece of advice we have received is to treat your repatriation as another expat assignment. As a family we have decided to heed that advice, and dwell on the excitement and adventure of our journey. You can not always control what happens to you but you can control how you respond. I will continue to provide a window on our experiences as we move.
An ever present feeling is that of uncertainty. We have been told that repatriation can be more difficult than expatriation. When you move overseas you expect things to be different and mentally prepare for that, but when you return from where you came you expect things to be "the same." Reality is that we have changed, our friends have changed and the city has changed. We do not know what we do not know.
Our recent trips to Houston have started to open our eyes to what is to come. When we moved overseas we looked for housing ending up with the best available. Even though our housing was not perfect we knew we could survive the living situation for a few years. Looking at houses in Houston was different, we did not have to settle, we could search for the ideal house since it could be long term. The concept of getting what we want rather than having to settle is a good one.
A piece of advice we have received is to treat your repatriation as another expat assignment. As a family we have decided to heed that advice, and dwell on the excitement and adventure of our journey. You can not always control what happens to you but you can control how you respond. I will continue to provide a window on our experiences as we move.
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
Houston Bound
After six plus years our time abroad is coming to an end. We will be returning to Houston, Texas this June or July. At this juncture we are not certain of the details of the timing of our repatriation. There are number of variables in play but we would like to return as soon as possible after our son completes his current school year.
We have purchased a lovely home in one of our dream neighborhoods. Our son has been accepted into a fantastic school that offers everything we were looking for including the International Baccalaureate program, French language instruction and an almost endless list of clubs and activities in line with our son's interests. We are uncertain of the position my wife will have or even the location where she will be working but our location is centrally located and any commute would be against the traffic flow.
As recent as six months ago had we known for certain that we were returning to Houston we would have been devastated. The thoughts and emotions we had about living overseas and repatriating are difficult to explain. The simple explanation, which does not do justice, is that we had grown to love the expat experience and the thought of returning to the US was stifling and confining. However; our hearts have changed and we are thrilled to be heading back to Houston! Circumstances contributed to the realization that now was/is the time time to return to Houston. We spent a great deal of time in prayer. God answered our prayers by opening and closing doors and by preparing our hearts and minds. As a family we are excited about going back to Houston!
We have purchased a lovely home in one of our dream neighborhoods. Our son has been accepted into a fantastic school that offers everything we were looking for including the International Baccalaureate program, French language instruction and an almost endless list of clubs and activities in line with our son's interests. We are uncertain of the position my wife will have or even the location where she will be working but our location is centrally located and any commute would be against the traffic flow.
As recent as six months ago had we known for certain that we were returning to Houston we would have been devastated. The thoughts and emotions we had about living overseas and repatriating are difficult to explain. The simple explanation, which does not do justice, is that we had grown to love the expat experience and the thought of returning to the US was stifling and confining. However; our hearts have changed and we are thrilled to be heading back to Houston! Circumstances contributed to the realization that now was/is the time time to return to Houston. We spent a great deal of time in prayer. God answered our prayers by opening and closing doors and by preparing our hearts and minds. As a family we are excited about going back to Houston!
Monday, May 7, 2018
Fields of Gold
France is a beautiful country with a vast variety of landscapes. Springtime comes with the brilliant yellow blossoms of the rapeseed (similar to canola) fields. Even a cloudy day is less dreary with the bright blossoms.
Thursday, May 3, 2018
A Few More Laughs
If you can't laugh at yourself then life won't be any fun. A few more jocular anecdotes recently came to mind that I wish to share.
In a recent post I mentioned that in our shipment from the US to Norway we received a half eaten box of cereal. On one of our moves we discovered a bag of trash (fortunately of the dry variety). Our discoveries pale in comparison to the family I read about that opened their shipment, which had been at sea for a month and a half, only to discover a container of soiled diapers.
During the misadventures of our last house we were forced to live in a bed and breakfast for a month. One day I was driving around our "new" neighborhood and mentally commented to myself about the idiot that was driving the wrong way down the one way street. As soon as my self-thought-comment had been made I realized I was the idiot driving the wrong way.
In France traffic lights are at the front of the intersection, once you are past the stop line you have no idea of the light situation. The street that leads from the local train station curves up toward the main street ending up in curved "T." To accommodate the buses that require a wide turning lane the stop light is located roughly 50 ft (15 m) from the "top" of the T. Not being familiar with all of the nuances of the intersection late one night on one of our first trips home from the train station I ended up waiting for a green light in the middle of "no man's land." A local walked up to my window to provide advice but when I indicated I did not speak French he laughed, muttered something (something about the crazy American I am guessing) and walked away. Not being able to see any traffic lights I had to guess when I was allowed to go. I am not sure if I had a green light but we got home safely.
In a recent post I mentioned that in our shipment from the US to Norway we received a half eaten box of cereal. On one of our moves we discovered a bag of trash (fortunately of the dry variety). Our discoveries pale in comparison to the family I read about that opened their shipment, which had been at sea for a month and a half, only to discover a container of soiled diapers.
During the misadventures of our last house we were forced to live in a bed and breakfast for a month. One day I was driving around our "new" neighborhood and mentally commented to myself about the idiot that was driving the wrong way down the one way street. As soon as my self-thought-comment had been made I realized I was the idiot driving the wrong way.
In France traffic lights are at the front of the intersection, once you are past the stop line you have no idea of the light situation. The street that leads from the local train station curves up toward the main street ending up in curved "T." To accommodate the buses that require a wide turning lane the stop light is located roughly 50 ft (15 m) from the "top" of the T. Not being familiar with all of the nuances of the intersection late one night on one of our first trips home from the train station I ended up waiting for a green light in the middle of "no man's land." A local walked up to my window to provide advice but when I indicated I did not speak French he laughed, muttered something (something about the crazy American I am guessing) and walked away. Not being able to see any traffic lights I had to guess when I was allowed to go. I am not sure if I had a green light but we got home safely.
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