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.