My mind on transition.
There's a whole lotta thoughts coming out.. Fair warning.
After four years in a place, things become normal. For the past several weeks, I've been paying attention to the things which have become normal in an effort to condense my thoughts on leaving a place that has unintentionally become home. There's this strange thing that happens as a transition like this approaches, I've been through it several times and it's always the same. Transitions are part of the expat life, and it's the life we've chosen for ourselves and our kids.
During the decision process there's a tug-of-war inside. Is leaving really the best thing? What's so great "over there?" Would just one more year be a good idea?
There's a feeling of total excitement when a decision is finally reached. You're moving on. It's going to be AMAZING!
The lull of the next several months sits in - the waiting game. Still physically here, but there too. Our decision came very early in the calendar year, but the leaving doesn't happen until mid June - the waiting is long.
The grown ups feel it, the kids feel it too. Our kids moved into our bedroom over two months ago (that's about 60 days incase you didn't catch it). While I was busy one day in the kitchen, they moved their mattresses into our room (thankfully, it's a massive room). By the time I walked in, they'd moved both beds, made them, brought their rugs, books, CD player.. They moved in and they're still here. We're constant and comfortable and they just need that. We have a huge apartment and are currently living between the kitchen, 1 of 3 bedrooms and 1 of 3 bathrooms. Husband claims it's good because European housing is a lot smaller.
The packing, selling, donating etc. gets going and the fatigue of the transition begins in earnest. The novelty wears off. Having to touch EVERY SINGLE THING you own is overwhelming. I hate stuff. And yet, I know I will set up another home in another country so we will be at home. And it requires stuff. Hopefully never this much stuff though. Living inside and homeschooling most of the year with two little ones required a lot of "keep them busy" stuff.
Little things start to grate on you. Things you've dealt with totally fine every day until now. The traffic, the air, the ...., the...., the tan.. Everything is TAN! It's silly really, but when you're looking at another year, two, three in a place, you deal with irritations very differently than when you are about to leave a place. Today, I actually considered returning our rental car (we sold our car in the fall in anticipation of our move - transitions are long) and just Ubering everywhere.
Glad I reconsidered that, but tomorrow morning I will be confronted with the fuel light that's on because I just couldn't que for petrol today. I hate lines for gas.
After four years in a place, things become normal. For the past several weeks, I've been paying attention to the things which have become normal in an effort to condense my thoughts on leaving a place that has unintentionally become home. There's this strange thing that happens as a transition like this approaches, I've been through it several times and it's always the same. Transitions are part of the expat life, and it's the life we've chosen for ourselves and our kids.
During the decision process there's a tug-of-war inside. Is leaving really the best thing? What's so great "over there?" Would just one more year be a good idea?
There's a feeling of total excitement when a decision is finally reached. You're moving on. It's going to be AMAZING!
The lull of the next several months sits in - the waiting game. Still physically here, but there too. Our decision came very early in the calendar year, but the leaving doesn't happen until mid June - the waiting is long.
The grown ups feel it, the kids feel it too. Our kids moved into our bedroom over two months ago (that's about 60 days incase you didn't catch it). While I was busy one day in the kitchen, they moved their mattresses into our room (thankfully, it's a massive room). By the time I walked in, they'd moved both beds, made them, brought their rugs, books, CD player.. They moved in and they're still here. We're constant and comfortable and they just need that. We have a huge apartment and are currently living between the kitchen, 1 of 3 bedrooms and 1 of 3 bathrooms. Husband claims it's good because European housing is a lot smaller.
The packing, selling, donating etc. gets going and the fatigue of the transition begins in earnest. The novelty wears off. Having to touch EVERY SINGLE THING you own is overwhelming. I hate stuff. And yet, I know I will set up another home in another country so we will be at home. And it requires stuff. Hopefully never this much stuff though. Living inside and homeschooling most of the year with two little ones required a lot of "keep them busy" stuff.
Little things start to grate on you. Things you've dealt with totally fine every day until now. The traffic, the air, the ...., the...., the tan.. Everything is TAN! It's silly really, but when you're looking at another year, two, three in a place, you deal with irritations very differently than when you are about to leave a place. Today, I actually considered returning our rental car (we sold our car in the fall in anticipation of our move - transitions are long) and just Ubering everywhere.
Glad I reconsidered that, but tomorrow morning I will be confronted with the fuel light that's on because I just couldn't que for petrol today. I hate lines for gas.
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