1,694 Days in France
On February 23, 2013 a 24 year old and 25 year old stepped off a plane in Geneva, Switzerland, eager to begin life abroad in France.
They had been married for 2 1/2 years. They had been living out of suitcases and moving every 2 weeks for nearly 18 months. They were tired, they were anxious, they were excited. They had been dreaming of this moment for months. They didn't speak much French, but they were ready to dive in.
On October 14, 2017 a 29 year old and 30 year old will step foot onto a plane in Lyon, France, likely with tears in their eyes as they say goodbye to the country they've come to love and call home.
They have been married for 7 years. They have been learning to parent for 16 months. They are tired and anxious and sad and excited. They've been preparing for this moment for weeks. And in some ways, they feel just as unprepared for this move as they did nearly 5 years ago when coming the other direction.
When we first moved to France we committed to 2 years. Now, nearly 5 years later, we feel just as at home in France (in some ways) as we do (or rather did) in the United States. More than half of our marriage has been spent in this country; we've lived in our apartment in Aix-les-Bains longer than any other home - besides our parents'. We've learned to speak another language, adapt to another culture, raise a child, plant a church, make new friends....
In 2012 we attended Pre-Field Training in preparation for our move across the ocean. One of the things we remember most from this time was the pair o'ducks, or paradox - the "Yay Duck" and the "Yuck Duck" of seemingly contradictory emotions that we experienced in preparing to move overseas. As I look back now, I think we're feeling many of those same contradictory emotions as we prepare to return to the US for a period of time.
We're SO excited to live closer to family for a period, reconnect with dear friends, and see supporters whom we haven't seen in over 5 years! We're looking forward to peanut butter everything and not using outlet adapters all the time, actual 2-day shipping with Amazon Prime and the convenience of stores being opened 24/7.
And yet we are SO sad to be leaving this city and people that we've come to love - the fresh baked bread, the small-town-everyone-knows-you feel, the local market, French cheeses and wine, the beautiful lake less than a mile from our home, the running and biking paths, the mountains, the French language, our small group....
When we left America in 2013 it was difficult to say goodbye to our families and friends, but we knew that we'd be back. Leaving Aix-les-Bains is another story; we won't [likely] ever move back to this city. That is a hard reality.
They had been married for 2 1/2 years. They had been living out of suitcases and moving every 2 weeks for nearly 18 months. They were tired, they were anxious, they were excited. They had been dreaming of this moment for months. They didn't speak much French, but they were ready to dive in.
On October 14, 2017 a 29 year old and 30 year old will step foot onto a plane in Lyon, France, likely with tears in their eyes as they say goodbye to the country they've come to love and call home.
They have been married for 7 years. They have been learning to parent for 16 months. They are tired and anxious and sad and excited. They've been preparing for this moment for weeks. And in some ways, they feel just as unprepared for this move as they did nearly 5 years ago when coming the other direction.
When we first moved to France we committed to 2 years. Now, nearly 5 years later, we feel just as at home in France (in some ways) as we do (or rather did) in the United States. More than half of our marriage has been spent in this country; we've lived in our apartment in Aix-les-Bains longer than any other home - besides our parents'. We've learned to speak another language, adapt to another culture, raise a child, plant a church, make new friends....
In 2012 we attended Pre-Field Training in preparation for our move across the ocean. One of the things we remember most from this time was the pair o'ducks, or paradox - the "Yay Duck" and the "Yuck Duck" of seemingly contradictory emotions that we experienced in preparing to move overseas. As I look back now, I think we're feeling many of those same contradictory emotions as we prepare to return to the US for a period of time.
We're SO excited to live closer to family for a period, reconnect with dear friends, and see supporters whom we haven't seen in over 5 years! We're looking forward to peanut butter everything and not using outlet adapters all the time, actual 2-day shipping with Amazon Prime and the convenience of stores being opened 24/7.
And yet we are SO sad to be leaving this city and people that we've come to love - the fresh baked bread, the small-town-everyone-knows-you feel, the local market, French cheeses and wine, the beautiful lake less than a mile from our home, the running and biking paths, the mountains, the French language, our small group....
When we left America in 2013 it was difficult to say goodbye to our families and friends, but we knew that we'd be back. Leaving Aix-les-Bains is another story; we won't [likely] ever move back to this city. That is a hard reality.
But first, Greece.
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