I am actually sitting in the business lounge at the Abu
Dhabi airport – heading home after a two week trip to Australia and Japan – it will
be great to get home and I’m sure Kel will be happy to not be going it alone
for awhile.
Abu Dhabi this morning.
So today will be a good day, but it also actually marks the
official 6 month mark from the time we last left Kansas City to begin our adventure
in the UK and I must say it has been quite a full six months. We often say, it feels like we fit about 3
years of life in about a months time as we had so much change hit us so
quickly.
In just a few short weeks upon arriving we had to:
-
Learn to drive on the other side of the road (it
is the right side of the road, but it still feels wrong)
-
Purchase two vehicles
-
Get the kids enrolled in a private school we
weren’t used to
-
Understand taxes, expenses in a new country
-
Understand a new culture
-
Find food we actually liked (still looking…)
-
Learn a new job
-
Work with new peers around the globe
-
Get used to global travel for all of us
-
Learn to do international banking – exchange rates
-
And so much more…
We had very realistic expectations of what the transition
would be like and prepared ourselves for it being very hard and it has been
just as hard as we have expected.
We got some advice from a local ex-pat that told us to train
your mind to look forward – not back and focus on what you have vs. what you haven’t. That advice has served us well as we could
have been quite bogged down in thinking about all that we don’t have in the UK
vs. the US.
Some of the surprisingly good parts.
-
Media Detox
– Due to the fact that we have few outlets for US news in the UK, we fill our
heads with a lot less information on a daily basis about local and national
crisis – much of which didn’t ever direct relate to us, but is amazing to see
what a vacation from all of that will do to free your mind. If you are a FOX news junkie…take a vacation
for a week – see what it does for you.
-
Family
Time – Due to the fact that we have a few less friends/responsibilities outside
of our school and work lives, we find that we have a lot more time to spend
together as a family – a fact that Kel and I know we will look back on as a
treasure when the kids are gone one day. We spend weekends together doing things vs.
running kids to other friends homes constantly.
We like that.
-
Travel
– It has been important for a number of reasons for us to get out and travel
and see some of Europe when we got here.
Probably the best move we made was schedule a trip to London in February
soon after we got her – it was a great opportunity for us all to see one of the
big reasons one would do something like this.
We have done other trips and plan more in the future to help us keep
looking forward.
-
Growth
– While it is hard to see when you are in the middle of it, I know I look
across my family and see such growth in everyone one of them for having taken
on this experience. Chloe has had
challenges that have made her more resilient and tougher than she ever knew she
was and will use some of these experiences as anchor points throughout her
life. Dawson has taught himself he can
make friends easy and enjoys new sports – we have also had a chance to have a
bit more Dad/Son time which I appreciate. Dawson will have left a boy and will
return a young man. Sadie is so sharp and being in a school that
challenges her more has pushed her to limits we didn’t think we would see for a
few years. Her spelling words a few
weeks ago were FARMYARD, MARVELOUS, MAGNIFICENT – a kindgergartner shouldn’t
know these words but she does. The girl
is spelling, playing piano and growing – she still has some apprehension on
Mondays about school that she is facing into and learning from. Kel has shown herself that she is stronger
than she thought she was. She has done a
lot of heavy lifting through this experience as I am not around as much as I
have been in the past and a lot is left on her to sort out and she is doing it
and facing into fears with her typical style and grace. She has a good ability to see the benefits of
the experience and has also done a great job being perceptive to each of the
kids needs as they have been on individual journeys. She is a superstar.
-
Get On
With It – The first few days we arrived in the UK it was raining – surprise
– so our thought was…we will stay in today as it will be difficult to get out
and about if we have to do a lot shopping. We eventually found our way out and
realized everyone was out – wrapped up and dressed for the occasions –and the
English people have taught us to just get on with it. The joke here is….if you waited for the
weather to be nice…well…you wouldn’t get out much.
-
Culture
Immersion – I think the world to us seemed like a very big place when we
were in the US and didn’t have a lot of direct experience of experiencing other
cultures…that has obviously changed and it is important to realize there is a
world going on out there where the cultures, customs and day to day activities
are different for us but quite normal for them.
-
Be
Uncomfortable – If I had to sum up the experience to date and offer a bit
of a challenge out there for all that might be reading. This experience has forced us to get
uncomfortable. We were actually quite
comfortable in KC – great network of friends, family support and many things
that gave us a lot of satisfaction.
There was no reason to leave that, but we forced past the comfort to see
what was on the otherside of this adventure.
The other side of the comfort zone sits opportunity and growth for us
all if we just take it. I’m not sure one has to move 4000 miles away to get
uncomfortable, there were probably ways we could have done that in KC…but this
has forced us to do it. On many occasion
every part of our being was saying turn back – go back to the safe place and we
pushed through and are glad we did.
It can still be hard at times, but 6 months in, we are happy
the challenges didn’t hold us back from seizing the moment. Let’s see what the next 6 months bring.
Great pictures!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you guys are 'seizing' the moment and are encourage. I have no doubt you are learning a lot from this experience and growing closer as a family. It's nice to hear all the unforeseen benefits that have come out of your trip. I hope and pray all the best for you.
I still hear the song every once in a while that you played for us before you all left something like "We're gonna make this place our home" and you all really have.
ReplyDeleteWhat changes a few months can make. The kids have made friends, learned new things at school that would take a long time to get to in the US not only done them but excelled at them.
Chloe, doing all the catch up from the first part of the year. Making new friends, leaving old friends, changing schools, changing homes, and changing countries and still she comes out so sweet and cute and so responsible. What a girl. Or course with her hair there has to be a really really smart brain just to hold up the hair....LOL
Dawson, he has really grown since December. You see the boy become a good looking, nice hair, great sports guy and learning new things as well. It is so neat to see them change right before our eyes. Sometimes you wish they didn't grow so fast. Dawson, I still don't think you are taller than me yet..........LOL
Sadie, WOW what can we say, learning words like Magnificent I agree kindergarteners don't even know the word and she is spelling it. Learning to play the piano, read so well and making lots of new friends. Miss "Jazz hands" has really blossomed and grown into a sweet, happy, cute little lady.
Kelly, oh my what can you say about her. It is really hard to move to another home let alone another country and keep your family happy, well fed, and together. Giving just the right amount of attention to the child who needs it most that day or maybe all. I am sure she has cried lots of tears after they went to school. It is never easy leaving a familiar place and being comfortable with where you are and what you are doing. She is really a great mom, wife and homemaker. God knew when she wanted to be a teacher how much this would help her in years to come. Proud of you.
Dave, Wow, I know it has to be so hard to move, handle all the financial obligations, get a home for your family, get the right cars and drive them on a different side of the street and keep a job that is totally new and I am sure exciting. Meeting new people in different countries, not knowing how you will be received at the first meeting,and just traveling by yourself to all these different places. Sounds glorious going to all the different countries but when you are changing time zones, deadlines, flying and hoping you get the right connections, and then have to be ready to meet with strangers it isn't so glorious anymore. I am sure.
We are so proud of all YOU ALL have accomplished in this short in some way and long in others.
We are glad that all went with the attitude that as the song says "WE'RE GONNA MAKE THIS PLACE OUR HOME" and you did.
Congratulations....pat yourselves on the back and say well done.
Love and kisses to all,
Mom and Pop
What a great note and a reminder that courage is rewarded. And courage is a specific, and important, word to use to describe your move. Each of you had to find the courage to be in an uncomfortable, different place and BELIEVE that you can find success and you have. In our own lives, we seem to take the same steps in the same way we took yesterday and believe ourselves to be brave. In truth, bravery is staring into the unknown, fully aware that you can't possibly know what awaits you, and still being courageous enough to take THAT first step. All of you took that step with little more than a handful of weeks to prepare and it's truly been remarkable to watch the way your family has adapted.
ReplyDeleteDean and I always said after our travels how much smaller the world felt when we had experienced a new culture, a new place and realized that in spite of these differences, all of us are people trying to love our families, add value to this world and live to our fullest potential. I can easily say that has been your goal in this journey and I'm so proud of how each of you have made it look so easy while including us along for the ride with this blog.
You guys were a great family 6 months ago - you're even greater now. We miss you and are still right beside you, no matter how many miles there are between us.
Love you guys,
Di