And so it begins

It may well be impossible to accurately describe what it is to make a trans-atlantic move with a family of five. I have been sitting at this keyboard for long moments trying desperately to grasp the image so as to share it here. It’s elusive at best.

Still, I shall try.

A rollercoaster may be apt  if we are talking about one of the new gyrating, rocket powered, swiftly twisting, loopy things that require one to sign a waiver thick as a phone book before boarding.  But it’s not all that, because there is a steady pace to the preparation of culling a house and packing the important items for shipping.

What it also is not is a carousel ride. There is no predictability to it and there is certainly no circular path in such a thing. It’s possible to liken it to a bumper car attraction but that’s really not it either.

I am not a runner, not even by a long shot. Apparently, I forgot to pass through the long leg line when signing up for body parts for this go at life. But here’s the thing. Getting here was nothing short of the longest endurance run I could imagine.

The journey started for our family with an email exchange in October of 2008. An exchange which ultimately led to a stateside trip for my husband to to a meet and greet of the potential employers. Employment which would change it up all over again for us and bring us across the ocean, this time returning to a home port (if not our home state) of the USA after 4 years in The Netherlands.  November also brought an official job offer. November changed our lives.

In January, we announced the move to the children. As predicted there was some weeping and wailing and then ultimately some build of excitement and enthusiasm as the prospect of stateside life returned to the mindset of the family.  Ultimately, I have exceptionally resilient children and as part of the international world we had all grown accustomed to (but not comfortable with) the comings and goings of international families such as ourselves. Meaning, we’d said goodbye before, we could prepare to do it all again.

That left us with simply the logistics of getting it all done. And overwhelming as you might expect such a task to be, there is system and order to such a monumental undertaking.

I like making lists anyway.

Without harping too much on the point, I want to make only this point with the first official post of this blog.

We made it.

We packed it all up (at least what we didn’t sell, toss, or give away) and we made it across the ocean.

We are stateside dwellers now, strange in our misfitedness, but oddly recognizing ourselves returning home.

We are indeed finding our way. You’re welcome to join us for the journey.

~jenn