The process of updating this blog, going through all the photos from this past year, and thinking about the events that have transpired over the past several month has been a really good thing for me. I feel like much of this year I was in survival mode. It's amazing to me what we can do when we have to--I have such an appreciation for my husband and my family after the time that we spent apart and now through the times that we have had together. This move was probably a long time coming and I just needed to get to the space of realizing that it was one we should make.
The past several years in the US have been met with challenges, mostly in the form of job uncertainty, loss and unemployment. John has struggled with all of the ups and downs that came from a lousy economy and subsequent employment hassles. Additionally, the past 8-9 years have been in a country that was not his home. I think that he genuinely came to love parts of living where we lived, he adjusted and excelled in many areas, he made good friends and connected to people and places, but I think his heart always longed to be in Norway. After the last bought of another failing company and really evaluating our options we decided almost a year ago to the day that we would give living in Norway another try. We prayed and discussed, weighed pros and cons, and came to the realization that if we were going to uproot the kids and take them to another country, to learn another language and experience a different culture, now was the time. And so the wheels were set in motion--John accepted the job offer he had with Price Waterhouse Coopers and would return to the company and supervisor he had worked with nine years earlier. The kids and I stayed on in Atlanta and had a period of six months that we were apart from Pappa. That was HARD! I have a total appreciation for single parents and people who don't have the support and comfort of doing life together with a partner.
We got through the Spring, enjoyed lots of "lasts for now" in Suwanee--favorite restaurant visits, time with friends, park and pool visits, etc. We had an extraordinary summer in Colorado, one that I will not forget or take for granted for a long, long time. You don't often get an opportunity like that, time away from life to fully enjoy reconnecting with people and places, time spent with family, and time to prepare for the next stage of life that lies ahead.
When we arrived in Norway earlier this year, I didn't know what to expect. Having lived here once before when we were first married, I had lots of wonderful memories, but I also had LOTS of memories of feeling isolated, not fitting in, struggling to communicate and express myself in any kind of articulate way. Missing what I knew and many of the conveniences that came along with that. Feeling totally dependent on John and longing for my independence. In the midst of recalling that time, I also tried to remember that was almost 10 years ago, things have changed, I have changed, we now have two kids--so feeling lonely hopefully wouldn't be as big of a concern.
The past several years in the US have been met with challenges, mostly in the form of job uncertainty, loss and unemployment. John has struggled with all of the ups and downs that came from a lousy economy and subsequent employment hassles. Additionally, the past 8-9 years have been in a country that was not his home. I think that he genuinely came to love parts of living where we lived, he adjusted and excelled in many areas, he made good friends and connected to people and places, but I think his heart always longed to be in Norway. After the last bought of another failing company and really evaluating our options we decided almost a year ago to the day that we would give living in Norway another try. We prayed and discussed, weighed pros and cons, and came to the realization that if we were going to uproot the kids and take them to another country, to learn another language and experience a different culture, now was the time. And so the wheels were set in motion--John accepted the job offer he had with Price Waterhouse Coopers and would return to the company and supervisor he had worked with nine years earlier. The kids and I stayed on in Atlanta and had a period of six months that we were apart from Pappa. That was HARD! I have a total appreciation for single parents and people who don't have the support and comfort of doing life together with a partner.
We got through the Spring, enjoyed lots of "lasts for now" in Suwanee--favorite restaurant visits, time with friends, park and pool visits, etc. We had an extraordinary summer in Colorado, one that I will not forget or take for granted for a long, long time. You don't often get an opportunity like that, time away from life to fully enjoy reconnecting with people and places, time spent with family, and time to prepare for the next stage of life that lies ahead.
When we arrived in Norway earlier this year, I didn't know what to expect. Having lived here once before when we were first married, I had lots of wonderful memories, but I also had LOTS of memories of feeling isolated, not fitting in, struggling to communicate and express myself in any kind of articulate way. Missing what I knew and many of the conveniences that came along with that. Feeling totally dependent on John and longing for my independence. In the midst of recalling that time, I also tried to remember that was almost 10 years ago, things have changed, I have changed, we now have two kids--so feeling lonely hopefully wouldn't be as big of a concern.
Here we are, six months into our life here and I can honestly say that things are going better than I ever expected. That is not to say that there haven't been hard moments. This has been a transition and I am sure it will be for quite some time. I have had many days that I have been sad and miss our life back in Atlanta. Mostly I find that I miss my friends and family and those deep connections that took time to establish. Relationships are investments, they require time and energy and work and I feel like I had some really solid ones in place. The good news is that those relationships are still very much in tact, they just have to be accessed differently. Thanks goodness for internet, Facebook, and Skype!
Beyond my own struggles with adjusting to this new life, I think this move has been the hardest on Ava. She is her mother's daughter, she likes to be heard and to be able to express herself. She likes her friendships and feeling connected. There have been tears shed and conversations about "wanting to move back" and struggling with things here. But for the literal handful of days that have been met with tears, there a 100 days that she is thriving! Karsten in general is an easier going kid. He adapts well to situations and just kind of takes it all in --slow and steady, with very little drama. He is just like his Pappa in that way.
Both kids have amazed John and I with their ability to pick up the language. They are speaking Norwegian with a great deal of proficiency and have far surpassed me with the amount of vocabulary they have acquired. I don't know if I could do this life as well as they are doing it. There is rarely a day that they are not skipping to school, ready to take on another day. They were thrown into the deep end, full immersion, hearing a language they didn't speak six months ago and now use it to speak to each other. To see the expression on John's face when his kids are speaking his language is priceless. To say he is proud would be quite an under statement.
I love that both Ava and Karsten are making friends, going on play dates and to birthday parties and interacting with Norwegian kids like they have done this their whole life. I love the easier pace we have here, the amount of time we spend at home and together. I appreciate the amount of time that is spent outdoors--rain, snow or shine. I am grateful for the travel we have been able to do and look forward to many more adventures in the months and years to come. It is such a wonderful thing to be able to experience different places and different cultures with a fair amount of ease.
The past six months have been hard and wonderful all at the same time. I am feeling like we are getting more and more settled here and that Norway is starting to feel like home for all of us-- I look forward to all that 2014 has in store. Happy New Year indeed.
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