Sharing the journey of becoming an expat and the growth that comes with it.
We have been home now for one month as of this past week. I originally wanted to give myself a few days to observe our transition and take note, and post in that first week, but then distraction and brain fog took over and, well, I’m finally taking some time to get out my thoughts.
We are less than a week away from returning to the US. We’re knee deep in boxes and half packed suitcases, but I came up for air to give a little glimpse of the last couple of weeks.
We’ve done a LOT of amazing travels with the kids. And we’ve enjoyed the majority of it. But I should be transparent on how some of our travel days go. On all our trips we have many highs and many lows when it comes to family “moments”. The lows are mostly due to long days, and the ever present conflict of adults wanting to see things that kids are less interested in. Or, the food being “different”. Or, the walk too long. Or, there not being any downtime. And, while I try to be patient, I sometimes lose my cool.
We are soon approaching our 5 months mark here in Maastricht. For me, time seems to have slowed down this month, and I feel the recent days passing in small increments. This isn’t always a bad thing. Usually the holidays are so frenzied and somewhat stressful with endless to-do lists and events for the boys. But, the slow down combined with some feelings of isolation (I’ll explain later), dreary weather (to be fair…it is very Dutch weather and we knew it was coming), and the holidays making us miss some of the comforts of being with all our extended family, have certainly created some tough moments…mostly for me, and those who have to deal with me.
We have reached the 4 months mark and here in Maastricht the holidays are in full force. Starting in October you can see lights and decorations popping up around the city. It may seem early, but in Dutch traditions, there is no Thanksgiving, Sinterklaus arrives to the Netherlands in mid-late November (visiting several cities), and Sinterklaus gift-giving day is usually celebrated December 5th/6th.
Just last week we picked up the formal cards that show we are officially residents so I felt this was the time to update.
Italy is a hot destination for many, but getting there and around can be tricky. Here’s some things our family learned while vacationing in Rome and in Tuscany this October. Maybe it’ll help your next trip!
In 2019, Josh and I qualified for Duathlon Age Group World Championships, which was cancelled twice before being rescheduled this past weekend in Spain. We took the kids and Aunti Melissa and went to see what we could do!
Sometimes not everything goes according to plan. Our trip to Tuscany had many things go right and a handful of things go wrong.
Many of our trips have been spontaneous but this trip has been planned for months. Matt (Josh’s brother) and Tomi (Matt’s girlfriend) were the first people to say “we’re coming to visit!” and we picked a place (Italy) and time (the boys’ fall break) to make it happen. We visited Rome and Tuscany within a week!
We are Americans living in Maastricht, Netherlands. Back home in the US, October is one of my favorite months. Not only because it is my birthday month, but also because the weather starts cooling down a little, and we get a promise of a few colder weeks ahead after a super long hot summer. Near the end of the month, my boys and I usually gather at my brother’s house with pumpkins to carve; we’ve been doing it since before the boys were born. We show up with a pumpkin per person, some wine, and Chris always has a pot of butternut squash soup on the stove. If we’re being honest here, I come more for the soup than the pumpkin carving (my artistic skills are slim). We typically spend Halloween together as well, letting our collective four boys run amuck, begging friendly neighbors for candy and trying to eat it all when our backs are turned. Often the neighbors on my street also host a pre-trick or treat party on the street with Halloween snacks, drinks, and treats. To me, all of this is the prologue to the holiday season ahead and I truly look forward to it every year.
Why Champagne? Well, why not? This was planned somewhat spontaneously. We’ve come to appreciate that several places in France are 4 or less hours away. Totally drive-able for quick trips. Josh and I both enjoy Champagne wines, and it has been a bucket list item for us to go, taste, and also cycle in the region. We checked all those boxes and I’m happy to say it lived up to the self-created hype in our minds.
Melissa invited me to travel with her to a small village in southern Sweden to visit her grandparents. Who can say no to Sweden with your best friend? I felt so lucky to spend time with her and her incredible grandparents. I learned about FIKA, stugas, herring for breakfast, and heard all the stories of growing up in an immigrant family.
Soujourns with Sarah 