Five Weeks

Reviewing my calendar, I just noticed that we have been back in the states for exactly 5 weeks.  How much has changed in that time!  Just looking through the photos on my phone, the variation is striking.  It goes from everyday occasions in Caracas to emergency-style photos of moving, then vacation-style photos of keeping the girls busy in the district, and straight onto everyday occasions living in northern Virginia.  Phew!

I must say, though, I do feel as if we have landed and landed well.  Everyone seems fairly settled and comfortable.  Dave has begun his language training and feels happy with his schedule and lifestyle right now.  Lilly and Sophia have been in school for 3 weeks and its as if they never left.  Lilly finished off the season with her old soccer team and Sophia is signing up for basketball.  They both jumped into swimming lessons because they missed them from Caracas, but already this seems distant to them and they're looking forward to the lessons ending in a few weeks.  They have loads of friends and are doing great in school.  Annika and I enjoy storytime at the library, music class, meeting friends at Starbucks or at the playground and generally keeping each other company.

A few interesting differences I have noticed:

Dave and I are still eating whatever we crave.  It occurred to me that this could be a celebration of having left Caracas, where you eat whatever is available.  Admittedly, we had a well stocked larder.  But still, you didn't crave a goat cheese salad and also eat one in the same day.  But here?  Absolutely!  There's a sweetgreen within walking distance - that salad will be delicious!  Feel like some Ben and Jerry's after the girls go to bed?  Nothing stopping you!  Although actually, our pants are stopping us - and now that we've identified this interesting difference, we need to put it to bed.

Also, I have given up on planning.  Dave expects this to start back up again soon, as I am organized to the hilt and a planner by nature.  Dave's putting together his travel orders for the rest of our time here, to culminate in our plans for next summer.  I simply can not build up the energy to plan next summer.  It seems an awfully long time from now.  I have very little interest in planning anything for Jakarta, or even learning about Indonesia.  Its simply too far away.  I have begun thinking about Christmas, but anything beyond that seems too far away and much too uncertain to be able to think about.  I don't want to buy anything in bulk and I certainly don't want to prepay for any hotel rooms.

I'm very in the moment these days, which makes life for my preschooler and I very relaxed.  Last month, we were living in the midst of a great whirlwind.  And although life has settled, little things still take a long time because of the sudden change.  Next year will be busy with 3 girls in school and the potential for me to go back to work.  Today, I am enjoying moving at the pace of a preschooler.