A few years ago, my husband Erik broached the subject of moving to Germany for a post-doc fellowship. Since we had lived in Munich previously and I had learned bits and pieces of the language, I said . . . no. No way. Not now, not when we have a young child (Elsa was not yet 1 at the time), our goal is to move closer to friends and family, not farther away, etc etc. Fast forward a few months, when the reality of the academic job market hit. I reconsidered, he applied, and I felt confident that it wouldn't be necessary.
Fast forward again. He was accepted. It was necessary. I negotiated a few details, possibly had a meltdown or two (thousand), and started to wrap my head around the idea of this new adventure. We were set to begin our life abroad in early September 2011 until . . .
. . . we got some news, of baby #2, due in early September! Perfect, albeit complicated timing, but thanks to two amazing sets of parents and fabulous friends, it was possible to pull this whole thing off. So, after a whirlwind month of Clara's birth, packing, and moving, we all wound up together, in Wolfenbüttel, Germany, to begin this new phase of our life. We had our ups and downs, but strung together an unforgettable 9 months living in Wolfenbüttel and Wiesbaden.
Through a surprising and unforeseen twist of fate, we now find ourselves in a small town in Kansas. I am realizing quickly what a city girl I am.
The purpose of this blog has been to write about all of these changes: raising a family in a foreign country, becoming a family of 4, adjusting to my new job as a full-time mom, and now relocating to a way of life almost more foreign to us than Germany. It is to keep friends and family updated on our adventures and every day life, but it is also selfishly a way for me to maintain a connection to my community out there, as an outlet when things get a little lonely here.
your humor is keeping us sane, Julie.
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