Oh well... it looks like our plans are shaping up to move back to the US at the end of the school year, so August-ish. And even as I am tyiping it, I am already mourning all those wonderful things I would be leaving behind. Not that I won't like being back in our house after 4 years away, but... there are just these little wondeful things in Europe/Germany that cannot be replicated and I will miss them terribly. The more the plans for the move back solidify, the more is the "pain" of losing those things.
For example, today I took my son for a flue shot at his pediatrician's office. Going to the doctor in the US always involved driving in the car, parking in a generic-looking parking lot, entering an office building, getting the visit done and driving home. Going to the kid's doctor here means walking from school to the town's market square, making a stop for a coffee or an ice-cream in one of the many bakeries on the way, chasing pigeons all over the square, going up a squeaking staircase in the old historic builiding and seeing this view as you wait for your appointment. Long story short - I WIILL MISS IT!
Thanks for your visits, comments and critique!
Oh, yes! cool if you have the opportunity to live in different places/countries. Oh, no! we never met, but I will miss you and the feeling, that you are just round the corner. Love the dof of this pic.
oh Vera i understand you so much... just enjoy your time and dont think on what is coming next. Who knows after four years you might go abroad again and discover new places ;0) .-
@amandal If I would start on differences, I would be writing novels :)! There are just way too many, and some of them are so fleeting and subtle, but they still make the whole experience so different. I think, what I am mainly thinking about at this point is everything that has to do with kids and a way of growing up. There are so many things that I value here - mainly, it's much easier for a child here to experience what it means to be independent at an earlier age than in the US. For example, most of the first-graders walk to schools on their own, and walk back on their own as well. The same applies to the after school activities - like sports, music etc... Usually, you see kids walking with their sports bags to a soccer practice, or hurrying around with their instruments to a music class. So, basically, they don't have to wait till they get their driver's licence to do things on their own and take responsibility of getting things done without their parents' assistance. Another one would be the way to resolve conflicts - so many times in the US I witnessed that two parties of a conflict would be taken apart, and then "dealt with" individually (starting with the sandbox quarrels). Here, both among parents, and within the kindergarten/school system, the first reaction is to stop whatever is going on, keep everyone at the same spots and don't let anyone leave until the dispute is resolved in one way or another. My kid learned to "see things through" here, and I think it's one of the most valuable lessons that he will be taking away with him. Plus a ton of other things - some bigger, some smaller..... I could talk about it forever.... :)
@mona65 - Well, we are still here till August, so who knows, maybe we would meet in the mean time! Any trips to Germany planned for you?????
@gijsje@amandal The "home" is in Ann Arbor, Michigan. A wonderful little big town - with the University of Michigan being its heart and an engine. There is lots of going on, it actually has a downtown area that is well used and is very inviting, and of course thanks to the university, it has the feel and the flair of a big city. I did put "home" in quotation marks though, because at this point it's really hard for me to define the whole "home" idea - 22 years in Russia, 14 in the US (by accident initially), and 4+ years in Germany make it a rather fluid concept :)
@sgianettoni Thanks, Susana! I am going to enjoy the time we have - no doubt about it! It's just the more "solid" our plans become to move back, the more by brain starts to prepare for the move - and this "mourning" process is a healthy way to process and deal with the change. I am very glad I did the 365 during that time - now I will also have a bunch of wonderful photos to look back at that I otherwise would have not had. Thank you for your comment! :)
What I learned from our many moves is that change is always hard. But somehow we are able to adapt no matter where we are. I'm sure in the end you will love both places. And be assured, I see and understand everything you say about childhood in Germany, but it isn't as bad here, as it might feel for you right now.
@californialover Thanks, Ute! I know it is going to be fine, and I love Ann Arbor. And I hate to sound like I think it's going to be a bad thing for us - it just happens once I start to think about those aspects that I will miss. But we all know there are also many wonderful things to look forward to.
@amandal It is beautiful! I still need to do a "big tour" of the UP. Our highlight was a "lighthouse tour" around all of the lower peninsula, and a honeymoon on the completely deserted campground on the shore of Lake Superior.
You are lucky to get to live in so many interesting places, but I understand what you say. Your children will be citizens of the world and will have a global perspective . great shot to illustrate your point...
Oh I feel your pain -it´s such a hard thing to leave behind the life you have gotten used to but soon the life in USA will take it´s course and in few years time you wouldn´t want to leave there -that´s just how it is with life -maybe. At least now you have the chance to record all those little things as you appreciate them
@vera365 The lakes are gorgeous. My favorite stop was Whitefish bay. Is that what it's called? We camped there, too, but down near St. Ignez and Mackinaw Island area. I want to stay on the island for a day or two.
And i think that the lack of independence (in the countryside at any rate) is particularly hard on the teenagers (in the city, we just walked out the front door, but out here there's nowhere to go)
This is a great capture and what a commentary- things I never would have even thought of having not lived outside of the US. I agree that it is good to have the time to process it all! Sounds like both sides have pros and cons. Looking forward to seeing the rest of your "thing I miss" series before you go!
Thank you all so much for your comments!
@amandal If I would start on differences, I would be writing novels :)! There are just way too many, and some of them are so fleeting and subtle, but they still make the whole experience so different. I think, what I am mainly thinking about at this point is everything that has to do with kids and a way of growing up. There are so many things that I value here - mainly, it's much easier for a child here to experience what it means to be independent at an earlier age than in the US. For example, most of the first-graders walk to schools on their own, and walk back on their own as well. The same applies to the after school activities - like sports, music etc... Usually, you see kids walking with their sports bags to a soccer practice, or hurrying around with their instruments to a music class. So, basically, they don't have to wait till they get their driver's licence to do things on their own and take responsibility of getting things done without their parents' assistance. Another one would be the way to resolve conflicts - so many times in the US I witnessed that two parties of a conflict would be taken apart, and then "dealt with" individually (starting with the sandbox quarrels). Here, both among parents, and within the kindergarten/school system, the first reaction is to stop whatever is going on, keep everyone at the same spots and don't let anyone leave until the dispute is resolved in one way or another. My kid learned to "see things through" here, and I think it's one of the most valuable lessons that he will be taking away with him. Plus a ton of other things - some bigger, some smaller..... I could talk about it forever.... :)
@mona65 - Well, we are still here till August, so who knows, maybe we would meet in the mean time! Any trips to Germany planned for you?????
@gijsje @amandal The "home" is in Ann Arbor, Michigan. A wonderful little big town - with the University of Michigan being its heart and an engine. There is lots of going on, it actually has a downtown area that is well used and is very inviting, and of course thanks to the university, it has the feel and the flair of a big city. I did put "home" in quotation marks though, because at this point it's really hard for me to define the whole "home" idea - 22 years in Russia, 14 in the US (by accident initially), and 4+ years in Germany make it a rather fluid concept :)