The Next Move

A reader recently asked me a great question in a comment:

K, you have to update me real quick on this whole travel thing! I joined your blog late in the game and I'm not sure why you are overseas and why you get to go to all these gorgeous places/countries?

The short version is that my husband's job transferred him to Southern France (we lived in California for 10 years before that) a year ago. It was at our request - they have an office here, and both my husband and I grew up in Europe (Switzerland, Belgium, and Germany). We wanted our kids to learn a second language as early as possible, and immersion is the best way.

We get to go to different countries from here because that's the way it is in Europe - everything is smaller and closer (almost like travelling to different states in the U.S.). And we want to expose our kids to a more global outlook, less U.S.-centric, since God is not American (or any other nationality).

Now, all that said, I have some big news which feeds right into this theme. I have decided that I am never going to catch up on my travel blogging (Andorra, principally), because larger matters have come up. We found out a week ago that we will be moving again in July - to London, England! Obviously I have suddenly became very busy. My "To Do" list is running to 2 pages at the moment (I finally typed it up yesterday, getting rid of all my little bits of scribbled paper). So I have to let old blogging goals go by the wayside. I will be lucky to post little tidbits here and there in the next two months. I have so many lovely photos to share, but it'll have to wait.

Since last Friday night at 9:45pm (when we found out, due the new employer's recruiting office time zone difference), I have at different times been in prayer and trembling about picking a school for our kids in England; feeling nearly at the fainting stage due to overwhelm and going to bed too late; and happy and excited with my husband about his excellent new job. I am happy the long wait is over, that secrets can come out. I am thankful to God for His faithful provision and many answers to prayer already in this process. I am relieved at the kids' reactions...Jason laughed, and although Emily cried and used four tissues, she then promptly "moved on" (ha ha) to being a bit excited and curious and resigned. We all have (once again) many adjustments to make and many lessons to learn. I know nothing about living in England. As David points out, I'd never lived in France before either, but somehow it felt like home due to having lived in a European francophone country before. I've never lived in a European anglophone country before (if we can call it European; there's a whole debate about that).

It looks like we may leave France exactly one year to the day from when we arrived: June 30th. And God will be with us. Phew. My home is with my husband, my children, and my God. That means anywhere on earth at any given time. It's a grand adventure. I look forward to uncovering the new and different blessings God will bestow in a new and different place. I am sure we will have to endure lots of ribbing about the weather and food we are leaving behind. But who knows what Good Things God has in store for us in the new place He's calling us? I'm going to find out. With loads of prayer and supplication and clinging to Him as everything moves.

Ha, notice the new category on this blog: "Moving to England!" "Moving to France" is now closed (for this round anyway)!