A little more than a day
June 27, 2007 at 9:45 Even though we've been planning our trip to America for 9 months, and I've been eagerly anticipating it, I can't believe tomorrow is my last full day in Belgium for five weeks. I've given Rock Grrrl and her friend a crash course in mass transit and Belgian living, handed over maps and guidebooks, and now tomorrow I pack, and Friday we leave.
The washing machine is chugging and I'm consulting my lists. The last time I had to live out of a suitcase for this long, I found that I did fine with a limited amount of clothing but missed a lot of the grooming products I'd left behind in my quest to be efficient: the body scrub, my perfumes, my pumice stone, my scented lotions and hand creams. I'm more of a girly grrrl than I like to admit. I can wear the same outfits over and over and over again only if I have my favorite scents on underneath it all. If I had room, I'd bring my big fluffy periwinkle bathrobe--my ultimate comfort object, even in summer.
Our schedule is set, our plans made, and so there's little anxiety regarding what we'll be doing when. Social and business engagements, medical appointments, new house hunting and old house maintenance are all on the calendar. I've tended to all the details of the trip, and I'm excited about it, but a bit of anxiety perks under the surface.
How will America feel to me after two and a half years of living in Europe? What if after our visit, I don't want to move back next year? Or, conversely, what if I come back to Belgium in August and it doesn't feel like home anymore? True, part of expat life is never feeling completely at home anywhere, but it's one thing to accept that intellectually, it's another thing to feel it in your gut.
Will walking through the house we own, now being rented by a friend, make me smile, make me sad, or make me feel uneasy?
We can't see everyone on this trip--will those we can't manage to visit be insulted?
E's mom has a plethora of serious health issues that she's dealing with and requires 24 hour care. She lives with E's sister and has nurses that tend to her. We'll be taking on caretaking duties for a week and I wonder what that week will be like. E has seen his mom several times since we moved but the kids and I haven't. It will be hard for all of us to face how much her condition has deteriorated and to see her suffering. I'm sure it will unearth memories of caring for my own parents when they were seriously ill and those emotions will be hard to deal with as well.
Through it all, I plan to blog from my trusty laptop and post photos of our adventures in America. I will answer e-mails and keep in touch as I can. So don't be a stranger and keep coming by to see me. I'm counting on y'all to share the good, the bad, and the ugly with me and keep me grounded as I travel from Brussels, Belgium, to Woodbridge, Virginia to Fredericksburg, Virginia, to King George, Virginia to Williamsburg, Virginia, to Charleston, South Carolina, to Jacksonville, Florida, to Virginia Beach and back to Brussels.
I hope we all have a "bon voyage" together.
June 27, 2007
Reader Comments (21)
You know, there has never been a trip I've readied for, pleasure or otherwise, that I haven't worried for right up to stepping out the door. It's part of the process for me.
And you have plenty of things to think over. But the least of your concerns should be the perception of friends who you can't squeeze in this go-round. From what you've said here before, you've got some great friends who will more than understand.
I look forward to following your adventures!
Periwinkle occupies that perfect space between light blue and lavender. I say if you love periwinkle, flaunt it!
I can picture you in a "sound of music" kind of setting when touching down in Virginia, singing out loud
"Almost heaven, west virginia
Blue ridge mountains,
Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West virginia, mountain momma
Take me home!"
But then I realized that Woodbridge, Virginia is a part of upscale Washington DC suburbia :-)
Anyway, I wish you all the best during these 5 weeks back home - I'm sure it will be a touching experience.
And do post lots of pictures, so all of us stuck in Belgium can post "ooh, that's amazing" comments :-)
- People talked really fast and the language was different. I had to learn new cliches. I started to miss the sound of French.
- My house (rented to a tenant) looked sad and run down. Some relatives and friends looked run down, which was sad.
- Service in restaurants was uncomfortably fast. There was enough food on my plate to feed a family of 4. And ice in my drink: lots of ice!
- It was easy to find a Starbucks vanilla latte.
- I had the same 5-minute 'catch up conversation' with every acquaintance I ran into. I started dodging casual acquaintances.
Returning to Brussels was bittersweet: leaving 'home' to come 'home'. Your description of being caught between two continents and two cultures is very appropriate.
Bon voyage, et bon courage!
KDK made some very valid points that used to affect me when I made my trips back to the U.S. It's amazing how culture shock affects you when you go back. I used to think culture shock was just going to a new place. But once you have spent a year or more somewhere else, you will always be something of a cultural hybrid. I always think of that as being positive, as you broaden your perspectives. The only downside is dealing with people stateside who have no idea of how to relate to your expat life. Whenever I had to deal with people like that, I tended to ask them to "catch me up" with the latest stuff going on in the U.S. It definitely eased the awkwardness of what to talk about.
Good luck with everything, V. Godspeed, bon voyage, buen viaje. Looking forward to your travel vignettes!
I'm always amazed how much you know about America....
Wishing you a a safe trip and a happy (albeit temporary) homecoming!
It's a promise ... :)
Hey, and fall in love with that laptop of yours and I'll get myself one in September and we can have wifi days together in Brussels... imagine the posts we could create from those sidewalk cafes in the Bourse during summer.
Travel safe! xo
Hope the ordeal with your mother-in-law's health will not be too tough on the family.
Periwinkle. It's my favorite color. I get so perturbed when my husband calls it blue!