When we left there last year, we left a huge part of our hearts there, and felt very much, after living there for nearly 5 years, that we were leaving our home and family. We still miss our family there!
After 8 months the feeling that Michigan is my home is still there, but fading, and Aachen is starting to become my home. When I have felt far from home, I have been remembering that even in Michigan it took me about a year. We're getting there. I know my way around pretty well now. At least I don't get lost trying to drive around the area anymore.
I found this email to a friend today from 2011:
"I'm getting really nervous that I will have a hard time. I think it's inevitable. Currently, we are looking at moving to Aachen, Germany. We've always wanted to live in Germany for a short time, but even so, I already know that it will be an adventure, in every sense of the word....including the hard parts! The church is small there, and it is difficult to get friendly with people there. My only hope is that I will meet some nice people....probably through preschool. Right now, I think that is the only way I will meet other young families. Maybe one or two families from church too. We won't know for several months if that is where we are going, but I'm spending a LOT of time thinking about it....getting excited.....AND scared!"
Well, I was right to be scared. It's been very hard, in some ways, but we have also been very blessed. And it's also been a lot of fun!
My guess about the church being too small to have close friends was WAY off. Despite the fact that we don't live next door, we are very close to our friends at church. After living at Northwood, and having friends and neighbors at arms length, I could not imagine being close friends with people who lived further than....on my street. :) But we are!
My assumption that people would be hard to get to know was also pretty "off." People in Aachen have been very friendly. I am lucky to have some really great friends and neighbors here, who have been unbelievably supportive and kind to us. The kids teachers' at preschool are so great with them, and our co-workers have also been really friendly.
We are lucky to call Aachen "home!"
3 comments:
I loved this post, Katie. It was fun to look at all the pictures of fun times here as well as there in Aachen. Glad you are "almost home" and I hope I can say the same for myself when we're somewhere new in the next little while!! Jeff just had his first interview today so we shall see... :) Miss you!!
Crazy huh! We are hitting our one year mark in NM and I have to remind myself that it took time to have MI feel like home. We are slowly getting there but it is hard since we are already looking for our next stop.
This makes me really miss all the people who've already moved! Especially you guys!
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