Amazing Journey

So anyone who has ever watched any reality show such as Survivor, The Bachelor, American Idol, Apprentice, Top Chef, knows that at the end of the season the contestants whether winners or losers refers to their experience as an “Amazing Journey”. I’ve always thought it was such a corny phrase, and still do, but I finally get to use it! It’s difficult to describe our first year here other than to say it’s been an Amazing Journey!

It’s pretty hard to believe that we have been here in Belgium for a year now, it has truly flown by. Things have changed quite a bit over the course of a year. When we first got here we were so nervous, excited, and anxious. There was so much to do, find a house, get the dog here, and figure out how to get everything set up, including SHAPE and Belgium ID’s, drivers licenses, and getting a car. It’s not just the set up stuff that was hard; it was all those things we took for granted back home like going to the grocery store. Finding foods labeled in French, figuring out how to weigh and label fresh fruits and vegetables, finding the “special” trash bags and remembering to bring bags to bag our groceries. How we spend our time has changed a lot too. It seems a like a long time ago now that my days were preoccupied with making curtains while Keith handled tons of paperwork!

A year later we are settled and have a great routine. We have our favorite restaurants, a great group of friends, a kooky vet that loves Bailey, and best of all, we call this place home. I no longer spend my days sewing and hanging curtains. Instead I spend a lot of time on the base volunteering with a group that does training for the Army and their families. I also keep busy with work from my old company back home…. (thanks HT!) Although the paperwork is probably never ending, Keith at least has some work to keep him busy. And obviously the travel really has made this whole experience fantastic. We’ve gotten to go to so many places… and not just the major tourist destinations, but also the local day trips. We are busy planning our trips for 2009, including Munich, Ireland, a Northern European Cruise, and Prague! One other thing that has made this past year so much fun is the blog. We’ve had fun writing it and we totally appreciate everyone who follows it, we love your comments. Hopefully we'll have fun adventures to share soon!