34
We arrived in France on June 28th, so December 28th, we sat down to lunch and talked about some of our observations about life here so far- this was the combination of our collective thoughts....
LIKES-
- more time together as a family than we have ever had - it's priceless!
- a two week vacation every six weeks
- seeing so many new things together- Spain, the Alps, Paris, Provence, Strasbourg, London- we feel so blessed!
- the pace of life is slower (most stores close for lunch, Sunday, and Monday)
- the fresh fruits and vegetables, outdoor markets and new foods we are all trying
- mail and packages are so exciting!
- seeing Henry everyday for lunch
- their trash is our treasure! They are taking antiques to the donation center by the truckload
- walking everywhere
- we aren't big fans of the beef or bacon here so are eating almost none- probably not a bad thing for a season!
- the word of God is the same but maybe even more alive with less distractions
- the challenge of French
- watching Henry's bravery at school and at soccer
- our little French apartment with 16 foot ceilings!
- getting to know my one French friend who lived in the US- soo interesting hearing her perspectives
- Gant taking such good care of us! He has had to make more appointments and draw more maps for me than I can count! He never misses a chance to tell us how great we are acclamating and how glad he is to have us with him on this journey!
- the expat community is so helpful and we have made some special friends
- that no one is on their phone in the company of anyone else!!!!!
DISLIKES-
- the inefficiency of many of the systems- sorry to stereotype, but there are so many steps, forms to fill out, and very limited hours for so many places here- it can be maddening!
- the flow of traffic- people don't seem to know that rule we all learned in school to move to the right as people pass or to wait for people to exit before trying to enter! A lot of shoving and pushing! Grocery shopping, getting off a bus etc- I often have a furrowed brow or am shaking my head!!!
- the constant smell of smoke and body odor!
- no disposal
- church in French!! It is very tough and tiring to not have that encouragement in English!
- the bathrooms are SO gross!!
- nowhere to grab a meal occasionally when you don't want to sit down for 2+ hours
- no Chick Fil A, no carpool car line, no manicures!
- and of course last but not least, not seeing all of you!
So, while we are able to have a great deal of vacation time, life here is still regular life and not a vacation. The routine is not like any routine I have ever had which can be challenging. The guys are both immersed in French for most of the day which is tiring for them. I am still
coming along slowly with my French. I cook all of the time and if you are ever looking for me I am probably moving laundry along or on my way to or from Henry's school!
So while there are some tough things about being foreignors, anonymity has it's charms. We are just so unplugged, off the grid, and in our little world. Board games, reading, resting.... Very different, but very good.
We can't believe how quickly the six months have passed. As this rate, we will be back in a blink!