Anniversary

Exactly 1 year ago today, we left Europe and moved to Kent. Lance and I were talking about our final hours in Amsterdam just yesterday...the tiny Fiat Panda that we had to cram all of our luggage into, the really swanky hotel that we stayed in on our last night.

I can't believe it's been a year. It so many ways, it feels like only yesterday.

But it's now been a year since I last stepped foot on European soil. And I miss it. I miss it so much sometimes that it's all I can do to keep from crying. For the first time in my life while living there, I truly had the life that I wanted. Now...well, this isn't the same. This isn't the life I wanted for myself in many respects.

But if we hadn't come here, we never would've found Reece. We never would've met our friends. Sure, there are some things I wish we could've done differently, but we were pretty lucky to end up here. Had the timing been a bit different and we would've left Germany earlier or later, we would be living someplace else entirely, and there is a good possibility that Lance would be in the desert right now.

We have to take the hand we've been dealt and make the best of it. And I think we are, for the most part. We still hate being so far from our families, although at least my Mom is happy that we're back on the same continent. In hindsight, we would've made different decisions regarding our house and work, but we made what we felt were the best decisions at the time.

The one year anniversary for our house is on Sunday. I plan to have a tiny celebration...have Rich and Kathy over and have some snacks and watch a movie. It's been a year...and we've come a long way.

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We're nearly 1/3 of the way through December, and I haven't gotten one single Christmas card.

It's unprecedented. I usually start getting cards in late November/early December. But maybe everybody is late getting them out this year. I know I was. I usually get mine addressed and sent out the weekend after Thanksgiving.

I'm also still waiting on Reece's Christmas ornament, which was shipped out on Thursday (according to the seller). I can't remember where she's shipping from, but I think it might be somewhere on the East coast. I hope it gets here soon.

Mom also sent me a package - an old mini Christmas tree that I had when I was a teenager and left at her house when I moved to Germany. I'm rather anxious to get that. I wanted to have a tree in the kitchen/den area and Lance thought it was crazy, but Mom is sending me one anyway, so I have to put it up. :) She still had all my little ornaments for it and everything. The only thing I'm missing is lights. It's a cute little tree...maybe about 2 feet tall, if that.

I've been struggling the past couple days with severe waves of nausea and other gastrointestinal distress. I'm sure it's directly related to the rising stress levels at work, but it feels very much like when I had my ulcers back in college. I spent the last half of my day today feeling like I was on the verge of throwing up. It was a tough and painful 4 hours. And I was simultaneously hungry, which made it even worse.

I couldn't stomach much when I got home. I mostly just want to lie down. I think it'll be an early night for me.