Two weeks.
It feels so incredibly long. And yet fast at the same time.
At one week, we’d finally come out of our jet lag fog and were able to function more fully. And now, we’re about to experience our new “normal” when we move into our apartment tomorrow.
I’m still grieving the loss of Italy. Some days something will hit me just right and I’ll tear up.
I miss the food – all the flavor and not loaded with sugar. I miss walking everywhere – we get out for walks, but we’re usually all alone and just wandering the neighborhood. I miss the terracotta tiled roofs and the cobblestone streets. I miss the city and apartment life.
I’ve realized in these two weeks, that I have no desire to live the typical “American Dream”. I had a hint of that feeling in January when we visited, but being back has confirmed it. I have no desire to own a big fancy house with a lawn to take care of. To buy more than I can afford just to have the latest and greatest and look good to everyone else. I realize not everyone lives their life here with that attitude – some people have good hearts behind the way they live. But there is not a bone in my body that wants to live in an American suburb.
Thankfully we move into our downtown apartment tomorrow. A small and much quieter city than we’re used to, but maybe it will help ease my feelings a bit. I’ve questioned whether I can make it six months here living an American life, but we’re still early in the process. I should adjust soon enough. Nick reassures me that this desire to not live this life will help guarantee we hit the road in six months.
During our two weeks we made the first big step in ensuring we hit the road full time – we bought a truck! Both of us are small car people. This thing feels like a monstrous beast. We’re both adjusting to driving something so large. The girls and I can hardly even climb in and out of it.
We’ve also done some RV shopping and think we’ve settled on what model/type we want to purchase. Now we wait and watch for a used one to come available and then we start the refresh and remodel process.
And while its been hard for me to adjust to life here, we’re so very thankful to be living near my parents. We’ve stayed in their house these two weeks and my girls have not once been bored. They love playing in a yard and on a swing set. My mom has so many toys and crafts, my dad shows them how to cook, and their cousin comes to play often.
So we’re here and we’re adjusting. And maybe sometime soon I’ll start to accept some more of American life.
