Change is in the air

10 December 2016 –

So much has happened over the past four months.  Mark and I went to India.  We walked around the Taj Mahal!!!!  We had a family scuba diving trip to the Philippines.  We got to dive through boat wrecks.  Lots of events happening at school.  Cousins from Detroit popped over for a two-week visit.  I got to hug a baby panda and see the biggest stone statue of Buddha I've ever seen with our cousins.  I even got to spend a day at Shanghai Disney.  It's been a whirlwind few weeks…..

but the biggest change of all is that we will be returning to the USA NEXT WEEK.

Yep.

Please don't ask us for details.  We don't know exactly where we'll be.  Please don't ask us if we're excited about going "home".  This is our home. We're trying really hard to stay upbeat and positive about the move but it's been a struggle.  

The biggest struggle I have is that we came here with small, young girls and we're leaving with a teen and a preteen.  So much has changed.  They are NOT the same girls we left with.  The sadness I feel is about realizing that change. Ava and Annika grew up here.  Five years may not sound like a lot but we've seen tremendous changes over those past five years.  Our little girls are gone.  Well, not gone, they've transformed into beautiful, intelligent, caring, kind, adventuresome, open-minded young ladies.  And you know what?  I'm okay with that.  But still I tear up thinking about all the things that transpired while we lived here.  Ava learned how to ride a bike. We all learned to scuba dive.  We went to countries and places I had only dreamed of visiting after reading "National Geographic" magazines.  We've done so much, seen so much of the world – the good and the bad. 

The world is an amazing place and I'm glad we got to share a bit of that with the girls.  

PS. Just because we're returning to the USA doesn't mean that our adventures will come to a screeching halt.  We certainly won't to get to run off to beaches in southeast Asia but who knows where we'll end up!?!

PPS. I WILL post photos from India, Philippines, cousins' visit to China, and various other photos soon.