Spain is home...

You might have noticed that I haven't written a blog entry in quite a while. I've had a bit of a mid-blog crisis... Is this what my blog is really about? Does anyone care? Maybe I need to get a fancier, younger blog to write on.
What it comes down to really though is that, the blog needs to change because we've changed.
Initially when we came here I wrote about the differences in customs and lifestyles...about our travel...about our adjustment. A curious thing happened in the last two plus years. We adjusted. We went to the US for 7 weeks this summer, then again at Christmas time. And while spending time with family and dear friends is always fabulous, one thing became very clear. It was not home. The house in Massachusetts which I admittedly was a bit passive aggressive in putting on the market, the long drive to NJ, meals and sleepovers with friends, all very familiar...all very comforting but not the way you feel when you walk in your front door and can just ...be.
Here in Spain, we've found out where to buy milk, quite easily now as there is a fresh milk vending machine less than two blocks from my house, open 24 hours. Communication is easier as we've found people who can speak some English and our Spanish has improved to the point where necessary conversations are understood. I've got a vet I like...doctors I know I can turn to when the kids or I come down with a bug. We've learned to live without American food, although the occassional packages of poptarts and marshmallows are much appreciated. We've made our own rootbeer, and learned to appreciate it when we can find it at L'Illa. And we've made friends, lots of interesting friends from everywhere in the world. We've learned that helping a new family find their way makes ours more interesting. We've also learned after years of always being the family that moved on, what it feels like to be the ones who stay.
So, day to day happens. I still go to pottery class when I can. I've signed up for driving lessons...I've been scheduled and rescheduled to take the exam now more times than I'd like but we're making progress. Nick was promoted to President of Vistaprint Europe. (which has a call center in Tunisia and gave us an incredible insight into the revolution) Andrea is looking at colleges...Alexa is in the math club and went to Brussels this month to compete in a math competition. Joseph plays on the basketball team. Jessica and Alexa are in the school play. Life goes on... the kids complain... they laugh. They learn. And they adjust, every day a little bit more and, Spain is home.