Anyone still there?

HELLO!!!  I know it's been a while, ok 5 months, but here I am again.  Trust me I think of the blog often but it takes a certain dedication I just don't have right now.  Plus everything that pops in my head is either too personal or too normal to post.

The main reason I took up blogging was to share my normal life abroad with others throughout the world.  And to help nearby expats find their way.  But now that I no longer live in a major city, I feel like I have nothing new to offer.  I am out of touch with big events in Eindhoven, and things that happen near the village I live in are too small to involve the international community.  But one thing I do have is 13 yrs of built up knowledge, so I can always fall back on that!

I think one of the neatest things that has happened to me through blogging was being contacted by a woman in Argentina who was going to move to The Netherlands.  She had questions about elementary school and life here in general.  We ended up emailing back & forth until she moved  And the other day as we sat having coffee together, watching the kids play, I was just amazed that our new found friendship started from this small blog.

Since I am not class mom this year at school I feel like I have had less opportunities to help out the new moms in the area.  But luckily my daughter is quite social and I met a few newbies recently.  Actually have a couple new play dates (inc coffee for the moms) lined up.

I find it so fascinating to meet people from all over the world.  To hear about what is normal to them, and share our cultures with each other.  It's also amazing just how many people take that step and move abroad, far from what they understand or are comfortable with.

Must admit though, my move here was quite cushioned considering my American husband was raised here and spoke Dutch.  And all of my in-laws are here.  I take my hat off to those expats who move without that cushion... who knows, maybe one day that will be us too.

I'll close for now, and fingers crossed that I post again this month!

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste! Salut!

:) Danica

Where Have I Been?

I took a nearly 4 month hiatus from blogging, and boy does it feel good to be back.  When your schedule picks up you are forced to sacrifice something, and well, blogging was one of those things.  Now that school is out for the summer I am hoping to squeeze in a few posts over the next couple weeks.

The biggest reason blogging had to take a back seat is... drum roll please... we finally sold our apartment & bought a house!!!  It was a 4 year process, but definitely worth waiting for.

Not only did we buy a house, we moved cities.  We left the center of a busy city and moved to a little village with roughly 1,100 residents.  It's a big change, but a good one.  Now if I can just learn to sleep through the quiet nights!  Where are the sirens, motorcycles, and barhopping crowd when you need a good night sleep, ha-ha?

A lot of the roads leading from the main cities to our village are barely big enough for two cars.  But they are lined with trees & farms, which is a much better view than the concrete & endless buildings we had grown accustom to in the city.

Sure the house is going to require a lot more upkeep but so far we're happy to do it.  We were out doing yard work this morning with pleasure.  We often stop, look around, and smile at the improvement from where we used to live.  Patience does pay off.

There will be plenty more posts to come about this new phase of our lives, so be sure to check back periodically. 

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste! Salut!

:) Danica

Looking & Booking

I think over the past month or so I have definitely gotten another white hair, and by the end of the summer possibly a few more.  Why?  Well, I think after years of our apartment being on the market it has sold!  (Years as in 2011 and 2 realtors ago!)  This is great news!  That was until reality sunk in and I realized in a couple months my family would have no where to live. 

My days are consumed with two things.  Searching for a house to buy and searching for a rental for the period between selling & buying.  I've seen so many houses online and in person, they are starting to blend together.  The more I see the pickier I get.  Plus I have tried to make so many appointments for viewings, but the market is picking up and everything is selling.  The time of it being a buyers market is fading and our time is running out.  Even the rentals are booking up, and my stress level is rising.

But in the midst of all this stress there was one house that stood out, so we placed a bid and waited to agree on a price.  And today we heard they accepted our 2nd bid!  Nothing is on paper yet but this is really good news.  We're keeping our fingers crossed!

Now what do we do in the mean time?  I'd rather not move twice so we are trying to work something out with the realtor and people buying our apartment.  But to be safe I still have a few rentals lined up and will be visiting them next week.

One thing is for sure, I should have been a realtor because the majority of the companies have no idea what they are doing and are missing out on opportunities left & right.

I'll definitely keep you updated throughout this process.  And I apologize for not posting often enough but between volunteering at school and driving myself crazy with houses, my time is limited.

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste! Salut!

:) Danica

Finding Balance

Where have I been you ask?  (Or maybe not, ha-ha!)  Well, I allowed myself to get so ridiculously focused on my daily schedule that I turned into a human robot.  It happens!

Finding balance in life is so important and yet so hard.  We can't do it all at one time.

You know there are the things you have to do to survive... there are things you have to do to be a good wife & parent... there are things you have to do to run a house... plus juggling school & sports... there are meals to be made & bags to be packed... bills to be paid & plans to be made... there are hobbies & down time... I could go on and on.

But how do you juggle everything and still have an ounce of spontaneity & freedom left? 

That's where balance comes into play.

I think it will be a life long commitment, just like health.  There are no quick or easy answers.  It's just doing what's right for you & yours.

Thanks to a holiday refresher, and of course my husband pointing out the side road of life I had decided to veer down, I'm trying to get back on track.  Trying to find a way to balance the needs, wants, & of course fun in life.  I hope to get back to blogging, writing, & photography.  But first things first, I hope to get my personality back!  For the sake of my husband & daughter, and family & friends! 

So here's another step down the road of life, a step towards balance, my first blog post of 2015!  (Nothing like the pressure of the first post of the year, ha-ha!)

Hope all is well in your corner of the world and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica