Aaron will be home, and the next time he leaves for Madagascar, we'll all go with him.
I know better than to say we will never have to be apart again. But I've had enough of it for now.
In case you have trouble keeping up with our
You will recall that we spent two years in the west African country of Mauritania. Within 24 hours of landing there, I was demanding to be sent home. I hated it. I cried. A lot. Then I met dozens of great people: other Americans, other expats, and the locals. I started a great job at the embassy. I figured things out. I found things to like about it. Eventually, I loved our life there. And then it was all tearful goodbyes and one last, longing look at the beach.
Aaron's next assignment was Antananarivo (Madagascar; we call it Tana for short), and I was all about it. Couldn't wait. But our older kids, especially Nick, were NOT happy. They wanted a normal life back in the US, near family and their old friends, where there are things to do, sports to play, and stores you want to shop at. I can't say I blamed them; I missed all of that too. The thought of starting over again in another African country and another school was just too much.
Our plan was to let Nick stay with his grandparents, and finish out junior high at his old school. The rest of us would go to Tana, and we could visit. He could visit. It would be fine. Looking back, I'm not sure how we EVER thought that was a good plan, because our family unit is pretty tight. We don't do well apart from each other.
In the end, and totally last minute, we made the heart-wrenching decision for the kids and I to stay here, and for Aaron to "scout out" Tana for a year. And then....we'd see.
The minute Aaron left for the airport back in August, I knew I'd made a huge mistake. But it was done. You make your decisions and live with them.
I found a house to rent, got the kids into Lansing Christian School (they were wonderfully understanding and welcoming, as usual), joined a church and settled back into American life. Then the overwhelming reverse culture shock took effect. The fact that Aaron was not around made it even worse. I kept a positive attitude (usually) for the kids and went on, but it was tough.
By Christmas, we admitted our mistake, and decided we'd ALL move back to Africa with Aaron this summer. He's got the house ready, and has a network of friends, and already knows where to find stuff. He even found a church for us there, and found me a new dog to adopt. There are plenty of kids at the American school, and it has a good reputation.
I hate that he missed this year with the kids. It's been fun, it really has: school programs, sports, lots of time with our families. I certainly don't regret being here and the kids have loved it. But June 3 can't come soon enough!
Single parents, from all walks of life: I tip my hat to you. Single parenting is challenging on a good day, and is exhausting and frustrating most days.
Military and Unaccompanied Tour spouses: I salute you. You do the single parent thing while sending your spouse to a truly dangerous place. (Yeah, mine is on a tropical island).
Family and friends here and abroad: you have been amazingly supportive and not made me feel like I'm nuts. Thanks for that.
DS spouses: you are my rock. I love that you have been there, done that, and you get it. My next blog post will be about YOU. (don't worry, no names)
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