Luxembourg
Well, our time here in Luxembourg is almost at an end. Hmmm what to say about this experience? Describing this experience looks like a tightrope walk to me right now. Perhaps that's why I've been avoiding it. First of all, I know Jeffrey has loved it the country, the job, the experience, just about everything. Second, we are staying in someone's home for FREE and have been for the whole past 7 weeks, anything but golden praise could come off as ungrateful. Finally WE LIVE IN EUROPE. I've dreamed of doing this for a very long time as I know many others have and again, complaining or neglecting to spew forth rainbows and unicorns as I speak could very well come of as a huge downer not to mention immensely ungrateful.
I am going to attempt the tightrope walk, here goes nothing.
When we arrived in Luxembourg, I did so with a little bit of a bad attitude. I LOVED my town in France. Our little town felt like home so very quickly. I made good friends, B had a great school, our house was lovely, and sunshine-y and it was exciting to live so close to Paris. I wasn't so much negative on Luxembourg as I was just really sad to leave France.... and move for the 4th time this year.
We arrived in Luxembourg and I was struck immediately by two things: 1. The hilly countryside was green and lush and beautiful. With lots of cows. 2. We lived in a tiny suburb with not even a bakery or corner store. There was zero places to go meet people. I may or may not have freaked out a little by the isolation. Ok, I freaked out a lot. The panicky, anxiety didn't go away for a few weeks as I wandered the lush hills, drove through the castle bound city and tried to wrap my head around having to occupy the boys with no social network and why I was being so ungrateful.
Things settled down emotionally, as they always do. I learned to enjoy the little playdates I had with a few friends from my Mormon ward here in Luxembourg and I found that I could practice my French much more confidently in a country where French is everyone's second language (or third, or fourth...) anyway.
With Jeff not having to do homework all weekend, we were free to travel a bit and make some day trips. We went to Germany a few times (beautiful and it's true, everyone looks dressed like they are going camping; zip off pants, sensible shoes...), to Belgium and even back to France to see a stage of the Tour de France.
Some of my favorite things about Luxembourg were:
1. the cool playgrounds. They were truly amazing and my boys loved them
2. The quaint downtown area where traffic was never really that bad. This is one well planned city
3. The people are really nice and very understanding as I stumbled over my French in trying to communicate.
4. Did I mention we lived in a house for 7 weeks for free? It's a story for another post, but it was incredible!
5. The beautiful running and biking trails all over.
So, Luxembourg was good. But I'm still happy to return to France. Really happy.
I am going to attempt the tightrope walk, here goes nothing.
When we arrived in Luxembourg, I did so with a little bit of a bad attitude. I LOVED my town in France. Our little town felt like home so very quickly. I made good friends, B had a great school, our house was lovely, and sunshine-y and it was exciting to live so close to Paris. I wasn't so much negative on Luxembourg as I was just really sad to leave France.... and move for the 4th time this year.
We arrived in Luxembourg and I was struck immediately by two things: 1. The hilly countryside was green and lush and beautiful. With lots of cows. 2. We lived in a tiny suburb with not even a bakery or corner store. There was zero places to go meet people. I may or may not have freaked out a little by the isolation. Ok, I freaked out a lot. The panicky, anxiety didn't go away for a few weeks as I wandered the lush hills, drove through the castle bound city and tried to wrap my head around having to occupy the boys with no social network and why I was being so ungrateful.
Things settled down emotionally, as they always do. I learned to enjoy the little playdates I had with a few friends from my Mormon ward here in Luxembourg and I found that I could practice my French much more confidently in a country where French is everyone's second language (or third, or fourth...) anyway.
With Jeff not having to do homework all weekend, we were free to travel a bit and make some day trips. We went to Germany a few times (beautiful and it's true, everyone looks dressed like they are going camping; zip off pants, sensible shoes...), to Belgium and even back to France to see a stage of the Tour de France.
Some of my favorite things about Luxembourg were:
1. the cool playgrounds. They were truly amazing and my boys loved them
2. The quaint downtown area where traffic was never really that bad. This is one well planned city
3. The people are really nice and very understanding as I stumbled over my French in trying to communicate.
4. Did I mention we lived in a house for 7 weeks for free? It's a story for another post, but it was incredible!
5. The beautiful running and biking trails all over.
So, Luxembourg was good. But I'm still happy to return to France. Really happy.
Comments