Ahh, now here is the update I wanted to give. At the suggestion of my husband I cleared the cookies on my computer, which seems to have solved the constant log-off problem. Apparently my technology was confused by all the places it's been lately. Meanwhile, as the above photo would suggest, I seem to have lost track of time.
And not without reason. You may have guessed our biggest bit of news by now, but here it is: Andy and I said ma'a salama to the UAE last month, and it feels GREAT to be back home! We've moved into a tiny, quirky apartment in a historical suburb of Chicago. Andy is flight instructing out of a couple nearby airports, and I'm working at a private school downtown. A lot of factors went into our decision, which I truly believe was the right one for us.
Home sweet apartment!
The first of many boxes to make their way out of storage.
The beginnings of a cleaning kit that makes me embarrassingly happy.
We're on the third floor of a 3-flat, making for lots of interesting nooks.
This one is in the bedroom, and we're turning it into a cozy reading/writing area.
A pretty rug and drawer liners (leftover wrapping paper from a wedding gift) are already
helping to make this place feel like home.
Even in the midst of multiple moves, our cats are settling in juuust fine.
Part of me can't help but wonder what I'm missing out on travel- and adventure-wise by choosing to come home. But what I'm gaining is a multitude of family experiences (weddings, birthdays, and babies, oh my!) and a renewal of my sense of place. Too much rootlessness over the past decade made me feel like I was starting to unravel. Returning home might not seem like the impressive or cool or exciting choice, but I don't care. It was our choice to make, and you know what? We are happy.
