8 years!

8 years ago today I left France and moved to the US.

I left a country that I love for a man I love even more. I left a family I love more than words can express to create a family of my own. I left my culture, my food (bread and butter - what), my habits, and my friends to find a culture quite similar but not quite, food I have grown to love too much, and friends who are now another family. I was so joyous to be able to live with Joe -and, holding a fiancee visa, to marry him (within 3 months, as the visa required!). But oh, how it hurt to leave. I cried every day for months thinking of that day, mainly because the thought of leaving my family, in particular my mom, who had a really hard time dealing with my departure, was a bit hard to bear. But right when I arrived I busied myself with the wedding preparations and was really happy about that!

I love my life here. LOVE it. I love how friendly most people are, how easy it is to switch careers, how easy we have it (except for, oh, maternity leave and health insurance and America's love of guns). How easy *I* have it. Really I am so thankful for my life, here in the US. But I also miss my family, some friends, bread, pastries (oh the pastries...), talking about politics at any given dinner, Paris and Normandie.Sometimes I dream of going back, even for a few years. Seeing Léo at school with other French kids would be so fun. But we have jobs here and a good life. Moving to France without a plan would be scary -especially because I'm a person who doesn't deal well with change. Maybe one day, though...

So today I celebrate 8 years of joys and quirkiness, of new life (lives!) and surprises... and I rejoice at my trip to France in a few months!

And if by chance you are a French reader and know of an opening for an development worker position in Paris, let me know. I'd move back home in a heartbeat!!