Week 1 - Transition Blues . . . and Random Life Scenes

"AND WE'RE CHOOSING TO DO THIS??!!"  Both a question and an angry statement of fact from my daughter.   She delivers it with an impressive eye roll/ head shake combo.  The unmistakable message being: "my parents are selfish fools."  

This “why” question has been posed to me often in the last several months.  Every time some challenge related to this move is thrown my way, and my daughter witnesses, what she concludes, is my self–imposed angst.   She doesn’t even say it anymore.  The look on her face says it all:  “why are you dragging me away from the life I love, if the process of doing so is making you so crazy?”  

We actually wandered into this decision sort of casually while planning a visit to England and France last summer.   Jim would be retiring from his US Treasury job the fall after our return.  So, in one of those, “hey, wouldn’t it be cool if we could  . . .” moments,  a plan was hatched, sort of.   From there, it was “hey, while we’re visiting, lets check out a school.”   So, we visit the school, and its really great.  So then it becomes, “ok, we only do this if the girls get accepted at the great school.”   We apply, they get in, so we decide, “why not?”   For just one year.  

Remember that line from “When Harry Met Sally”, when Harry wants to take back what he said, and Sally says, “you can’t take it back, its already out there.” Once we said the words, we just had to make it happen. 


So, here we are.  And it’s a little surreal.   I’ll admit,  I’m a little homesick and lonely for my friends.   Every time I look at my daughter’s forlorn face, I can’t help but think about what she would be doing if she were back home.   We’re all a little out of sorts.  Torn between sheer glee at being here and FOMO on what’s going on back home.   My husband coined the phrase “Transition Blues”, and I think its accurate.  Nothing about this experience is complaint worthy or remotely sad.   But, it is a change, particularly for our kids.   This is the first time I’ve ever heard them say they are looking forward to school starting.  Fortunately, for me, my time has been taken up by the box shipment saga. 

On that note:  four boxes have actually arrived, plus a separate one with the dog supplies (so the dog at least has HER hormone pills).  That Fedex person who couldn't say the big words?  Turns out she wasn't totally wrong about needing special approval.   My penchant for honesty, actually admitting to having prescription medications in a few of the boxes, triggered the requirement for an import license from the "Medecine Agency".   
 
After several emails, faxes, phone calls (in French facilitated by Samara, more on her later),  le Medecine Agency agreed to give approval to DHL to unblock our shipment.   We think it might show up next week.   I hope so.   After that, I need to call the credit card company.   It appears that, not only was it a little more expensive to ship each box, but DHL seems to have charged the same amount TWICE for each box.   I’ve decided not to think about it anymore today and focus instead on the lovely meal we have procured from our local outdoor market (photo below). 

à bientôt

Evening walk with Charlie on the Champs-Élysées.

Notre Maison - well, really our apartment.  That's Allie and  I at the top windows.

We are on the fourth floor . . .

. . . with a really tiny elevator.

The most interesting man in the world - in Paris . . .

and his petite chien.

Shopping for necessities in our new hood . . .

so the girls could cook us dinner. 

Our first "frequent buyer card" (Nicolas Wines).

Our dinner from Marché President Wilson (the outdoor market near our apartment).