As we start a new year, and have just recently celebrated our 2 year mark of our expat adventure (aka France-iversary), I wanted to reflect back on the last 2 years. I immediately think back to how new and exciting everything was when we first arrived. How strange and difficult things were at times. How the first 6-8 weeks were full of “what did we get ourselves into?!”and “this country/these people suck!” moments. Fast forward 2 years and this place feels like home. We don’t notice things around us as much, everything is “normal” and not as exciting or different. And this country/these people really DON’T suck. In fact, Ryan and I both have said that if it wasn’t for friends and family being so far away we might even want to live here!  

We both have changed and grown so much. I used to hate change, and now I am much more open to it. I am more confident, more open to different people and cultures, I’m less afraid to try new things or put myself out there (hey, if I need to get something done I will try to get my point across in French even if people look at me like I don’t know a word of French), I’ve become fairly confident in driving around here, and although I’m far from being fluent in French my skill level has definitely improved. I went through a c-section alone without my husband in the room with me and not understanding anything that was being said, a week long stay at the hospital that felt so lonely, and Ryan and I are raising both of our kids without any help and almost no “us” time. Ryan’s level of French has improved immensely, he has become more confident at work and with socializing with his coworkers, and he handles working all day in another language then coming home to a screaming baby or crazy toddler better than many others could. Makenna has basically been raised French since she was 9 months when we arrived. She speaks French most of the time, she can differentiate between French and English (and even usually knows who she should speak which language to) and she has visited way more countries/experienced more things than I ever did as a child.

Yes, there have been some hard times. There have been times I’ve been homesick or wished things were easier. We have sacrificed- I missed my grandmother’s funeral, I will be missing a family reunion, and our family is missing out on these early years in our kids’ lives.  But there have been so so many good, no GREAT, times. We have had so many amazing experiences. We have made friends with local cafe owners, pharmacists, store employees. We have traveled, enjoyed the differences in food, culture and architecture. We have been stressed, argued and came out stronger. We have learned to appreciate differences. We have built special memories. And we have given our children an opportunity to learn another language at a very young age.  

I don’t know when this expat journey will end, but I know I will be very sad when it’s over!