The view from my office in BA.

We want to ensure that this blog doesn’t give the Facebook version of our trip (i.e. only the good stuff) so we think it’s important to tell about some of the difficulties we have encountered.

Last night after we put the kids to bed, we heard Kate sobbing.  We went to see what was the matter and she was beside herself crying “I’m so homesick.  I miss my friends. I miss my house and my room and Oakley.  I know this is a big adventure but I’m just so sad.” it was heartbreaking.  When I tried to lighten the mood, Kate even swore that she missed Sunday School and practicing her piano! (If only I had recorded that).  After some hugs and a couple of stories she was back to her normal self but it was a difficult moment.

We’ve also had some, how shall we say, digestive issues caused by a local fish house (Nemo on Cabello).  Last night we waited two hours for our sushi delivery and what we received was more appropriate for a cat than a person (Itame on Salguero).  My IT equipment has failed along multiple dimensions and doing work has proven more difficult than I had planned.  Perhaps most difficult is just feeling overwhelmed.  We have so much to do (getting the house set up, school interviews, hiring help for various issues around the house) that it feels like we are wrestling an octopus. (The fact that these are first world problems is duly noted).

We are , however, philosophical about all of these little bumps in the road.  Everything at home ran smoothly, ironed out after many years of getting things just right.  Learning to absorb these little inconveniences with a smile is an important part of this journey and is part of the growth experience that we desire for our family.