Longing for belonging
We all start in life with expectations. From childhood dreams to become a singer or an astronaut, to teenager longings for a life of fame or wealth or both. At the age of 14, I was sure that I wanted to be a mother and a sport teacher, not necessarily in that order.
But life holds always surprises, challenges along the road and just before graduating, I met the love of my life. His big dream contained an international career. We had many late night conversations, with each time more questions: "what about kids, what about my career, how this will affect our relations with family and friends?"
My boyfriend graduated, we married, my husband served his country, we started our careers and our family grew one by one. We had three children, a dog, two cars and a house with a garden, when my husband got an assignment abroad. Romania...not yet a part of the Europe Union, still in development after years of dictatorship under Ceausescu. It was not exactly a destination we had in mind.
The answers found 15 years earlier lost their meaning and once again we tried to find the solutions to "what about the education of our kids (12, 10 and 6 years at the time), what about my career (private investment adviser in a bank), how to bring the news to family and friends?” Wishing for a crystal ball to guide us to the right path, we decided to grab this opportunity: just do and don't look back, don't wonder what could have been if. We were so ignorant of how this period would affect each of us and our family as a whole.
The two year assignment became almost 5, with ups and downs, breathtaking moments, difficult times. We became much closer to each other as first port of call in all circumstances.
When going home was a difficult option in 2005, we decided to move to The Hague and have the children continue in an international school, in a very multicultural environment. They found their way to higher education and 8 years later the youngest graduated from school and the oldest from university.
Again at a cross road in our lives we organised for repatriation: we bought a house, I looked for a job, said goodbye to colleagues & friends and prepared for a new start "just the two of us".
Last minute my husband was offered a job on Reunion Island and I found myself digesting the empty-nest syndrome more than 10.000 km away from our children. An unexpected sabbatical on a tropical island.
I had the feeling that I had to re-invent, re-discover myself again. Polishing my rusty knowledge of the French language, looking for creative activities, reaching out for new friends, longing for belonging!
In the summer of 2015 my husband was offered an early retirement, after 27 years at the same company. I admire how Joël can focus all his energy on a positive approach of whatever comes on his path. So we prepared again for relocating to Louvain. The house was already there, the garden beautifully planted by my nephew who is a skilled gardener, but inside our home looked more as a warehouse; holding all the furniture, electrical appliances and household for two families. We decided to de-clutter, it is not only fashionable, it's also very refreshing and boosting your energy levels.
Ready to plunge again in the Flemish community, Joël got a job offer on Cayman Islands as early as the beginning of October. So the basement remained unfinished, a project for a later date. Despite the beautiful sunsets, the tropical climate, the new friendships and the relaxed lifestyle of the Caribbean, the longing for Europe, its cultural diversity and the proximity of a million things to do and see, remained strong.
December 2016 we repatriated for the third time to Louvain, ready to finally renovate the basement and getting involved in the ancient but vibrant city of Louvain.
I feel grateful for all new electronic devices, social networks and other great tools that enable us to stay connected with family and friends all over the globe. This blog enables me to share my expat-ations. Special thanks to Sophie, my youngest sister in law, who created this blog for and with me.
We all start in life with expectations. From childhood dreams to become a singer or an astronaut, to teenager longings for a life of fame or wealth or both. At the age of 14, I was sure that I wanted to be a mother and a sport teacher, not necessarily in that order.
But life holds always surprises, challenges along the road and just before graduating, I met the love of my life. His big dream contained an international career. We had many late night conversations, with each time more questions: "what about kids, what about my career, how this will affect our relations with family and friends?"
My boyfriend graduated, we married, my husband served his country, we started our careers and our family grew one by one. We had three children, a dog, two cars and a house with a garden, when my husband got an assignment abroad. Romania...not yet a part of the Europe Union, still in development after years of dictatorship under Ceausescu. It was not exactly a destination we had in mind.
The answers found 15 years earlier lost their meaning and once again we tried to find the solutions to "what about the education of our kids (12, 10 and 6 years at the time), what about my career (private investment adviser in a bank), how to bring the news to family and friends?” Wishing for a crystal ball to guide us to the right path, we decided to grab this opportunity: just do and don't look back, don't wonder what could have been if. We were so ignorant of how this period would affect each of us and our family as a whole.
The two year assignment became almost 5, with ups and downs, breathtaking moments, difficult times. We became much closer to each other as first port of call in all circumstances.
When going home was a difficult option in 2005, we decided to move to The Hague and have the children continue in an international school, in a very multicultural environment. They found their way to higher education and 8 years later the youngest graduated from school and the oldest from university.
Again at a cross road in our lives we organised for repatriation: we bought a house, I looked for a job, said goodbye to colleagues & friends and prepared for a new start "just the two of us".
Last minute my husband was offered a job on Reunion Island and I found myself digesting the empty-nest syndrome more than 10.000 km away from our children. An unexpected sabbatical on a tropical island.
I had the feeling that I had to re-invent, re-discover myself again. Polishing my rusty knowledge of the French language, looking for creative activities, reaching out for new friends, longing for belonging!
In the summer of 2015 my husband was offered an early retirement, after 27 years at the same company. I admire how Joël can focus all his energy on a positive approach of whatever comes on his path. So we prepared again for relocating to Louvain. The house was already there, the garden beautifully planted by my nephew who is a skilled gardener, but inside our home looked more as a warehouse; holding all the furniture, electrical appliances and household for two families. We decided to de-clutter, it is not only fashionable, it's also very refreshing and boosting your energy levels.
Ready to plunge again in the Flemish community, Joël got a job offer on Cayman Islands as early as the beginning of October. So the basement remained unfinished, a project for a later date. Despite the beautiful sunsets, the tropical climate, the new friendships and the relaxed lifestyle of the Caribbean, the longing for Europe, its cultural diversity and the proximity of a million things to do and see, remained strong.
December 2016 we repatriated for the third time to Louvain, ready to finally renovate the basement and getting involved in the ancient but vibrant city of Louvain.
I feel grateful for all new electronic devices, social networks and other great tools that enable us to stay connected with family and friends all over the globe. This blog enables me to share my expat-ations. Special thanks to Sophie, my youngest sister in law, who created this blog for and with me.
