Catching Up....

Wow, it’s been a while since we’ve posted anything on our travel adventure blog. Sorry about that – but what that really means is that we have been busy with normal life. Life in another country can sound exotic, but we have our weekly routine of school, work and driving two boys around to their various activities. In this sense, life hasn’t changed at all.

It hasn’t been completely uneventful here, though. Over the Christmas break, we spent a few days with my cousin Nazrene and her family in Bristol, which is west of here and near Wales. We spent a day in Wales at an ancient castle, fighting the brutal cold but exploring a site that was constructed in the 1300s. The boys were most fascinated with the catapult machines that apparently still work.

We also drove out to Land’s End, as far West as you can go on this island. Rocky cliffs and stiff, cold wind mark the literal end of land here in England. Konner looked in the distance to the southwest and commented that this was as close to the USA he had been since leaving home last July. I think he was trying to see rocky mountain peaks beyond that horizon.

A key part of our break was spent in Halston, a small town where my Aunt Irene is buried. Just 30 years of age when she died, she was an important part of my childhood. I was just 13 when cancer took her, but I remember her clearly and vividly. It was important to me to take my boys to her place of rest and let them meet her, if you will. It was more emotional than I anticipated – after all that was almost 25 years ago – but it was the first time I had the opportunity to visit. To watch my boys gently lay flowers at her grave was quite moving.

We welcomed the New Year with fireworks, then like everyone else, ventured into an unknown 2009. It’s mid-March now, and some things have changed – the biggest news being that we will be moving back to Colorado in August.

There are lots of reasons we’re headed back, but mostly it’s about wanting to be back home. We are very fortunate in these days of economic uncertainty that Melia and I both have jobs. Melia has her teaching job waiting for her at Ryan Elementary and Amnesty International has agreed to let me work remotely with periodic trips to London and of course my various jaunts to other corners of the world as needed. So, it seems a good arrangement thus far, living where we want to live and doing the jobs that allow us to contribute to humanity as we feel we should.

We haven’t been completely immune to the economic ills of this world. When I took this job just one year ago, one British pound was equal to about $2.10. As I write this today, it is worth just $1.35, which means our income has basically lost over 1/3 of its value. Melia can earn more for her work in Colorado than here in the UK, so as financially it made sense for us a year ago to come here, now it makes more sense for us to head back. Funny how a year changes the world. Actually, it hasn’t been funny, but you know what I mean.

Mostly though, this is about home. Our boys have had a good year here thus far, but they want to run around Lafayette. Melia has earned her stripes in learning a completely new education system and teaching in not the easiest of schools here, and she deserves to be in a place of familiarity. And me, well I miss mountains, space, and a few good friends, so it seems the right thing for all of us.

But, we’re still here for the next four months. We have trips to France, Germany, Holland and either Spain or Italy planned. And if all goes well, we’ll be back at altitude around 1 August. We might not have any of our stuff with us, but we’ll be home.

Cheers – Andrew & family