Bye Bye USA. Thanks for the memories!

We are heading home.

For those reading this blog for the first time, Welcome! We have spent the past six months living in Washington DC in the USA after Mr Jones was seconded onto a project over here.

We have loved every minute of it.

BC (before children) we lived in London for two years.  We had an amazing time and travelled all over Europe.  After returning to Australia and being grown ups (aka buying a house, renovating, buying a business, having kids etc), we never thought we would have the opportunity to work overseas again.

This has been the most incredible experience and one we will never forget and always cherish.

Living in another country with kids is different to living overseas with no kids. Hey, who am I kidding, living ANYWHERE with kids is different to no kids!

I was a little apprehensive before coming here.  I am blessed to have an amazing support network close by in Australia and coming to another country, living in a small apartment with my little boys by my side every minute of every day, seven days a week was pretty daunting (patience is not one of my strengths although I wish wish wish it were).

However, it has been fine.  There have been days that if I had to explain one more time a) picking your nose spreads germs b) putting your hands down your pants isn't nice manners c) we eat our food sitting up at the table, not upside down or d) ask for a tissue instead of wiping your snot on the couch, I would have lost the will to live but hey, that's just parenting in general.  Doesn't matter where in the world you are.

WHAT I HAVE LOVED

• Seeing a new country through the eyes of my boys
• The people I have met
• Weekly cleaning service (I haven't cleaned a toilet in six months - what a bloody treasure that has been)
• Having an ozone layer
• No water restrictions
• Being immersed in the 'day to day'
• Discovering this incredibly diverse and amazing country

WHAT I HAVE MISSED

• Friends and family
• My coffee machine
• My pillow
• Our house

So long USA, thank you for welcoming us and showing us your amazing personality.  I love your patriotism, I love how proud you are, I love your sunny disposition, I love your celebrations and your positive outlook.

I'm taking a bit of all that back to Australia with me. 


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Image courtesy of www.stockfreeimages.com

Our first Thanksgiving experience

There were three holidays that I was looking forward to whilst living in the USA - Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Halloween was amazing and I was blown away by how unfounded my previous judgements had been.  See post Our first Halloween experience.  Christmas is right around the corner.

This week is our first Thanksgiving.

What is Thanksgiving? (according to Google search)

An annual national holiday marked by religious observances and a traditional meal including turkey. The holiday commemorates a harvest festival celebrated by the Pilgrims in 1621, and is held in the US on the fourth Thursday in November.

What is Thanksgiving? (according to Wikipedia)

Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Traditionally, it is a time to give thanks for the harvest and express gratitude in general. While perhaps religious in origin, Thanksgiving is now primarily identified as a secular holiday.

Even though I have never celebrated this holiday before.  I love the idea of it.  I love the family traditions that go with it.

The idea of the gathering together of family and friends to give thanks and express gratitude for what you have in life is endearing.

Whilst the majority of us may not be gathering to give thanks for the harvest in our modern world, it is lovely to just have a day to sit back and be grateful (and apparently sink into a food induced coma, only time will tell with this one!).

This is what I am going to give thanks for this Thanksgiving:

1. My beautiful family and friends
2. That we have shelter, warmth and nourishment
3. Our good health
4. Experiences that we have the opportunity to embrace

This is by no means an extensive list.  I am just not so sure that coffee and red wine should really be put on the list - but I am truly thankful for those aswell.

So, on the fourth Thursday in November 2012, even if you do not celebrate Thanksgiving - lets all unite and share our gratitude.

What are you thankful for?

Less cynicism, more celebration

Any excuse for a celebration, I say. Or so I thought.

After living in the USA, I have come to a realisation that I don't celebrate enough.

In fact, I would go as far as to say that I am somewhat cynical when it comes to celebrating.



Let me give you some examples of what I do/have done in these celebratory moments:

• Valentines Day - don't do it, don't believe in it
• Birthdays - usually a small gathering of just family, unless it is an "0" birthday
• New House - nothing
• Baby born - baby shower for Master 4, not for Master 1
• Halloween - don't do it, don't believe in it
• Easter - family get together
• Christmas - Probably the biggest one - house decorated, big meal, presents, everyone together
• Anzac Day - nothing
• Australia Day - maybe a small BBQ
• New Years Eve - think its a fizzer most of the time and the kids get up at the crack of dawn anyway so we were in bed by 10pm for the last few years.
• Anniversaries - no presents, just a nice dinner
• Grand Final Day - small BBQ
• Melbourne Cup Day - nothing
• Labour Day - nothing

Sad and pathetic.

Right...new resolution for when we get home - Less cynicism, more celebrating.

I have loved the build up, the tradition and the celebrations that we have been a part of in the USA.  Nothing is looked upon as over the top, its just a wonderfully inclusive, communal and enveloping feeling of positivity and something to look forward to.

The change of the season was probably the first one that we witnessed and all the traditions that came with that.  We arrived when summer was finishing and fall (autumn) was beginning.  The fall meant cooler weather, the leaves turning, harvests, hay rides, festivals, pumpkins and apples, Halloween and Thanksgiving.

The shop fronts were all decorated in Autumn leaves and pumpkins and the supermarkets displayed all the traditional foods that represent the Fall.  I wrote in a previous post about how the celebration of Halloween over here has changed my perception of this holiday (Our first Halloween experience).  We are now looking forward to Thanksgiving and what this holiday represents.

I don't know where my cynicism comes from?  I think it might be the way I was bought up - not to be too OTT (over the top).  Maybe its a cultural thing - as Australians, we are more laid back and tend not to be too raa raa about "stuff".

Maybe we should get more raa raa about stuff?  Raa Raa is good, right?  Why not celebrate? Why not get people together? Why not promote the goodwill and feeling of connectedness that comes with each celebration? Why not get into the spirit?

Why not? I say.

Still can't wrap my head around Valentines Day though...

Do you like to celebrate? or prefer to keep it low key?
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Image courtesy of www.stockfreeimages.com

Our first Halloween experience

Today we did something we have never done before - we went to a Halloween party.

We loved it!

Master 4 chose his costume - Spiderman.  "I want to be a Superhero, mum".  From the moment it came out of the packaging he wanted to wear everything (including the mask).  So incredibly cute!  Master 1 was Thomas the Tank Engine - not as keen as big brother but he wore the costume for long enough for photos.  The kids really got into it and had their photo taken on pumpkins and we all sat on picnic blankets whilst the kids trick or treated each blanket.

Being from Australia, we don't really celebrate Halloween.  In fact, my general feeling on this event was that it was an over-commercialised contribution to our already epidemic childhood obesity problem.  Intense, I know.

I think it is growing in popularity in Australia.  Last year we had two groups of trick or treaters.  Although, some of the kids weren't even dressed up - further enhancing my view on the over-commercialisation blah blah.  I still gave them a treat - didn't want to rain on the halloween parade.

Since being in the USA, I have completely changed my mind.

It is a complete celebration of the season and everything "fits" together.  It is The Fall (Autumn), so all the leaves are turning, pumpkins of all shapes and sizes are everywhere, all the stores are decorated in orange, black, purple, white and green and full of Halloween decorations and cards and houses are draped in faux spiderwebs, bats, witches hats and jack-o-laterns.  

It is less about the "candy" and more about a wonderful tradition of the coming together of families and the community to celebrate the spookiness and the make believe.

So bring on Halloween and all that comes with it.  I love that it opens my kids minds to different traditions and cultures and draws on their wonderful little imaginations.  

I'm sure they won't mind the candy either... a good chance for the lesson of moderation!

People are so polite and courteous

We have only been here in the US for a week but I am amazed at how polite and lovely everyone has been. Not just people in a service environment (although they have been great aswell) but just general strangers in the street.

If you drop something - people will jump to pick it up for you, if you are struggling with your stroller (as I often am - that darn thing is heavy with two kids in it) people will open a door for you or help you down the last step.  If someone accidentally bumps you in the street - they look you in the eyes and apologise like they really mean it.  People will say "Hello, how you doin' today?" and actually care for the answer.  If you ask for directions, people will stop and smile and give you all the info you need and more.

Its just so lovely.  

I don't know why I am so floored by this but it just seems really noticeable.  We are friendly in Australia - if fact we are known for it but we also seem to be much more wary, perhaps less trusting???  

I find myself smiling more, helping others more, striking up more conversations, meeting and talking to more people.  Could it be because I am new to this city and want to put myself out there more than I would back in Melbourne? - maybe.  Whatever the reason, I am really enjoying it.

Makes me feel welcome in this new city.

Thanks Washington DC!

Mumma, why are the post boxes blue?

I love to travel.  I embrace the differences of the places I go to.  I like trying new food, meeting new people and seeing different things.

This time, in Washington DC, I am seeing it all through the eyes of my darling boys.  Master 3 particularly.  Master 1 could be on the moon - as long as his tummy was full he wouldn't care!

For Master 3, this new place is overwhelming.  Even the smallest things seem strange.  The eggs are pure white (like in the picture books) instead of brown.  I pointed out a fire engine to him the other day that was literally going straight past us with its siren blaring but he didn't see it.  Why not?..."That's not a fire engine mumma, its yellow" - of course (they do have red fire engines here aswell but the yellow one must have been a special kind - confusing, I know!).

This was a lightbulb moment for me.

Many of the things that I must have been referring to or pointing out to him as we have been exploring, he had absolutely no idea what I was talking about!  

So I have begun to point out things to him like the post boxes are dark blue instead of red, the police cars and black and white instead of white and blue. Bob the Builder doesn't necessarily "sound funny" he just has an American accent. He seems able to process things better if he can associate with things in Australia. 

When someone asks him where he is from he will reply with our full Australian address - haha!  Have had to have some practice at just saying "Australia".  Its gorgeous!

I never thought we would travel overseas with our kids until they were at least much older but seeing this new place from my little boy's perspective is just amazing and makes me want to do it more! 

Are you a planner or prefer to go with the flow?

Are you a planner or like to figure it out when you get there? Maybe a bit of both? 

I am a planner and I LOVE to research!  Part of the excitement for me of going somewhere new, seeing something different or even making a new purchase is the research that goes into it.  I enjoy the thrill of the plan (I need to get a life right! haha!).

Before we came to Washington DC, I did sooooo much research.  Everything you could think of from groups to join to must see places.  The power of Google is endless.

I had a comprehensive list of websites to go to, groups to join, local supermarkets, best coffee, best kid friendly restaurants, local gyms and how many minutes it took to walk to the closest metro (train) stop.  Some may call it retentive but hey, it satisfies my control freak tendancies and I can hit the ground running!

I admire people that are spontaneous, fly by the seat of their pants, it'll be alright when we get there.  I kind of wish I was more like that and often fight the urge to plan and pre-organise everything.  But alas, I can't do it. So might as well embrace it!  

In the first couple of days after we arrived here we have managed to join three mum's groups and enrolled in a Gymbaroo type of program for the boys called JW Tumbles.  It feels good to be able to get into everything quickly.  

We have a few things in the diary now which makes it easier to settle and establish a routine.  It also gets us out of the house and doing things ensuring we can maximise this amazing opportunity.

These were my top living abroad with kids research priorities (in no particular order):

• Parks (with play equipment)
• Good coffee
• Supermarket
• Local library
• Kid friendly restaurants
• Local chemist and medical centre
• Gym
• Train/bus system
• Meetup groups

What do you look for in a new place?