Well, we actually arrived nearly three months ago but were without internet until now. Our arrival didn't go quite the way I expected to. We were supposed to be met at the airport by our "relocation specialist", taken to our apartment, taken to pick up our car and Ryan's cell phone, taken to get our money exchanged and helped with our first grocery trip. When we got off the plane I am ashamed to say I was sobbing and had been since we touched down. I wanted nothing more than to find then next available flight back to DIA eventhough it would mean another twelve hours in-flight with our three children. Somewhere through customs I did manage to pull it together and we set off in search of our luggage and our relocation specialist. She was no where to be found be fortunately the man with a van from Ryan's new work place was there holding a little white sign that saying "Hackett Family" and between the three of us we were somehow able to get our ten bags, three children, three carseats and stroller through the Dusseldorf airport and into the van. We would be staying in an apartment for about six weeks as the house we wanted had tenents still living in it for a while. So, off to the apartment we went.Ryan and I had not had a chance to see our apartment since it was not selected during our prior house hunting trip and we had no idea what to expect. Our relocation specialist met us on the sidewalk outside the apartment and as we started to climb the stairs I asked if there was an elevator. Stupid question. We climbed flight after flight of stairs until we were on the fifth floor! As I started to think about what a nightmare it would be to lug three kids and our groceries up these stairs we were shocked by our relocation lady telling us that she had to go! Apparently she had scheduled another appointment and would catch up with us in a few days!
This is the point where my mind goes blank. I think sometimes our brains shut off as a kind of favor to us. Saving us from things like committing murder and spending the rest of my life in a German prison.
Somehow we got her to send a co-worker to come pick Ryan up (our man with a van had disappeared) and take him to work so he could pick up his car, lap top and cell phone. While he was gone I had a chance to take a closer look around the apartment. It was a pretty nice place and quite spacious for 2bdrm'er until I noticed that not only had it not been cleaned before we came, it had not been cleaned for a while! There were stains in the toilets the likes of which I haven't seen since I had the misfortune of using the toilet in Ryan's college apartment (no fault to you Ryan, we know it was all Kurt). Memory again blanks out after this and doesn't reappear until a few days later.
It was not an ideal start to our new lives in Germany but we got through it and I hear there is all kinds of new research in the field of memory removal (thank you bookclub). In all honesty we have been amazed by the beauty of this city. Dusseldorf gets a lot of rain and there is green everywhere. The kids and I loved taking walks though the parks near our apartment. We have met some nice people and the language in coming, at a snail's pace but it is coming! We feel blessed to be here and think in the end it will be a good experience for the whole family. Getting settled in our house and starting the process of making it a home has made a big difference. I miss home. I've been homesick before at college but being here were ALL that is familiar to me is gone and I don't understand what anyone is saying is a different kind of homesick.
My family watched the movie 8 Seconds a lot when we were younger and we would often use the phrase, "Cowboy up" if something was tough. Then one day a few years back I saw a truck with a bumpersticker that said "Cowboy up or go sit in the truck". Well, I don't want to go sit in the truck so I suppose I'll just have to keep plowing through. I don't even think I could even find a truck to sit in if I wanted to.....
