Germany.

One month ago today I arrived in Germany. I had no idea what to expect about life here. I think I showed up pretty naive about how life would be over here. Living in Europe: it would be glamorous and full of expensive shopping trips and travelling from country and country and in between those trips I would sip hot cocoa with my new best friends in a cozy cottage in the mountains ... right!? Okay, maybe that image is a little far fetched, but, I always imagined life in Europe to be more than normal life ... if that makes sense. A little extra spunk. But, in reality, it's just like any other ordinary life ... I just wake up to church bells and green German hills instead of the cow next door and the Wasatch mountains. 

When I first got here, I will be honest with you, my first two weeks were hell. I was exhausted. Even though we were sleeping normal German hours, I don't think our bodies had caught up to the 8 hour difference. Me + lack of sleep = horrible (horrible) combination. Plus, Brad was gone all the time. Okay, yeah he has a job right? But, welcome to Army life because your husband is going to leave at 4:45 every morning and won't get home until 6:00, if you're lucky. Talk about a shock of reality. I just wanted to spend time with my husband, and I couldn't even do that. Then ... we didn't have a second car for me. (and the car we did have was stick shift and well ... my learning curve for that skill is pretty pathetic.) I sat at home, stir crazy, with an equally stir crazy little 5 year old and we drove each other to our insanity, or close to it. We tried to do things within walking distance but, the swimming pool and the park and the markets can only be visited every so often. On top of all of that, I was missing my friends in the states. I didn't know anybody here yet and if I had met them, I didn't feel like I could impose on them to entertain me on my horrible days. I was missing my close knit group of friends in Utah. The ones I called family. AND ... as petty as it sounds, I didn't have all of my stuff that I shipped over (ie: clothes, kitchen stuff, "comfort" items) and I wasn't feeling complete. I felt off. I don't think I had very many good moments in those first two weeks. I was pretty miserable. 

But ... then, we got adjusted to the time difference. We bought a new car for my sanity. I got somewhat accustomed to my husband working 13-14 hour days. Kason and I found different ways to entertain ourselves. I was blessed with a couple friends that I would feel comfortable imposing upon ... even if they don't want me to! My stuff from home showed up (only 3 weeks late!) and things just seemed to have a way of working themselves out. Funny how that happens ... 

So, now, I live in Germany. 

And I am okay with it. I don't hate it here anymore. I'm not miserable. In fact, I love it. I love the opportunities I have been given. I love the different culture. I love the change in scenery. Yeah, I still miss things back home. Like my family & friends ... REAL Mexican food ... Target ... stores that are open past 7:00 and air conditioning but, I wouldn't change this experience for the world. 

It's funny how a month can feel like forever. I feel like this is what I have always been doing with my life. I have always been an Army wife. I have always lived in Germany. I have always had to adjust over and over and over again. But, perhaps that phenomenon is the Lord's way of telling me that I am exactly where I need to be. Perhaps He wants me to realize that He wouldn't have placed me in any other situation if He didn't know that I could adjust and be okay with this new life. And for that I am grateful. Because I wouldn't have adjusted without His help. I wouldn't have gotten here without Him.

He blessed me with my new friends.
He blessed us to be able to have 2nd car.

He somehow managed to fight the postal system and get my packages here.  

He blessed me with an amazing son.

He blessed us with a wonderful, stable job for my husband.
And SO much more! 

So, yes ...

I live in Europe.
Reality is, I'm not shopping in Paris every weekend and I don't drink hot cocoa in the Alps but, I'm okay with that. Because this is my life, and it's a beautiful life.