18 March 2010

between here and there

We usually follow a five month/one month program, which means we spend five months over here in Ivory Coast and one month holidays in Europe. Now I have gotten so frustrated from being in Europe the last couple of times I told my husband I would rather not go any more, or if we do, we spend the entire holiday somewhere other than Belgium.
So this time, we set off with the idea that we'd be here until september... unless for some reason it would be necessary for us to go sooner. Which meant nine months over here.
Now I thought that would make things easier once I was here. You should know normally, about three months in, I get this desire to go back, and all I do really is looking forward to our holiday. And since that holiday is so far away now, I thought that longng would be postponed, more so because I generally really don't like our holidays.

But guess again! We have been here for three months now (what did I tell you) and already I am looking forward to leaving. But looking forward to what exactly? I can hardly blog or read my email over there. I have to run behind the little one all the time - that doesn't bother me, but combined to the fact that I cannot go out because all activities are to far away and I don't drive... It's a recipe to go bananas.
I seriously couldn't tell you... Except I want to do some shopping... If only we could get our webshopping delivered here, there would be no reason whatsoever to go to Belgium every five months any more.

Safe for the shopping. I'm good here. I'm fairly happy most of the time. There's hardly any appeal to go to Belgium, so what is this longing??? I think we have been conditioned by the 5 month system. I think the fact that we know this is not OUR house, makes us not feel like we are living here, just residing. Another thing that makes it equally bad is that we never know when we're moving. We could just as easy be here another six months as another two years. Now how are you supposed to settle in under those conditions?
Over those four years we've been doing the moving game, I never really felt at home in my house. I always did my best to decorate where I live, but it's not the same as when you are there indefinately. There's always those little things you don't do... or hesitate.

Pfffff.

I want to shop!!! NOW

Told the husband he needs to find an excuse to go to Abidjan, but he says he has none... grr

7 comments:

  1. I've enjoyed the posts I've read of your blog. So very fascinating!!

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  2. Hi, I'm new to your blog and I enjoy it very much. Sounds like you have a fun life! Easy for me to say....but I do think it would be hard for me to be in same situation with a little one. You must be very outgoing making friends in all the new places you go. I'm an expat myself - born in Sweden but living in the US. Thanks for sharing your life with us.

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  3. wow it seems quite difficult to be constantly on the move. since i'm not an extremely out-going person, i think i would have trouble settling into places all the time. nonetheless, i hope you are enjoying your life and taking in the little things that are important :)

    awesome blog, i'll be back to read more!

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  4. @Mary
    We spent a little time in Sweden ourselves. How's living in the US? Where are you exactly?

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  5. Travelbird, where in Sweden were you? I was born in Göteborg (Gothenburg) but grew up in Helsingborg (the south Skåne).
    I'm way up in the north west corner of the US in Seattle and I love it here. Been here since '98 except for 4 months in Vancouver, BC and 9 months outside London.

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  6. Sorry, I just read your profile and see the answer to my question there...Norrköping. How did you like Sweden?

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  7. Mary, I liked Sweden a lot... well especially the people. That's where I started blogging, so if you go back to the earliest posts, you could see how our life was over there.
    I did not like the food however, where we were! (but apparently that's better in Goteborg)

    Mike Thomas, I'm heading over there right now.

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