3 months

3 months in Valencia!
Today, 12/1/2017, makes 3 months in Valencia! Possibly the longest shortest 3 months of our life together.
So much I want recount for you. So much I would explain and describe. But it's late, and I'm tired, and the kids have to get to school in the morning, and I have to go be bad at Spanish at meetings (because we need to continue trying to get our twins into some form of schooling), plus we'll have to feed them all a few times, and so on.
So let me just tell you this: it's been a hard 3 months. I mean, dang!
Imagine not understanding 90% of what's going on around you, and being misunderstood 90% of the time you speak. We have always gotten stares when out and about, but here I've seen people turn full circle to gawk at us as we shamble down the cobbled streets (not staring in an ugly way...more of a "Wait, is this a zoo exhibit of exotic and fertile yet mute humanoid creatures?" type stare)...not always easy to cope with. Then, imagine the frustration that explodes in your chest when the 8 ppl you have the most in common with misunderstand something you say or do, in your own language, and suddenly you're all about to throat punch each other because you can't find the bus to Ikea. Or maybe you know what it feels like to be stuck inside your apartment with 7 kids for days and days because they aren't in school yet and it won't stop raining?...oh, and you don't have any internet or phone service. Or just contemplate how fun it would be to go to a government office similar to the DMV, only you have no idea what any of the documents or people are saying...oh and you need a different office in a different part of town for each step of the residency process.
I could go on. I could tell you that it's possible to land in your lovely new home city to find that, unbeknownst to you and jet lag notwithstanding, it is a national holiday and EVERYTHING around you is closed except for a Kabob shop and fruit stand.
But I won't tell you all that mess. Nope. No stories about Christmas gifts that didn't work because we didn't realize European versions weren't compatible with the american Nintendo 3DS hardware. I won't bore you with the story of us running through the Brussels airport, "Home Alone" style, to get to our gate because we missed our bus and the line for security check took 1.5 hours to clear.
Nope. I won't waste your time with that stuff.
Because, what I really want to tell you is: it's been a fantastic 3 months. I mean, dang!
TODAY WAS AWESOME! I spent the morning riding my bike around town to run errands - which included making progress toward getting the twins into a high school music conservatory...I made said progress in Spanish, no less. That's right, I spoke fairly understandable Español to government employees today. ANNNND I mostly understood their replies! 3 months. I had several other fruitful conversations in Spanish today as well, including one about the beautiful orange trees that line so many streets here. See what I did there? Fruitful conversations? Orange trees? Fruitful. Yeah.
The kids had a great day at school and we played at the park...TWICE! ...and they played video games that work (thanks PS4 for being internationally compatible!). Plus Zion and Carter went to an after school music class that a teacher organizes.
Maja had coffee with an American friend, then went to visit a Valencian friend at her cool women's clothing shop.
And this afternoon, I got to have a beer and chat (about nothing and everything) on a sunny terrace with Maja. ...We may have done some besos;)
There have been so many great moments, and great days, throughout the past 3 months.
In life, so many great times and worthy pursuits are built upon a foundation of perseverance, courage, and hope that gives you the guts to kick adversity in the pantalones and crush it down into a stepping stone. It is often a process. Baby steps. But start somewhere and keep pushing. Keep trying. You might end up feeling muy bien whilst basking in the beautiful sunshine of the results you get.