Overall, we have been getting acclimated pretty well. We are super busy, with something going on almost every weekend from now until the end of the year. No complaints here, as we like to be busy. But who are we kidding, hopefully we can squeeze in a couple days where we lay on the couch and watch TV all day long. It is needed every once in a while. And American T.V.---enough said!
We are back in our house, and boy does it feel amazing! We got possession back on August 29th, and spent the next two weekends moving all of our things. We are pretty much settled, but a few little projects around the house are on the agenda. The joys of home ownership!
I have been working on creating the blog into a book. You never know what will happen with the internet and technology in the future. Jeff and I have a friend that was abroad earlier in life, and made a Angel Fire website. Many of you may know what I am talking about---others may not. Either way, it is no longer an active website, so all of her posts about her travels are gone. I don't want that to happen, so I have decided to make my blog into a book! I have been trying out many websites, so if anyone has a great suggestion--please let me know.
Other updates---My job as a first grade teacher is going well. I love teaching that age, and my students are so sweet. It is a challenge at times, but I am definitely glad I made the switch to a younger grade. I have quite a few funny stories to share. Feel free to follow Mrs. Becker's Class on Twitter to see our learning in action! Jeff worked really hard and interviewed for a promotion at work within the last month. He is now the Component Engineering Manager. He hasn't been on the job too long, but seems to enjoy this new position a lot. Very proud of him!
Check out our map on the right side of the screen (if you're on a computer). Check out all of the places we visited. It is exhausting just looking at it! We are hoping to put a map up in our house with all the places documented that we visited while abroad.
A big THANK YOU to family, friends, and even the complete strangers around the world who read about our experiences. My blog was viewed over 16,500 times since it was created (And no, my views were not counted in this total), most of which were read by people in the US (duh), UK (duh), France, Russia, Germany, & Poland. Although, there were about 25+ more countries represented in the count. I really appreciate all of your support, kind words, and encouragement to write 151 meaningful posts throughout the last two years. Many people have asked me if we plan on going back to do another secondment. My answer is that we are ready to stay in one place for a while. But never say never!
I want to leave you with a song by one of my favorite bands, OneRepublic, that really made me reflect on our experience abroad, especially with the lyrics:
"I, I did it all
I, I did it all
I owned every second that this world could give
I saw so many places, the things that I did
With every broken bone, I swear I lived."
I, I did it all
I owned every second that this world could give
I saw so many places, the things that I did
With every broken bone, I swear I lived."
It really made me stop and think about how blessed we were to be able to see and experience what we did, as life is short. Take advantage of the time we have on Earth. We tried our best to take advantage of every moment we had abroad. And now for the last time ever....
On to adventures after Us in the UK....
