Friday, July 27, 2012

A torch relay of our own

The excitement level due to the Olympics is growing in this household! Possibly because we have been in London and can imagine the setting, partly because this is the first Olympics in the lives of the boys, but I can't wait for the opening ceremony! I don't know how I'll manage to cheer for France, the United States and Latvia, although I'm particularly excited about the basketball and Lithuania's team after the Beijing games.

Passing the torch

As the torch relay brings the Olympic flame to light the cauldron in London today, I'm writing to you from South Carolina, where I feel that we have finished our own relay. I mentioned in a previous post that an Air France strike kept us in Clermont-Ferrand three days longer than intended; I hadn't yet mentioned that when we finally got a flight out, we missed our connecting flight in Paris and therefore spent an extra day there. Two adults, a toddler, an infant, two cats and hotels for a week - comedy ensues!

I consider it pretty impressive that we checked a total of 9 pieces of luggage. Suitcases, duffels, carseats, and then our carry on stroller, suitcase, diaper bag, and two cats. Yet during our sojourn in Paris we still had to purchase toothpaste! But then yesterday after a very long week and two days of travel we arrived, and probably due a large part to jetlag it feels almost as if we never left. France seems like a distant dream, but then suddenly I will clearly feel the difference; in no particular order the top five things that remind me I'm not in France anymore.
1. I washed and dried three loads of laundry in under 3 hours.
2. Target (the store) : bagels, dark chocolate Reeses, colby jack cheese, Goldfish crackers crossed off the grocery list, and total bill half the cost of a similar trip to Geant Casino.
3. TV in English! For that matter, everyone speaks English!
4. We were in Atlanta for four hours on layover, and during this time three different people shared with me, a complete stranger, their life stories.
5. Lauris is asking for his friends Ba-Ba, Maël and Stephanos hourly – how do I explain to a two-year old?

Our time in Greece, Rocamadour, at the Tour de France: I still have so much more to share about our time in France. It will take me some time as we attempt to get settled in here, and I have yet to decide in what direction to take Femme au Foyer, but I value each and every visit and comment. Wishing you a fantastic Olympic experience, whether it be watching an event in London or in France or in the United States, good luck to the athletes and let the Games begin!

12 comments:

  1. I know that returning to the US from France is in many ways bittersweet, but to some degree Clermont-Ferrand and your European travels have become an integral element of your lives and, even though Lauris and Mikus may not remember any of the adventures, all of it has still, to some degree, formed their personalities!
    The GOOD news: you are once again 3,618 miles (5,821 kilometers)closer to all vecmammiņas un vectētiņi (grandparents! Mēs jūs visus ļoti mīlam!!!!!

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    1. Yes, a short Southwest flight away from close family - very different than seeing you once a year!

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  2. Liene-- I don't know how I missed it-- I had no idea you were moving back to the States! I wish you very well as you settle into life there. And I'm so glad for you that you were able to do SO much wonderful traveling before you left Europe. I have enjoyed seeing/ reading about it all!

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    1. You didn't miss it Ariana - everything happened so quickly! We had expected to be in France a little longer, up to five years, so it was a surprise for us as well. However I'm looking forward to exploring this part of the world now!

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  3. Hi Liene,
    I join your blog just now and see you are moving from France to the US, what an achievement in itself, well done! I would love to keep up with your adventures and am curious as to whether you will continue to keep up the French with Lauris?

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    1. Hi Tallulah, nice to meet you! We'll see with Lauris - right now he's speaking Latvian with a few words in French, I think he'll probably pick up English in a flash and then once he is in school, maybe French!

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  4. And I'll bet the shops are open today (Sunday)!!

    I am missing you all so much. But looking forward to hearing all about your new adventures in Greenville.

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    1. Would you guess that some shops (the car dealerships in this case) weren't open!?! But I will not complain, I was shopping close to 9pm yesterday. Bisous Emma!

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  5. Happy that you made it back 'home' safely!
    How are the little ones adjusting?

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  6. Happy re-settlement in the US. Glad you had such a wonderful adventure when living in Europe. Memories will last a lifetime.

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  7. Now I'm reading backwards, trying to catch up on your adventures. (I've had some issues that have made me behind on your blog.) What a surprise to learn we're almost neighbors now! hehehe Okay, maybe not exactly, but VA is a lot closer to SC than it is to France. I can totally relate to your list because I would be one of those strangers in #4 who would share my whole life with another stranger. Welcome home.

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  8. I am scrolling through posts trying to get back to "the beginning" (basically, where I left off before going into first trimester hell!) and happened to read a section of this one as I was scanning: "at times it feels like France was a dream." Jake and I have said that SO many times - since we've come back, it oddly feels like our time in England never happened. I can't understand how something so powerful, so loved and so significant could slip right through our fingers - but that's exactly how it feels. It's encouraging to read we are not alone in that feeling - and in the feeling of being overwhelmed by the chain restaurants/fast food, heat, noise and people willing to tell you EVERYTHING about themselves just because you sat next to them! I never noticed this before but so many things about my own culture are causing me culture shock and making me miss England. So strange! Sorry to ramble - just wanted to thank you for voicing some of the feelings we are having and making me feel not quite so alone. :)

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