My whole life (except for a short, 1-year stint as a South Dakotan) I’ve been an Iowan. How weird to now call myself a Michigander.
We’ve lived here for just over a week now and I do believe we are settling in quite nicely. The kids started school a week ago today and are absolutely in love. They love their teachers, their new school and have made more friends than I could’ve hoped for in a week. That was my biggest prayer as their mama. Friends, please let them make friends! We were so pleased to discover one of Trysten’s friends lives directly across from our house on the lake. Doubly pleased to learn he has a sister in Dailah’s class! On Saturday that friend rowed his sister on over so they could play with our kids.
There are many terrible ways people could describe me that would be true but “lazy” is not really one of them. (Although my marathon of The Walking Dead today might disagree). I can thank my parents-the hardest working people in the world-for teaching me to just keep working no matter how tired when there are things to be done. Thus the house is unpacked, the whole top floor is freshly painted and we even have our pictures hanging on the wall! 🙂
Can I just tell you that Zach has been the most amazing? He’s working really long hours and then still comes home to finish painting the top part of rooms or hang this or that. I have no doubt that if you were to ask him lately he would tell you he really hates that my love language is “acts of service” but you wouldn’t know it just by looking at him. What kind of man does something he hates for hours on end and asks to take a break only to go shoot hoops with his sons? That would be mine. Lucky, lucky lady.
As for me, I’m admittedly a little sad. I miss my friends. I miss my job. I miss knowing exactly where to go to get everything we need and who to call if I wasn’t sure. I miss having a bathroom that I didn’t have to share with some of my kids. 😉
But we’re doing it, you know? I’m so proud of all of us for putting ourselves out there and finding happiness in even the most mundane events. That’s what it takes right? To start to make a foreign place home? Find little bits of happiness whenever or wherever they come?
Hotflawedmama's All Grown Up 
Hi Tesi! I followed your blog way back in the day when you brought Tariku home. I always loved your perspective, though you and I are pretty different; you are such a gifted writer. I am spending 3 weeks now in Ethiopia with a student group (we are MBA candidates at Ohio State), and as soon as I landed, I felt at ease. I realized it was because of your blog! It’s been wonderful to catch up on your blog now that I’m here, and to read over your first impressions of Ethiopia (they were similar to mine). I have always had a fondness for Ethiopia, and am now understanding what I’ve read for so long about the people here. What an amazing place. Thank you for being such a wonderful advocate, and for using your talent with words for such good. Please feel welcome to follow along on our blog, as we are just a few days into our visit. We are currently in Gondar, and then will head to Bahir Dar for two days, and Addis Ababa until we depart.
I love that bottom pic of your cat beyond words. 😀
I felt EXACTLY as you’ve described when we moved to Michigan. It was so weird to use my GPS to go to the grocery store and to live for months with only knowing a handful of people in the entire state. We’ve been here for almost two years now and I totally and completely feel at home. You’ll get there. It sounds like you’re (all) off to a great start!