Little Miss Imperfect

Just landed: First thoughts from Italy.

Two weeks. We’ve LIVED in Italy for two weeks now. Somedays it’s hard to believe.

We still don’t have internet set up in our home so the blogging may be sparse for a while. We were told it would be ready by December 5th. DECEMBER!? Hopefully it’s ready before then. In the meantime, Nick walks to his parent’s church to use the wifi for work.

Where to start with all that’s happened in two weeks? So many things I’ve been “writing” in my head. Let’s see if I can pull it all together in some organized manner….

The flight

Oh it was LONG! Really the worst parts were the long layovers – five hours of not moving any closer to Italy. Between my excitement and nerves Read More

Living Abroad

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The final countdown

Just 20 minutes before we start the big day of travel. I feel like I need to write out my feelings so I don’t forget when this is just a blip in our story. It’s a jumble, but that’s exactly how I feel right now. Jumbled.

I woke up this morning with my heart pounding in my throat and my stomach doing flip flops. Wake up has actually been like that for over a week now. Anxiety. I’ve faced it before. I know it’s temporary, but it’s been taking its toll on my body during this last week. Once I take the time to get out of my head and start “doing” the flutters subside.

Yesterday was a day of calm and relaxation. House was cleared. All was packed. We soaked up time with close friends. My mind and body needed that.

Now we finally start making progress towards what we’ve waited so long for. 24 hours of travel. Three planes. Four airports. Then a new home.

I’ll spend my time watching shows and movies to take my mind off the anxiety I always feel when flying. Hopefully there’s some sleep in there.

I think my biggest fear is losing bags. It’s just stuff. I know it’s fine if it goes missing. But considering we have so little left, I’m clinging tight to what’s left.

So pray for our journey. Pray anxiety is gone. Pray all bags make it. Pray for safety. So far God’s been so good to us, I can see his hand in all of it.

Ok. Here we go.

Living Abroad

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Goodbye to 1085

Currently we’re sleeping with mattresses on the floor and eating at our dining room table while sitting on camping chairs. The couch, dining room table and one of our cars still needs to sell.

Our house is pretty empty. Nothing on the walls, no shelves to hold anything, 5 boxes are waiting for us in Italy, and soon we’ll pack our travel bags.

I wrote before about slowly saying goodbye as items sold on Craigslist and now that our house is almost empty, I feel like an official goodbye to our home is in order…..

Thank you 1085 for being our first home as a married couple. Just shy of our one year anniversary, Read More

Oct, 6th 2015
Rachel
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Downsizing for an International Move

We’re just shy of a month away from the big move! YIKES!

Our lives consist of selling everything on craigslist and Facebook. It’s kind of consuming my life right now. The emails, the photo taking, the disassembling and hauling out to strangers’s cars, the reorganizing the things from inside the shelves and drawers. Soon we’ll be camping in the shell of our house.

Pray it all sells. We have some big items like our couch and the girls’ beds that need to go for a good price so we can afford to buy furniture for our new place when we arrive. Every dollar we make here means we can fill the new house in Italy.

Most people ask us about what we’re taking with us so I thought I’d write a post about it for those who are curious. Read More

Living Abroad

Sep, 10th 2015
Rachel
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The H word

Whelp. I’m coming out. Coming clean…we’re homeschooling.

Technically I suppose we’ve been doing it since June, but now we’re getting serious about it. By serious I mean we bought curriculum and have somewhat of a plan.

That plan?

Some regular time carved out for school work with the curriculum.

You guys. It’s not a detailed plan. That’s so not like me. What up with that?

Here’s what’s up:

I’ve been reading (surprise, surprise) and I’m so drawn to the whole philosophy of unschooling. Read More

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The Great Weight Debate

After a weekend of shopping for new clothes, I’m filled with all these questions and feelings swirling around in my head about the body I currently live in…..

First of all I look in the mirror and ask myself “Who am I?” I’m in total denial about the person who looks back at me. Where on earth is that cute little size 2/xs girl who looks amazing in every piece of clothing she tries on? I miss her. I really liked her and she gave me confidence.

I don’t even own a full length mirror anymore. I don’t want to see my whole body in one shot. When I try clothes on in a store it grosses me out to see my current shape and how horribly everything fits. This weekend I tried on a size I swore I’d never wear. It fit. Technically the size smaller would’ve fit too, but they were out of that size and $50 Anne Taylor shorts for $17 – I can’t pass that up. I still haven’t put them on again. I cry a little inside to think I have to wear that size.

I’ve probably done this to myself of course – all those promises growing up that I’d never be fat. Read More