Happy (day after) 4th of July everyone! I spent the day yesterday traveling back from Germany but I hope you all enjoyed your celebrations, whatever you did.
So here I am, back in Pittsburgh, and missing Nikki already. I really had a great visit with her and Bert. It was good to see Nik in the day to day life that she has made for herself. When she went to Germany in Sept of '06 it was for 9 months. None of us really thought she would be ready to leave after so short a stay so it wasn't surprising when she began looking for permanent work that would allow her to stay longer. And there was the little matter of that tall handsome German to whom her heart was not willing to say good-bye! Love doesn't always show up only when and where it is most convenient. So she just left her return date open ended. She wasn't sure when she would *come home* but eventually..... And I think, without realizing it until now, that's how I've continued to think of her stay in Germany. Longer than a year but still just temporary. Until now. Funny how Life has a way of its own. After spending a couple of weeks with her it is evident that there is nothing temporary about this new life of hers. It just IS her life. Though she misses her family, she has no problem signing a two year cell phone contract or buying furniture with Bert or doing any of the myriad of other things that one does in their daily life when they are settled in somewhere. That's not to say that she will never live in the States again. Who knows? But it's pretty certain that it won't be any time soon. Nikki is not just marking time over there or *having the experience* of living in another country for a while. This is her life and she's happy. And as her mother I could wish for nothing more!
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