Whether one knows it or not, currently, this is the most loaded and biggest question that I get asked on almost a daily basis and the most common. It is a good question and I expect it. I don’t dislike the question but I have to take a deep breath before I begin to answer it.

My answer is usually along the lines of…”well, it is sweet and hard and full and weird and familiar and also definitely not.”

You see the complexity? Ana gets the other side of this question…. so, how do you like being in the US? I can see her look at the person to see if she can answer this at all in fullness. She usually says something like, “well, its hard but also good.”

It is impossible to really answer this question.

We love being around family BUT we both are so tired and hate how much time we are in the car.

We love having more space BUT really miss our bakeries and cafes and corner stores.

We LOVE being able to be on call for family and yet we miss our chosen nieces and nephews fiercely.

We love hanging out on the back patio but miss our balcony.

We are homesick for Berlin and yet are excited about adventures here.

I am having a good time in my new job but also am holding it all loosely.

I am truly excited about what will happen at St. Paul’s UMC and I miss some things I was doing in Germany.

We both miss our people on the other side of the world immensely BUT I was constantly missing my people here.

I loved having multiple languages around me all the time in Germany but I also love what diversity is here.

We miss our fav sushi spot but gained our fav taco spot.

It is complicated and hard.

We are learning.

Some things I didn’t expect…

-To feel as though I am relearning parts of a language that is supposedly native to me. This includes culural clues.

-The price of groceries.

-How much I had grown accustomed to walking everywhere.

-How homesick I am for a city I didn’t think was mine.

-Realizing my people here have to adjust to having me back around.

-How hard it really is to juggle transition, and working even halftime and being full time mommy and being a pastor with these new facets but also the joy of all of this. I love taking T on pastoral visits with me and am loving that role again with this new slant.

-How much Ana and I have similar experiences in each others continents but we are also seeing how strong we are together.

-I am sure the list will grow.

Thanks for reading! What would you add if you have been here?