So we made it! We are finally in the States and ready to start this amazing adventure… as soon as we get over the jet lag that is…
The flight was fairly uneventful, as all ‘good’ flights are…the kids behaved reasonably well aside from my little boy (almost 2) resisting a nap until we were almost at the end of the 8 hour flight and my little girl (4) talking incessantly and going to the bathroom at least 15 times… The poor lady travelling on her own who sat next to my daughter was the most patient person ever and deserves a medal!
We had a couple of nights in Washington, DC before driving to our new home. Any parent will tell you it’s no fun sharing a hotel room with small children but add in jet lag and you’ll be up at 2.30am to start the day. Yawn. We really didn’t do justice to DC and will need to go back to see it properly. Tired/grumpy children and tired parents are a bad combination so it wasn’t the most enjoyable few days but we knew it wouldn’t be long until everyone settled into US time.
It is very strange to drive up to a house, knowing that you are going to live there for the next three years but have no clue what it looks like inside. Luckily we were not disappointed and the person who found it for us deserves a massive thank you (you know who you are!). It is just what you would expect of a suburban American house and the perfect setting for this adventure.
The British Embassy furnish our house and all of the furniture arrived shortly after we got there. So I found myself in a house I don’t know with furniture I’ve never seen and decisions to be made about what is going where. I also have the Landlords’ there as they are doing finishing touches to the house and I’m aware I may not want to arrange the furniture how they would have it.
The removal guys were very understanding but when you see pieces of (heavy) furniture for the first time, it is pretty tricky to decide where you want them for the next 3 years within a few seconds, especially when someone is holding it while you decide. They should use that as a role play exercise in seminars on how to make snap decisions! Talk about pressure. Those removal guys really earned their tip that day!
Then we had to hit Walmart, which I cannot stop referring to as Asda (UK version). We had to buy all the essentials to get us through that first night, bedding, cutlery, plates, cups, milk, bread, baby monitor, etc. Not only that but we had to do it with two small, jet-lagged, hungry children in tow. Another high pressure situation!
We survived though and made it to a restaurant to feed the kids before they ate us, or each other, and then home to let everyone collapse into bed. The first day proper of our adventure was a busy, exciting and stressful one but the first step in making this amazing house our home.
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Military Spouse New House 