3, 2, 1

What a monumental year this has been for all of us! In 3 short days we fly back to America, completing our first year living abroad. I am up to my eyeballs (literally) in boxes. We are on a packing frenzy over here. The last day of school is Friday, June 10, and that evening we will be heading to the airport. Most of the contents of my classroom need to be boxed up. This will enable the custodial staff and painters to do their jobs without all of the clutter. At the same time, we are either packing or boxing all of our personal belongings at home. We spent our first year living in an apartment and although it was nice, we quickly outgrew it. Last Monday we requested a house and by Wednesday it was confirmed we could move. It’s rare, but sometimes things really do move along in a timely fashion. The house is 2.5 kilometers, or 1.5 miles, south of where we currently live and where Dorcy, our favorite neighbor, will continue to reside. Just as before, we are only a block from the beach, meaning we can still go for walks and jogs along the water. There are people living in the house until the end of June at which time the school will move us. I put together a Smilebox of photos taken during our walkthrough. The only significant difference, per my request, will be the removal of the fluorescent lighting and instillation of a stove and oven. People just don’t bake around here? You will notice the kitchen doesn’t compliment the rest of the house. Unlike in America where we build our homes around a functioning kitchen, in India the kitchen is intended for the hired staff and therefore not a room suited for congregating. We certainly are not complaining, but rather celebrating and feeling very fortunate.