Everything Happens for a Reason

What a whirlwind these last couple weeks have been! I had hoped to keep up with the blogging but it turns out me and the iPad do not get along too well! And to be honest, there was no time to blog because I was too busy staring at this beautiful girl!

And cuddling with my puppy

And having sleepovers with my boys

And spending quality time with my siblings

Time has absolutely flown by! And speaking of flying....let me share with you the experience I had getting myself to Brussels! Friday afternoon my dear friend and colleague Maureen dropped me off at the airport in Charlotte. The plan was to leave CLT at 2:35pm, land in Philadelphia at 5:30pm, then leave Philly at 6:15pm for an arrival in Brussels of 7:55am Saturday. We boarded the plane and were taxiing away from the gate when the pilot came on to tell us there was some bad weather in Philadelphia and there was a temporary "ground stop" - meaning no planes were going in to or coming out of Philly. Then 20 minutes later we were pulling back up to the gate as the ground stop had changed from 10 minutes to an hour. OH, and our toilets were not working so we all needed to get off the plane so they could fix the toilets. And as the minutes ticked by, I had a sinking feeling I was not going to be making it to Brussels by the morning. We didn't even end up leaving Charlotte until almost 5:30pm. By the time I landed in Philadelphia, the Brussels flight had left and the gate agents had graciously rebooked me for the exact same flight 24 hours later. They had suggested I also go visit the Special Services line as they may be able to book me on a flight to Manchester which had a connection to Brussels coming in earlier than I would be the following day. When I got to the line, there were only about 15-20 people in front of me - so I got in line and began my wait....my very long wait. While in line I heard the "final boarding call for flight *** to Manchester" and I knew I wasn't making it to that flight either. 

While I was in Charlotte, I had asked the gate agent what I would have to do if I missed my flight. She kindly informed me that because there were maintenance issues, I should be put up in a hotel free of charge. When I got off my flight in Philly, I was given a slip of paper basically saying "call this number and we will help you find a cheap hotel (that you will pay for)". Rather than take that pink slip, I decided to wait in line and see if I could talk my way in to a free night at a hotel.  After 2+ hours in line, I walked up to the service person, and just smiled and said "I don't know how you do this all day long!" to which she replied "neither do I!". So we chatted a bit while she tried to see if she could find another connection for me. When that failed, she said, "I see there were mechanical issues on your flight. Even though the delay was due to weather, I'm going to give you a hotel voucher. I will probably get in trouble, but I don't care!" I thanked her a million times and headed outside to meet the shuttle to the Hilton, right next to the airport.

Once I got to the hotel, I hopped on Facebook - that's the logical next step right!? After posting a status about my troubles, I was working on a text message to send to my friend Jen Radwanski. Jen was my supervisor back in the summer of 2010 when I was a NODA (national orientation directors association) intern at Stockton College in Pomona, NJ. Jen and her husband Steve - and now baby Avery - live just about an hour from Philadelphia. As I was beginning my message to her, I saw that she had commented on my FB status! It was meant to be! Next thing you know, we have planned for them to come and pick me up from the hotel, take me to lunch and then back to the airport! Since my flight didn't leave until 6:10pm, we had plenty of time! I haven't seen Jen or Steve since I left NJ so I was beyond excited to see them! 

Right away, we picked up exactly where we left off! Lauren and Jen, talking away, while Steve drove us around and worked to get in a few words where he could :o) They took me to my - and their- absolute favorite place in Philly: Reading Terminal Market!!! They have food from EVERYWHERE and it is all delicious! It was just so so so great to see them and catch up! I'm still kicking myself that we didn't get a picture together!!!

So Jen and Steve took me back to the airport, only to be greeted by another familiar face! Miss Melina and her mom Nancy drove up from their home NJ - again, about an hour away -just to see me for a few short moments! Melina was one of the students I worked with every day while I was in NJ. She was so welcoming from day 1 and we have kept in contact ever since. She is graduating in May with a degree in Education and it is very obvious she loves what she does! I wish her nothing but the best in finding a full time job and continuing to be a role model for young men and women!!!

What an absolutely wonderful way to leave the country! The lady sitting next to me on my flight from Charlotte to Philadelphia kept saying over and over "Everything happens for a reason". I truly believe my reason was so that I could see my long lost friends and have a beautiful last memory in the US!

Love this girl!

Don't mind me...just wearing the same clothes from the previous day and exhausted - though I did get to shower!

And finally, I was on my way to Brussels! Aside from my headphones not working (and I was not about to pay $5 for a pair on the plane) and a minor medical emergency for the lady sitting behind me who was passed out, the trip was quick and successful! As I handed my passport to the man in the customs line, it all became real. He asked me how long I would be in Brussels and my response was "This is my new home". 

Goodbye is Never Easy

Meet Annie, Kurt and Oscar:

These two are the best! Annie is one of the sweetest, kindest, most positive peopel I have had the pleasure to meet. She is always ready for anything whether it's dinner and a movie, pedicures or just staying in drinking Kurt's margaritas! Being "ADP Wives" isn't always easy, but having someone to relate to while our husbands were away for weeks at a time sure was a blessing. And then there's Kurt. Kurt. Is. Funny. We joke we would like to start a book filled with "Kurtisms"...and while I won't embarrass him by sharing any, I sure do hope that Annie and Jen keep me posted! And because of Kurt, I will always make sure Tonico has a place to get his haircut! I always had a great time with these two - and heck, even Oscar won me over! These last two weeks, he has been such a cuddler - he even gifted me with my very first doggie kiss!

Last night, we said "seeya later". We know we will meet again. We know the friendship will last. But it doesn't make things any easier.......except maybe this sweet goodie bag they sent me away with :o)

Until we meet again.....

Almost Home!

Tonight is going to be tough. T-O-U-G-H. Tonight I say "seeya later" to friends. Some of the best friends. I have tears in my eyes as I type - every word another word closer to realizing what is about to happen. I am going to leave it at that...I do not want tonight to get here....today can take as long as it needs to...

I'm going to try to focus on the positive and what is coming up in my very near future:

This week has been FLYING by and for that I am thankful....I have family and friends I am absolutely dying to see!!!

Saturday morning the trek begins. I have some Starburst™ jellybeans, a couple mixed CD's, and some Dr. Pepper to keep me occupied on what will hopefully be about a 13 1/2 hour drive to the Milwaukee area.

First stop: The Paquin residence
My dear friend and college roommate Dani and her husband Peyton have generously allowed me to stop at their place for the night! I have been waiting very patiently to see these two again. The last time I saw them, Tonico and I met up with them while they were in Charleston, SC visiting Peyton's brother. We had lunch together and something was just a little bit different. I had made a comment to Dani and Peyton about having babies and instantly they both turned beet red. In my head I was screaming OMG SHE'S PREGNANT! But, I didn't want to steal their thunder if the pregnancy was very new, so I changed the subject. About a month later, I got a call from Dani confirming my suspicions!

On February 1st, Mr. Mason John Paquin entered the world and he is soooo handsome! He is such a perfect blend of Dani and Peyton. These two are some of the best friends I could ever ask for in life and this little man is so unbelievably lucky to be born into such a loving family. I absolutely cannot wait to visit and see how life has changed in the Paquin household!

The beautiful Paquin family :o)

Sunday morning I will pack up early and head H-O-M-E! I can't wait to see my big sister and her 3 handsome boys. I can't wait to see Chucho and how excited he will (hopefully) be to see me. I can't wait to hang out with the boys and learn all about how school is going. I can't wait to talk to them about Brussels. I can't wait to pull into my parent's driveway and be greeted by my Dad with that proud smile that he always has when his children come to visit. I can't wait to unpack my things and feel grounded, if only for a few days. I can't wait to see that beautiful little Adelaide - to smell her baby soft skin and just soak in everything about her. I can't wait to see my baby brother as a proud new Dad. I can't wait to give Andrea a BIG hug and tell her how much I admire her strength. 

I. Just. Can't. Wait.

Oh, and for all of you who have been asking me about what is still left in my apartment after Tonico moved out:

Again, a big shout out to Matt & Jen for allowing me to stay at their place where it's a bit more homey!

Reality is Setting In

It's hard to believe that since my last post, Tonico has been back to Minnesota and is already in Brussels! Sounds like he had a really good time seeing friends and family while he was home (I'm going to have to get him on here so he can share some of his thoughts - for now, I'll just relay what I've heard). There is never enough time to see everyone and do everything you want before you leave - but I know it meant a lot to see lots of people there to send their love and support! :o)

It was a quick turn around for him - the day after the party he headed to the airport! He arrived Monday morning with enough time to drop his stuff off at our temporary apartment, take a shower and head right on in to work. Now that is dedication! The office was doing some team building on Monday and thought Tonico could really benefit from that - getting to know his coworkers and learning how they work as a team will be essential to his success with this new position. Sounds like he got lots of sleep last night and is ready to tackle another day!

Meanwhile, back in North Carolina, things are starting to get real. I had to say my first goodbye to a dear friend of mine from Wingate University. Jessica Hylton is the Director of Counseling at Wingate and it wasn't until the end of my year there that we really began to bond. She had found the love of her life and was getting ready to say "I do". As she began to plan her wedding, we ended up sharing thoughts and emotions over what roles our friends and family would/did play in the big day. Jessica opened her door to me and from then on, we had this special connection - we just understood where the other was coming from. I was so honored that she invited me to spend the day with her and her (now) husband Derek. It was BEAUTIFUL! The day began very gloomy, rainy, and c-o-l-d. As I began driving toward Asheville, in the mountains, I thought for sure it was just going to get colder. But, as I looked down at the dashboard, I watched as the temperature continued to climb. By the time the wedding started, the clouds had opened up and the sun was shining just like I imagined it would! It was such a picturesque ceremony, so intimate and personal. It was very hard to say goodbye but I know our friendship will remain - and Jess, you know it's a great vacation location!!!

The once Bride-to-Be at her beautiful shower (wish I would have gotten a good one at the wedding!)

As I drove home that night from the wedding, I realized how quickly this is happening. While it may not have completely hit me yet, the realization that I have to leave my friends is quickly sinking in as I make plans for 'one last dinner together'. Who could have known how quickly such strong friendships could develop? I am forever thankful for them.

Tonight I head up to Huntersville for the 3rd night in a row to stay with our good friends Jen & Matt DeGrave. From the day I met them, I knew we would be good friends. After knowing them for less than a month, they graciously opened their home to Chucho while Tonico and I spent 2 weeks getting married and honeymooning! Now they have opened their home to me - donating their spare bedroom to my back which just could not spend another night on the air mattress!

My Aunt Pat (who I know will be reading this) gives me a hard time (in a loving way!) about the fact that we moved all the way to Charlotte and are "only friends with people from WI". While we certainly did not plan it that way, it is true that many (not all) of our friends are from the Midwest! I guess that is part of why we connected so well. We will miss everyone in North Carolina so much - but it is also very comforting to know that we will likely meet again :o)

Hiking trip to Stone Mountain with Dogs and Friends!

The First of Many Goodbyes

Well tonight has been much more difficult than I had previously imagined. Tonico and I have done this before, we have been apart, at most, a month so I was not worried. What's one more month? And truthfully, it really was easy. There's something extremely exciting about knowing the next time I see my husband I will be getting off a plane and starting my life in Brussels with my best friend!

No friends, saying goodbye to my husband was not too difficult. What was really hard -brace yourselves- was saying good bye to my 'boo boo'. Now, anyone who knows me knows that I'm not much of an animal person, especially not dogs! But, Tonico had a dog, and if I wanted to marry him, and live with my husband, I would have to just suck it up. And it was not easy! It's very hard to get used to a dog that chews up your shoes, that needs to go outside no matter what the weather and that is at your feet constantly! Then Tonico started traveling for work and it was all up to me to take care of Chucho. And after about 2 months he became my new best friend! Don't get me wrong, he still drove me crazy, but there is something about his fun loving personality that got me hooked! Tonight, as we packed the last few things into the moving van, it hit me that this was it. This was something I would have thought I'd be excited about - no more dog! But as I walked up the stairs to our apartment, it really sunk in. As I opened the door to my essentially empty apartment, I realized how much I really did enjoy his company! I know he is going to have a great time living out in the country  with my sister and her very excited three boys. I know I'll get to see him when I am home in a few short weeks, but it's definitely going to be a strange transition!

So now you can all laugh and say 'I told you so', but this girl misses her boo boo!

Things We Will Miss

It's hard to believe that Tonico only has 6 days left in Charlotte! On March 20th he will pick his brother up from the airport, they'll jump in the Uhaul and be on their way back to Minneapolis. This is all becoming very real and in many ways, exciting! But lately, I've been spending a lot of time thinking about everything I'm going to miss!

Like these little faces

 Ashton, 4

Owen, 5

Aydin, 10

These three little boys have been my world for the last 10 years! I've watched them grow from tiny little babies to the unique, goofy, sweet individuals they are today. They have been the thing I've missed the most over these past two years in North Carolina. Every time I see them it is like they are new people -talking more and continuing to amaze me with how smart they are! Thinking about how much more we will miss while in Belgium makes my heart hurt! To top it all off, I talked to my mom one day who told me Ashton wants to know if he's "ever going to see Lauren again?" Thanks Mom!!!

And just when I thought my heart could not possible love any more, my brother and his girlfriend brought this beautiful little girl into our lives. I'm counting down the days until I am home to snuggle her for days!

Adelaide, 4 days old

Thank goodness for technology! We have been able to get our parents set up with Skype so that Tonico and I can watch all of the littles grow up and keep in touch! The boys and I tried it out a few weekends ago - what a hoot! They spent most of the time checking themselves out in the little window and asking lots of questions about what they could see in the background. 

Next, of course, comes our amazing parents and siblings. They have been so supportive of us and our decision to move abroad. It's not easy for any of us but we are so unbelievably thankful for all of their support! Tonico's parents are generously donating their basement to essentially all of our furniture and personal belongings for the next 2+ years! Sounds like they are already planning their visits and for that, we couldn't be more thankful!

Tonico's sister Carla is turning 18 this year and graduating in June! She will be attending Iowa State in the Fall and we are so proud of her! She's going to have such a great time and even though we will miss out on the celebrations, we know we will be seeing her soon!

Here she is loving on her nephew dog Chucho!

Tonico asked me the other day what I will miss most about the United States (besides friends and family) and I did not know what to say. Maybe I am going to miss everything...but maybe nothing! I am not going to miss the politics - but then again, the EU (European Union) is located in Brussels, so I guess we will get our fair share of politics. I am not going to miss the packaged, preservative filled foods our country relies so heavily on. I have been told the food is much fresher. But I will not be eating at IKEA for fear of horse meat in my "Swedish Meatballs"! Having only spent a total of 6 days in Europe, none of them being in Belgium, it is hard to say what I will miss but I feel pretty confident I will find out verrry quickly!

Tonight is another night of packing...sigh...but the light at the end of the tunnel is that we HAVE to be done by Saturday so we can enjoy a day of St. Patty's celebrations! We will be joining a group of friends downtown Charlotte to catch the St. Patty's day parade, followed by a farewell dinner at our favorite restaurant Cabo Fish Taco (it's just fun to say!), followed by an infamous night out at our favorite local bar, Saeeds! This weekend will certainly be bittersweet as we begin to say "See ya later" to some of the greatest friends we have ever known (thankfully most of them are from the Midwest so we know we will meet again!).

Overwhelmed!

Since starting the blog yesterday it seems a lot has happened! First of all, HELLO to all of you who have started following the blog! I was so surprised to see how many views I've gotten and especially all of the comments! This is such an exciting time in our lives and I'm so thankful we can share it with you all!

We started officially packing when we got home from work last night and WOW, is it time consuming! We have decided we have 4 categories we need to consider: going to Belgium, going to Minnesota, going on the plane with Tonico and finally, going on the plane with Lauren. We live in a moderately small 2 bedroom apartment, so it seems we couldn't have that much stuff, but it is very clear that we have learned how to be master organizers of the little space we have. In 2 hours, we successfully packed away 3/4 of the spare bedroom! Only have 7/8 of the apartment to finish off! I know what I'm doing tonight!

This afternoon Tonico sent me a bunch of emails with information about the move. We will be working with a company called MAP Relocations. They help us literally map out what this relocation will look like. This is incredibly helpful but also extremely overwhelming! Reading through the 44 page "Welcome to Belgium Handbook", I'm already making notes on top of notes about things we haven't considered. They will be most instrumental in helping us find a place to live. They are liaisons between the landlord and the tenant and thankfully not real estate agents in that they do not have connections with the landlords. They simply want to help us find the best location that meets our individual needs. They also help us decipher the lease agreement so that we are aware of all that is involved and are not getting ripped off. What a wonderful service!!! Thankfully Ingersoll Rand is putting us up in a furnished apartment for the first month while we (and by we, I mean Tonico since I won't get over there until well after he does) work on finding our permanent home. It feels so amazing to be able to think about having our own space in Belgium! I should successfully arrive in Brussels just in time to help Tonico move our stuff into the new place!

Tonight will be another jam packed night of packing and running through our thousands of "To-Do" lists.

Here's my question for the night: Is there a stronger word for overwhelmed?