Good intentions for the new year

Exploring the Western Slovakia was what we planned for the last week of this year. But due to the weather and our car condition we had to postpone this trip.
Unfortunately this also means that Maarten has to miss his babi and děda a little longer.

Short trips to the Ardennes would fulfill my longing to be in the mountains and forests again. Yet during our daily wandering through the Deurle's picturesque streets and forest paths we came across many signs marking the local network of hiking trails.

Don't worry; I'm not going to compare the bare flat plains of East Flanders with the wilderness of the American West.

Still, we've probably been very lucky to find a house in this charming village with such beautiful surroundings.

There is a good reason why Deurle is called the village of castles and domains. Our house is just across the street from The Castle de Spoelberch and The Castle of Ooidonk is located one kilometer further west.
Only if there was a bridge over the winding Lys river then.





On the foggy and rainy Wednesday morning I finally got on my bike and made a short trip across the river.




Despite the cold it was truly great and I'm intending to continue exploring the area on my bike.
Just my outfit urgently needs a little 'warm' update, such as a pair of neoprene booties to start with.

It's nice to spend Christmas with the family. We had to miss that for the last four years.
Only a shame that some have a little understanding and obviously can't imagine what an overseas moving like ours practically means. Besides of that, not a bit of interest in our Californian life. That makes me sad.
But over this subject has already been written a lot.
I guess, to expect understanding from friends and family who have not moved far or at all from where they grew-up will probably bring only frustrations.


And, please, don't ask me, if I'm happy to be 'home' again! Yes, I've lived in Belgium before, but the Lys region, even though a very pretty area, is completely new for me. So no, I'm not feeling like coming home again. It may be the same Europe I've left four years ago, but I've definitely changed. Or has everything changed and the things I liked are now gone?
And no, I'm not talking about the reacclimatizing to the wet and dark Belgian winter!

I know I'm probably too soon for conclusions but till now I have found it very difficult to "settle-in". I have the feeling that only other returning ex-pats can understand.

While unavoidably I miss things and people from my life in California, at the same time I am aware of all the frustrations I had while living there. Similarly, when I was in California, I missed Holland, Czech and even Belgium but was also aware of all the less pleasant aspects of life here.

Even if you're not aware of it, it changes you every time you move internationally. You're not the same person anymore, so you shouldn't expect to be at ease with all the same.
Therefore it’s hard to find 'your place' when you hold different values in life.

However, I don't want to end up like some of the frustrated ex-pats who don't really feel like they belong anywhere.

So, please, give me a little more time.

Snow in Flanders

The snow has started to fall yesterday afternoon just before we left for our first play date with local Anglophone kids. No need to say how difficult it was to get Maarten in the car.
He was pretty excited to hear 'Miss Ruth's language' again but the homemade cookies were most definitely the highlight of the party!
Except of the pastry-and-pies discussion I enjoyed myself as well.
You know, I’m not the playgroup’s biggest fan. Yet, I believe, engaging Maarten in social interaction with English speaking children may be important for developing and maintaining this language. We'll see.

Wondering how our settling down in Belgium continues?
It is, actually, my true intention to forget the last couple of weeks. I would sum it up as a sad and stressful experience in a house full of chaos and boxes; however it can always be worse...
And being busy trying to unpack and set up the new household is the best way I keep my mind off missing California.


We will surely not be unpacked and settled before Christmas but looking out of the window into the snow-covered garden and seeing Maarten so happy going to his new school makes everything good.

Full of water

Friday evening after picking up Rob from his work I hit a curb with the front wheel. It was pretty bad. The front tire was completely torn so the wheel needed to be replaced.
It was dark, stormy and we had no phone number of the road assistance, we also couldn't find the car-jack in our temporary car.
After an hour or something, when we accepted there is simple none, we did find it (together with the number of the road assistance!).
Despite the pouring rain and a tired and impatient Maarten, Rob managed to attach the spare wheel at last...

This is how my weekend has started.

Saturday night Maarten had a fever, swollen eye and was complaining about earache.
Obviously an ear infection, but this morning miraculously he woke up as healthy as a horse, insisting his ear is not hurting at all, that "it is only full of water".


Therefore I gave up and, however, instead of looking for a pediatrician we went to visit Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet.

Leverkussen Express...

...is on my mind.

This vessel is carrying the container with our furniture and household goods and it has probably almost crossed the Atlantic.
It is actually scheduled for tomorrow to arrive in Antwerp harbor!

Even though it will stay in customs for at least another week, there is a good chance that we will be settled in our new home right before Christmas!

Thanks Hendrik!

Sinterklaas is in the country again! Maarten looks out the window every evening in hoop to spot the old bischop or his helpmate Piet.
At school he's learned some traditional Sinterklaas songs but he is also singing some in French! This is a little frustrating for me since 'Saint Nicolas' and 'tralala' is all I understand.


I didn't have the car today so Maarten had to miss his school.
A long planned trip to the historical downtown was a good option for me but how to make it attractive for Maarten as well?

Luckily I've recently read about Hendrik, the little ghost of Huis van Alijn, a museum right in the downtown.
All children under 9 years of age can put there their shoes at one of the many museum fireplaces.
There we had a good reason to get out to the rainy streets of Ghent!
Maarten drew a picture of Sinterklaas (and me) and put it in one of his sneakers.

After the Saint Nicholas' eve Maarten can pick up his shoe again with, hopefully, a little something in it.
If he has been good of course!

Bos t'Ename

Again I can describe my 'first' impressions and adjusting to the new life here but maybe it's better to safe that for later when the initial heavy emotions will cool off.

Even here in Belgium I want to hold onto writing about my search for beautiful (natural) places.
In California no real effort was needed for that since there are stunning places on every step you make. But what about here in crowded Europe?

Geography was always my favorite subject but I remember learning about the Benelux at the elementary was rather boring. Nothing spectacular considering the landscape or climate and even... not 'real' mountains!

When I first moved to Brussels from Amsterdam in 1998 I surprisingly found a nice combination of historical, cultural and even natural beauty.
But now after spending the last years exploring stunning California I will probably need to make more effort to (re)discover the Belgian natural places again.

If you want to make me really happy bring me to a forest!
Right, but this might be a little problem if you live in East Flanders.

I've been told, there is still some forest in The Flemish Ardennnes, only 15 minutes drive from our home.


I did some research and found a place proudly called The Ename Forest. If you ask me, there are rather stretches of woods (and...sorry, Maarten, there are no bears in there!) but the way the locals try to maintain and expand this natural preserve is impressive.

This wooded area is also interesting due to its long history. The educational information panels along the Mariette Tielemans trail explain the historical importance of many places.


Without these panels you will probably not realize that you are walking on a sunken road used already in Roman times and you will definitelly pass the Rabit Hill without noticing. Such man-made hills with artificial holes were used in the Middle Ages to raise rabbits.


From the windy hill you get a nice view of The Schelde Valley. Walking in such a rural setting truly refreshes your mind.
Nothing new, the outdoors is always good for MY soul!

Despite lack of 'real' forests this hilly region with its pictoresque villages and meadows with grazing cows is a perfect place to find peace and definetelly worth of further exploring.

"Mami, budeš stará babka?"

Mommy, are you going to be an old grandma?

Yes, probably.

But I don't want you to!

And my never-crying boy started to sob.

Miss Geneviève told us that moms and dads will become grandmas and grandpas and then they'll die.
I don't want you to die!


Ooh yeah.. I forgot about the Grandparents Day at Maarten's school. The children had to be dressed to represent different types of sports disciplines.
Most of our stuff is still somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic so we had to improvise with my T-shirt and hat.

Maarten came home with self made cards for his grandparents. Neither his grandma nor grandpa appeared at the party. What a disappointment!

But you've told me we are going to live closer to 'babi'.

Uhm... ehmm ...yes, we are closer.
Instead of twelve hours fly it's 'only' twelve hours drive...

"Happiness comes when we stop wailing about the troubles that we have and offer thanks for all of the troubles that we don't have."

I should remind myself of this more often.

These are stressful days, but being busy might be a sign of a good progress and hopefully we are on the right track.

Therefore after the last couple of wailing posts I should write something about the nice things of our Belgian life.

Besides the traffic, living in the downtown of an European city is pleasant. There actually are people in the streets, not only cars!
I wish there was also a little more color!






I probably still don't fully realize the nicest part of being back in Europe. The closeness of family and friends!

After one year of separation I could hug my sister and our cute little cousin Jonas again!

Maarten enjoys his new school, even though he seems to fall back into his gestural and mimical communication from a year ago.
Back in California it took a while before he dared to speak English to his schoolmates. Even he is fluent in Dutch he will probably need some time to use this language at school as well.

Luckily he seems to like his new school and fits in well. He even has got his first birthday party invitation!

Maarten's teacher is so kind to blog about their activities. Every week we get updates about what's going on in the classroom. You can follow it HERE. (in Dutch but it's mostly pictures)




There is some progress in making our home more inviting and livable.
Rob finally finished sanding the floor in one of the bedrooms. The formal residents 'accidentally' painted it grey.
I admit, the sanded floor does look stunning but ask Rob if it really was worth three days of heavy labor followed by really bad headache!

Hello from Alex

This morning we enrolled Maarten to school and he could immediately start.
I believe this 'shock method' works the best for him.
He said firmly 'no' when the principal was about to bring him into his new class. When we were leaving him behind, there was the look in his eyes... the same look like two years ago on his first day of the preschool.

Not smart, but I forgot his jacket and therefore I had to return to the school again. I was nicely surprised how he was already participating.

Just minutes ago I received this message from a mom of one of his Californian friends:

Alex wants to say hello to Maarten and is sending two pictures of the human body that he drew in their anatomy studies. He misses Maarten very much and was sad when I picked him at school on Maarten's last day. We attended William's birthday party yesterday, and his mother said that William cried for four days. It sounds like the classroom misses him and wants to say hello.

Maarten also keeps drawing pictures for his Californian friends and many times I have to spell the names of his ex-class mates (especially his girlfriends!), so that he can write it down correctly.

He obviously doesn't understand the situation yet.

Is it smart to show him Alex's message?