It's been just nuts since Friday. We had so many sad goodbyes over the last couple of days and it was very stressful but we were actually glad to get on the road. This move has been talked about for a few months but only in the works for about 2 weeks. We knew that when our visas were approved we would have to move things quickly. We just weren't anticipating the level of emotional distress that would come with this move. We've made so many good and amazing friends in England that it was really hard to leave.
But sometimes we just have to move on. And per that thought we hit the ground running when we got here. I started making calls in my rusty German to set up house viewings for us throughout Hessen. It wasn't very easy but after a few phone calls I realized what I needed to say to get my point across. None of this hemming and hawwing junk.
Today we looked at a couple of houses. The first one was really nice and it's right on the Main river so it's a big candidate. The house itself is perfect and the owners couldn't be nicer. We have 4 more houses to see in the area and that will, unfortunately, be the end of our search. I've searched high and low for houses for us but our family is very large by German norms. Add in the fact that we need an office and a rec room and well... you can see how it would be difficult for us to find a house big enough to suit our needs. The one we looked at today was absolutely perfect though and Norah and I had a lovely time checking out the riverside area while Colin and the big girls got the check from the pizzeria.
Colin and I even had a few fights this trip which is always fun. It's always over navigation, of course. He refuses to buy a Tom Tom so we're stuck with the Jan Jan. It's not as reliable, has a tendency to talk back and the user interface is completely incompatible. Nevertheless, it's all we have and that tends to lead us into some quite heated battles over which direction actually go in and which direction to take.
Oh well. That's what he gets for not being prepared, right? ;)
In the midst of this weekend's chaos, we also had to switch hotels. Our first hotel was so disgusting I refused to shower there. I filled out this big customer survey but I think Colin threw it away and said he handed it in...of course he regretted it when the guy behind him at checkout said that his room was dirty because there was blood on the door and walls. Colin thought, "Well, we had cockroaches, urine soaked carpet and sulfur coming out of the toilet so our room smelled like rotten eggs. But blood definitely wins."
Needless to say, we found a much better hotel that is immaculate. I'm not trying to be a priss or anything, but we have to live here. The girls are happier, too.
Tomorrow is a big day. We have to get new ID cards and we also need to get the girls registered for school. If we can get them in tomorrow, they can start on Wednesday and that would be wonderful. They're bored stiff right now and they need some major stimulation.
So, that's all I have to report right now. Things are slowing settling into a routine now. We saw some old friends tonight and that was a lot of fun catching up. :)
I hope you're having a good Sunday! May your monday be free of nasty hotels! :
