The TRUTH about Travelling with little kids........

Oh how do I start this blog? Does the title say it all? Does it give you a small hint as to what I am going to write....

Before I start, I want you all to know that the four of us are a strong family. We love each other to death, and will sacrifice and bend over backwards to do whatever it takes to make the others happy. Spending each and every day together is a treat that we wouldn't trade for the world. We are lucky lucky Lukies, and we know it. But.....

There have been trying, TRYING times. There are times when the kids actually wake up whinning, and it seems to continue for the entire day. These are the times when we want to run. Run far away!!! They are good kids, but at times seem very spoiled and unruly. They miss their friends and family. They want their Baba and Gido and Baba. They want their chocha's and Twinkle. They even miss our old Jeep. They want a back-yard to play in, not a small cramped hotel room with no privacy. They want some stability. There was a routine back home, although slight at times, when the kids knew what to do, what to expect. This is something that here they don't have. Dinner is never known, we know we will eat - but when, and where is nearly always up in the air. Sometimes they are having a siesta until 5 pm, and sometimes they are done at 2 pm. Are we changing hotels today, are we driving to a new town, are we looking for a home, or just spending the day at the beach. We miss the little things like : Kraft dinner? Bed time on time! Familiar faces..... Things here are different. In every way, the people, the culture, the food, the customs, the air and the surroundings. Although they are adjusting well, it's still different, and we all need to get use to it.

This is a strange and life changing adventure we are on. We're on our 7th week, but it sure feels longer. When we decided to 'leave' and try something new, it wasn't because we thought Canada was a bad place, we just needed to see what else was out there. I'm not saying we're moving back, but we haven't found our perfect paradise yet either.... It's hard. Leaving your family and friends. Leaving your home and not having a stable place to call your own. Not really having anything to call your own, besides what you have been able to keep in your suitcase. The kids are feeling home-sick, and I'll admit that I am too. What we're doing isn't normal, it's a great adventure, but far from normal. And sometimes normal isn't always right - but sometimes having something normal is good too.
We are in our 7th week now, and that is over 1172 hours where the four of us have been together. TOGETHER for over ONE-THOUSAND-ONE-HUNDRED-AND-SEVENTY-TWO! There have been no breaks. Maybe one or two where we just leave the room, have a beer or a smoke. But basically no break. This (I believe) is more of a problem then having no routine.

Belize is coming up quickly now, but I'm not sure if we should go there as a vacation, or to find a new life. It's a lot of stress this 'finding a new life'. You need to think about a million things all the while keeping your kids happy, fed, safe and not too spoiled. You need to make sure the area is good, there are good schools, kids to play with, things to do, and friends to be made. Friends, yes, that's a hard one, and family here means just the four of us. Here in Costa Rica we have met many many expats, and they all say the same thing. Whether they have lived here for 6 months or 10 years, they are all still expats, gringos, outsiders. Do we want to feel that way? Do want to just have other expats as our only true friends? Belize may be different. But who knows.

I'm a little tired of travelling (as you may be able to tell). And the kids are too. They tell us their having fun, and I believe they are, but they are still home-sick.

Change is good and change is hard. You need willing participants and a wonderful husband who shares your dreams and helps you see the rainbows after the storms. There are rough times, and times of pure bliss. We haven't forgotten where we came from, and we're not scared to come back. But we're not ready yet. There is still a wonderful world to explore and amazing adventures to be had. I think that in order to have a wonderful and fulfilling life you always need to re-evaluate where you are and what you want. It's an ever changing world, and the only way to know what you want is to go out there and look. Sometimes you realize what you had was what you truly want, and sometimes you find something better. We'll keep looking, but know that we miss you too.