If you didn’t get a chance to read Part 1, here’s the gist- My husband and I are DODEA (Department of Defense Education Activity) employees and his position as SPED Assessor was recently cut. Just as we were feeling settled, we learned that it’s abruptly coming to an end without us getting to finish the contract we were promised. With a month left of the school year, it’s going to be a mad dash to pack, move back to Kansas and get new jobs.
I’ve felt shock, anger, sadness, and anxiety since we received the news. But interspersed with that, I also feel grateful. I know how lucky we are that we had this opportunity. Many well-qualified, passionate educators try for years to get into DODEA schools and never even get an interview. We got to live in Europe for a year and we experienced a lot. Now, instead of focusing on the negatives, I’d rather focus my energy on gratitude. Here’s my current list of blessings from our year in the Netherlands:
1) Travel
It is so much easier and cheaper to travel around Europe compared to America. We went to a zoo-hotel in Belgium to sleep next to bears for my birthday. We wandered around Christmas Markets in Germany and France, sipping mulled wine. We walked through Anne Frank’s hidden living quarters in Amsterdam. We explored the ruins of Pompeii and ate local food, grown in the rich soil of Mount Vesuvius. We heard the church bells ringing in Sorrento, Italy when the Pope died. We have seen and walked and listened and tasted culture and history.
2) Back To My Teaching Roots
This year has reinvigorated my love of teaching, something I thought I had lost. Teaching is a job that can easily burn you out and I’ve felt that. Especially when I was battling my own demons, pouring love and attention into a classroom was hard. After teaching in Tunisia, I took two years off from the profession. I got a job working from home, sitting in front of a computer, writing emails and reports, joining Teams meetings, and enjoying my new-found flexibility. However, even though I worked for a great institution, I always felt like something was missing. I didn’t feel like I was making a difference in the world anymore and I didn’t feel like I was using my brain as much either. I’m forever grateful for that break. I know I needed it, but when we got to the Netherlands and I was thrown into a Kindergarten classroom, something clicked. I was making split second decisions again. The kids made me laugh every day. I easily got 10,000 steps a day without even trying. I felt fulfilled seeing the students learning and growing. I felt like I was in my element, doing what I was trained to do. I realized I missed this. If we wouldn’t have gotten the call to move abroad, I’d probably still be in my stay-at-home job. I had no plans to quit. I would have missed meeting these tiny, wonderful people and I wouldn’t have realized that I am much happier in education. I have healed and I am more than ready to take on my own classroom again.
3) A Great Year For My Kids
Teddy and Penny both adapted quickly to our new school and location and made friends. Ted got the lead role in the Middle School Musical and it was the highlight of the year. He blew us away with his talent. I have never felt prouder to be sitting in the audience, smiling from ear to ear, watching my kid shine. There was also an Elementary musical and Penny had a blast participating in that. Bravo to the music/theater teachers who make school magical! Teddy also got to go on a week-long sailing trip this May and came back with lots of stories and new skills. Penny learned to play the ukulele and got really into songwriting this year. Ted joined a cooking club and has started helping out more with making dinner. We read multiple novels together, had lots of chill movie nights, tried new food, traveled, and just generally spent lots of time as a family.
4) Gluten in Europe
Justin has been forced to eat a gluten-free diet for years. It’s an inconvenience and a downer when he can’t eat some of his old favorite foods. Before moving to the Netherlands, he did some research and found that there are many people who are typically gluten-free in America, but are able to eat gluten in Europe. Please don’t ask me because I don’t understand all the science behind it. It has something to do with Europe using ancient grains that have not been genetically modified, so many people don’t have the same issues they do in the States. Well, low and behold, we arrived and Justin slowly started introducing pastries, bread, pasta, and beer and he found that amazingly it was true. No pain, gastrointestinal issues, headaches, etc. In general, we have found that even their junk food here is healthier. They just have more regulations on food- less chemicals, dyes, and processing than in America. It’s been a game-changer!
5) Walkability
This is a little thing, but I love it. Our house in the Netherlands is within walking distance to our school, restaurants, shops, a park, and a grocery store. Every Saturday morning, Justin and I walk through the park, past the ducks, to a little coffee shop for breakfast and lattes. I find myself making excuses to go to the grocery store multiple times throughout the week just because I enjoy the trip and the exercise. And I used to hate grocery shopping! I love the culture of walking and biking everywhere. I will definitely miss our convenient, relaxed life here.
6) Healthcare
We went to a doctor in Germany for our medical care while abroad. I was surprised by the differences of treatment here compared to the US. For my preliminary visit, the doctor did an EKG, a lung capacity test, urine and stool sample, took 12 vials of blood to test a variety of things, took my blood pressure, and did an ultrasound of all my internal organs. It was the most thorough doctor’s appointment I’ve ever had. Then I had a follow up appointment with a radiologist to take a closer look at my thyroid and a mammogram. Happy to report, I got the all clear. It wasn’t outrageously priced and it’s the most confident I’ve ever felt that if there was something to find, they would find it. I was impressed. To clarify, this is not a critique of American doctors. I just think the healthcare system in America is so bogged down with red tape, insurance denying claims, and a political system that is so heavily focused on money that it hinders what can be done.
Looking back, it’s been a lovely year. I thought this chapter would last a bit longer, but I’m starting to accept it for what it is- a happy little blip in our life that helped us grow. I will miss the Netherlands, but I’m ready to get back to loved ones, my own classroom, American appliances*, good coffee, food, and sunshine. Grateful for the opportunity but ready to move forward.
*Our toaster can’t fit a full slice of bread, our washing machine only takes a handful of clothes at a time, and our oven can’t even fit a sheet pan. European appliances are weirdly small.
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 