The pause

The week is passing nicely here in Nomandie at mil's house. We are so pleased to not be in the hotel that who cares if there's nothing going on and it doesn't have the buzz and adventure of Paris. We find it hard to forget that gouter* is at quatre-heure with the ticking clock pendulating gently in the background and then marking off the hour at regular intervals. In Paris we were always out, caught in the rain at gouter, stuck in line at a store, forgetting. Life moves fast in the city. Maybe this is a good reminder that we will enjoy a slow, provincial life much better.

I have been looking on line for cars all day. The stark reality is that we cannot keep our new car and we will definitely have to downsize when we get to France. It's funny but that we had such a brief romance with our new car, like a whirlwind adventure that could never last. I will drive my old Corsa for a few more months and find a good place to trade her in when we get settled. I am going to find a car I can afford to keep gas in__big priority.

I haven't heard much from Seb's family this week and I've been kind of surprised about that. Most of the relatives live close by but I think they're shy about dropping in or calling. It's a bit odd and I have to wonder if they understand us very much at all. We must seem very odd to them. Seb's aunt was nervous and fidgeting the last visit we paid her and she remarked as though thinking aloud, "I certainly hope you stay in Paris longer than six months!" We reminded her that it isn't our choice to leave Mexico, or any other place we've lived but that jobs these day are not so easy and it's the company who often decides where you'll land and where you'll end up. I think she had a hard time understanding that but this generation, the one before us does have issues with our moving about, especially mil and fil. I wish we could throw them forward into our reality.

We have talked about getting off the merry-go-round in the future. It means living with what falls our way where we are, especially for Seb because his job relies so much on travel and relocation. It would mean a sacrifice in our income level but maybe it would all be worthwhile. I often think people are happiest when they are simply together. That said there is he reality of paying off our house and the loans we have for all the renovations. It would be very nice if we had inherited a piece of property and didn't have rent or mortgages to pay. But then all the sacrifices make us appreciate our home that much more, right?

I'm musing because I'm tired of all of this shuffling about. I'm ready for a nice long gouter.


*gouter is the French pause so appreciated by kids at four o'clock in the afternoon--it's often when one meets up with other mothers and their kids for play dates "vouz pouver venir demain pour le gouter?" People at work in France often take a coffee break at 4 heure and nibble on a snack just like they did when they were small.