A European Adventure
January 1st, 2019
The Sony Center lit up for the holidays on December 31st, 2018.
One year ago we were feverishly packing up a house and preparing for our new adventure abroad. Although Doreen had done this journey before (just in the other direction), she would remind me regularly that she never “adulted” in Germany. I remember a sense of anticipation and anxiety which was only squashed by the countless number of tasks and projects that needed to be done. The days in between Christmas and New Years were particularly hard because the only thing left to do was to reflect on the decision we had made. Looking back I wasn’t sure it was the right decision until we were on the plane 9 days later. Even then the feeling of calm was more because the first part of the adventure was over and for next 12 hours there was nothing to do but read and watch movies.
The adventure had only just begun when we landed. We collected the animals and made it to our temporary flat - which was void of internet and TV for the first days. In those early days the focus was simple; find a place to live and start the new position at Wooga. We accepted these tasks like they were the only things that mattered. Our family unit, which had been tight before, was all of a sudden vagabonding, creating a new sense of closeness we hadn’t had before. All of the anxieties were falling away day by day because we were addressing necessary problems. We had four suitcases and a dog kennel to our name - the crate we packed and shipped to Germany seemed a world away. There was no room in our lives for anything trivial which is a feeling that we have managed to maintain to this day.
In the weeks later we would rebuild our lives. One full backpack and two bags in each hand at a time we would buy the necessary items that would make hour flat a home.
We weren’t without help. Doreen obviously knew the language and her mom came out early on to help out. We also had a wonderful relocation agent that helped us through the government process and then finding a flat and eventually getting Logan into school.
It wasn’t all smooth. Four and a half weeks into the position at Wooga I was laid off and found myself exploring the city in a new light as I looked for a position that would allow us to stay in country for the time being. We had only just arrived and weren’t ready to give up on our European adventure just yet.
We also lost a beloved member of our family in August - Georgia’s presence is still missed but the 13 years we got to spend with her were a blessing.
As the year has come to a close we can’t help but to look back. It’s been a year of drastic change and countless adventure. It’s gone fast. It’s been said the older you get the faster time moves because you are more aware of your existence - I hope 2019 goes slower. Sam Harris recently pointed out that all negative emotions are a reflection of living in the past (i.e. sadness) or anticipating the future (i.e. anxiety) but they’re not a reflection being present in the now. We can only hope that being more present slows the time we have down.
We learned a lot about ourselves in 2018. We tested our limits and came out the other side stronger and better. We moved nearly 6k miles. We did more than 37 bike tours around Berlin - the longest being 24 miles. We climbed over 7k feet in the summer and fall during the almost 85 miles we hiked/walked. We traveled for 31 days and visited 7 countries - several of which for the first time. We traveled with old friends and met new ones along the way.
While we don’t believe in New Years resolutions, we do believe in venturing into the new year as our best selves. We hope to visit more places, have more adventures and be more present in the now. Life happens regardless of our participation. The adventures we have, big and small, tell the story of who we are. In 2019 we look forward to more of it all.
We’ll conclude 2018 with The Year In Pictures a look back at some of our favourite moments, in no particular order, because every part of the adventure has been special.
- The Year In Pictures -
Wishing you a blessed, safe, happy, and prosperous New Year!
Until Next Time,
The McNeills