2019 was a year for the books.
In our last Christmas card, we shared about a trip we took to southern Germany. This was our first European excursion as a couple, as well as our first international trip with Kaitlin in a wheelchair.
We were so inspired by Germany that we decided to explore moving to Europe. One thing led to another, and in July of this year we moved to the Netherlands. For those of you who might not be familiar with the country, we live in Delft, a small city about an hour south of Amsterdam. It is a charming place with cobbled streets and canals, perfect as a home base for adventure.
So far, our experience living abroad has been wonderful. I (John) continue to work for Stantec at an office here in Delft, and Kaitlin is enjoying a lovely sabbatical from teaching. We travel frequently, and in the five months that we have been here we have visited Norway, the UK, Belgium, Italy, France, Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic. Kaitlin and I have grown in our “travel together” skills and enjoy rolling hand in hand to explore a new city, looking for good food and petting every dog we meet. We occasionally have accessibility problems - but have found that regardless of language, people are eager to help.
In Delft we have a peaceful existence. Kaitlin has snuck her way into every social club and women’s group in the city. She even belongs to a group for the spouses of university workers, despite not meeting the only criteria for group membership. We belong to a vibrant (but small) English speaking Church community that has become an important part of our weekly routine, and we have joined a Tuesday night small group… just like home (don’t worry Denver community group… we could never replace Little Park on the Prairie, and you remain our first love).
After being away from home for five months, we have found ourselves feeling so much gratitude towards all of the people at home who have supported us in this dream. Kaitlin’s parents have lovingly taken in our dog TJ as their own; Kacy, Shelby, and Courtney are taking better care of our house than we probably would; our parents on both sides continue to play defense for us with regard to our mail and home affairs; and many sweet friends and family members have already made the long journey to come visit.
We feel incredibly blessed by God, not just for the fun things we get to do, but because he has given us true hope. It is easy to believe that living a European dream life will somehow be more fulfilling, that it is the “missing piece” to finding satisfaction. The reality is that even with the ideal circumstances of our life, disappointment, anxiety, conflict, and difficulty are still close at hand. We have learned and re-learned that finding satisfaction is impossible without knowing God, yet He is close at hand when we turn to him.