Living La Vida Loca

Well, I am going to have to do a fast forward here as I have been incredibly remiss at blogging the Schorr wanderings over the last many months.  We’ve been living in Charlotte, North Carolina since January, supporting Eitan so he could finish high school and get on track for college or whatever his next big chapter turns out to be.  He did graduate – with honors, no less, and is planning to “Be a Duck” at the University of Oregon in the Fall.  Proud we are.  We have had some lovely experiences here – spending quality time with Jean and Walter Finkelstein – cousins who have known Andrew longer than I have, and have now become even closer to our hearts.  Andrew reignited some old friendships and as a bonus I made some new friends who I will cherish.  We got to visit beautiful Charleston and historic Savannah, places in the near-deep south I have always wanted to see. We’ve hiked the North Carolina hills, driven the Blue Ridge Parkway, eaten grits and fallen in love with Big Daddy’s. It’s been fine.

Ruthie has done her fabulous finale at UNCC, having been the Veep of Student Body and befriending the Chancellor along with umpteen other administrators who’d have loved her to be a 5th year Senior.  Not.  As I write this she is on a plane to Bangkok for an all-summer backpacking across Southeast Asia and down under.  I want her life.  Looks like she will land back in the west to job hunt in northern California.

Ari meanwhile is dug in at Microsoft in Seattle – a passionate product marketer evangelizing the wonders of One Note to the global education community.  And he LOVES his work – that is so cool.  He’s living with his girlfriend, Lauren (who we love too) and Seattle seems to be a happy home base for the two of them at least for the next few years.

…And here we are, on the eve of moving back to Barcelona.  For the summer. Temporarily.

It looks like our entire extended family is congregating on the West Coast.  Ari in Seattle, Eitan in Oregon, Ruthie likely in the Bay Area, Mom and Dad in LA along with our dear aunt and uncle, Maddie and Elliott, and my brother, Noah and his family in Irvine.  We have missed many celebrations over the time in Spain, and the time we have gotten to spend with them – and with other dear friends – has been short (sweet, but too short).  It’s time to come home.

Both Andrew and I love living abroad. We have made some wonderful friends, had amazing, eye-opening experiences, and confirmed that we both have insatiable wanderlust.  We will continue to travel both for work and for personal playtime – no doubt about that.  And I wouldn’t be at all surprised if in the next few years (health holding up) we do another stint or two living in another culture.  But it is time to be more present for family and old friends than Skype calls and texts and emails.  I am personally looking forward to hopping on a train up the coast of California and hanging out with Mom and Dad for the weekend.  Taking a bike ride with my Bro.  Being at U of O’s Parents Weekend.  Going on a shopping expedition with Roo in San Francisco or Denver or…Scooting up to harass Ari and Lauren and reconnect with my buddies in Seattle, and catch our dear friends Amy and Jim Gray in Petaluma on the flip-flop.

I admit – moving is tiring.  It is disorienting, annoying, disruptive, frustrating…basically a pain in the ass.  It taps my neurotic, project management need for order while creating mayhem in its wake.  I am not looking forward to two more moves in the next few months…one from Barcelona to SoCal, likely to temporary digs…then from there to the place we will call home – for the next chapter.  Despite the hassle, I know this is what it takes to get to where we want to be.

Talk to you again from the other side of the big Atlantic pond.