NOMAD...No More

For almost two years, I have lived with one foot on the road or at least waiting to get on the road. In August of 2006, I sold most of belongings - furniture, clothes, dishes, toys, books, movies - in preparation for a move to Ireland. Believing this to be coming in 3-4 months, I moved into a friend's garage apartment - with 2 boys and a dog.

Sure it was small for us, but it was just a couple months and it was paving the way for us to have a grand adventure in Ireland. 16 months later and three failed attempts to secure a Visa, I gave up this dream and began rebuilding my life in Dallas. I began looking for new work, I put a downpayment on a three bedroom home for us and by fluke, two weeks later was accepting a job in Munich Germany.

Fast forward four months, I have now been in Munchen (how we Deutsch - not Dutch - say it) for just over two months. Most of this time has been spent in a one-room apartment, an upgrade to the garage, but not by much. Two weeks ago, my sons arrived in Deutschland and we moved into our new home. Instead of a one-room home, we each have a room of our own and three more to share.

Sometimes the silver lining of clouds has a shadow too...The first few days were actually a bit annoying as not being used to having multiple rooms I kept losing things and had to search every room to find where I put them. It felt like some bad sitcom scene - all I was missing was the fake laugh track.

I love our new home for what it is and what it is not. It is a place unlike any I have ever lived - a top floor apartment in a trendy and busy area of Munchen - Schwabing. I am tempted to say penthouse, but this conjurs up images that are not accurate. It is beautiful and comfortable without being posh or pretentious that I think of as penthouse. We live in the heart of a beautiful and bustling city - well maybe not the heart, but for sure the liver, lungs or other vital organ.

We live a block away from Hohenzollernplatz, a wonderful little plaza with business, shops, cafes and restaurants. And to my delight I found out this morning that we have two bakeries that open on Sunday mornings - not a normal thing in Deutschland.

The sun shines in the wall of glass in my bedroom every morning about 5:00 now that it is summer. I don't mind this. I love waking to the brisk air blowing in through the open door of my balcony and rising before the city does. Perhaps in a prior life I was a rooster.

There is something about a home that nurtures me and makes me safe the way few other things do. And it is hard for me to get my hands around living in transition for so long, waiting for the next move, expecting it constantly and frustrated when it did not come.

Here I have settled again, in a place that truly nutures me and provides space for us all. And though I fell "settled" in a way I haven't for a while, it is still not home because we are as the Deutsch say, "Auslanders" - Foreigners. And as wonderful as my home may be, as comforting and nurturing - as big and spacious - as beautiful and well positioned, until we are no longer auslanders, we won't really be home.

So perhaps I am still a nomad after all, just with a nicer tent.