Bye Bye Sydney, Hello Connecticut

Many of you may have noticed the extremely long gap in the blogging.  Well, as recent events have unfolded, there's been barely time to think and make decisions, let alone blog about it.

On July 13, Nicole and I boarded a plane to return to Sydney after a 2 week visit to CT.  Bad weather in DC delayed our flight so long that we would have missed the San Fran-Sydney connection.  Rather than be stuck in San Francisco waiting for two seats on a Sydney flight, we opted to re-ticket and stay in CT an extra night.  We got off the plane, claimed our checked bags, and headed back to Larry's parents' house.

The next morning, I said to Larry, "What if we didn't go back right away?"  We were planning on putting Nicole in school in the US in September, so returning to school in Sydney wasn't absolutely required.  Since I telecommuted into a company in CT, there was no pressing reason for me to be back.  So, brainstorming ensued, and Nicole and I stayed.  I re-ticketed for August 22, giving me enough time to get Nicole ready for school and settled with her "host family."

Just two weeks later, Larry had a meeting with Microsoft where they officially informed him that they would not be renewing our 1-year contract.  And, in fact, they were making wide-scale changes in the Microsoft organization and would be ending his contract early - as of August 31.

You could have knocked us over with a feather!  Really?  Not entirely bad or unwelcomed news, as we are happy to be returning home, but still. 

So, rather than fly on August 22 and then turn around and fly again a week or so later, I canceled my return to Sydney.  I'm living in the spare room at my parents' once again, with my daughter in the other twin bed.  Larry is overseeing the packing and shipping of our worldly goods once again for a second trans-oceanic voyage.  We've bought a car, and I've gotten a full-time job in Hartford.  And we are in search of some sort of temporary housing until our Farmington house is available.

(And we're planning on meeting in Hawaii when Larry leaves Sydney.)

I wish I could have said "bye bye Sydney" in person.  There are so many people I wish I could have hugged. Friends who opened their homes and helped us make our house a home.   A church family who welcomed us in January, to whom I would like to say "thank you" - you have no idea how very very much we needed that welcome upon our arrival.  Restaurants to eat in one last time.  Kookaburras to hear on a final morning.  (I am in search of a stuffed kookaburra...)

The reception back in CT has been wonderful.  The joyful hugs and exclamations are truly gratifying.  So although I am sad to have cut our stay in Sydney short, it is nice to be home again!