I miss ….

I miss my life.
The one I had working as a neuro nurse in Houston at the Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Texas Medical Center.
I miss the money I made. I miss my car. I miss my two dogs. I miss my fashion bags, my shoes, my clothes, my plates, mugs, cups, jewelery, BOOKS, I miss my BOOKS, my plants, my Ikea King Size Bed, my white comforters, my ability to eat any where I want to.
I miss wandering through an Apple store, I miss bubble tea, I miss WHOLE FOODS, I miss my DVD collection (especially, SATC), I miss South Padre, Galveston Beach, I miss television (we don’t have a tv), I miss having a closet (I am still living out of two suitcases), I miss having my bikini area waxed every month and a half, I miss my hairstylist/hair cutter, I miss my nail polish, I miss the American Brands that I’ve used all my life (Neutrogena Sesame Body Oil), I miss Banana Republic, Victoria Secret, Target, Yes, even Wal-Mart! I miss great Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese food, I miss Dim Sum, I miss those huge Pacific Malls where you get all these weird Asian delicacies – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

and yet … despite all that, I have never been MORE EMPOWERED than I am now.

When you are stripped (my choice) of things that you are comfortable with – then the only thing you can count on that you know is raw and real, is your self.

February, March Update ..

I can’t even remember when I last posted here. It seems as if my multitasking skills have eluded me.

I’ve been settling into the Business English Language Trainer role pretty well. I like it a lot. It’s challenging in the aspect of being able to answer questions about grammar, word usage, culture as well as preparing stimulating lessons that offer challenge at a specific English level and also making it fun.

I receive my first pay check for the month of Feb. It was 627 euro. It certainly wasn’t what I was use to making when I was a nurse but I could not complain. Just being able to know I had some money in the bank to perhaps buy tampons was peace of mind enough.

I have been carefully budgeting it. Because my work is freelance, the hours are not set and therefor neither is my pay check amount. For the month of March, I will barely make 400 euro, thanks to the Easter Holiday.

I don’t know how I’ll be able to save enough for the things I need but I am just hoping that I get more hours of teaching while at the same time, the Empowered by English program I want to set up here, will hopefully start up soon.

The weather has been good. I cannot complain at all. I’ve managed to fend off the cold (which really was mild compared to what friends and family were getting in Toronto) with my sweater coat layered on top of a sweater dress, black cotton long sleeve shirt and sort black cotton bolero. *sigh*

I have been wearing this outfit everyday. Once, at one of my classes, the students had noticed me wearing the same outfit and had commented, “Is that the Kern uniform?”

I simply smiled and replied, “No, it’s the ‘waiting for your first paycheck attire.”

Spring is here .. but we did have a week of cold winter interjected in.

When I bike to work, into downtown and through the tree lined back way streets I feel happy. I feel happy that I have made it this far. I am happy that I am able to work here in Frankfurt, make it through the adjustment stage – which I am still going through, only  not as bad as before.

I miss Houston. I miss my family, my friends, the food, my Picasso, my books,  my things, my clothes, my piano – basically, I miss my life back in Houston.

However, I made the choice to come here and I am determined to work it out. I am determined to create a life for me here in Europe – every bit as beautiful as the one I just left.