I just finished up my third interview for the third job I applied for.  I think it went well, but I’m terrible at gauging things like that.  Who knows…it could have been crap.  I’m hiping I hear something soon for the positions, as I’m getting impatient.  I’m just ready to know what my next role will be so I can start working towards that…I hate being in flux. 

The house is slowly becoming more and more unpacked.  We got the hot tub fixed and cleaned out, and now we need to balance the chemicals, and then we can get in and relax!  Other things are also coming together with the house as well…we’re starting to find places for things, and I’m going to start thinking about paint colors so that the painters can come in and finish up the upstairs.  Then, we can focus on the downstairs and get it all sorted.  Slow going…but Rome wasn’t built in a day.

In other news…last week I had more skin cancer removed from my back.  I had noticed that one of the moles on my left shoulder blade was looking really funky, so I made an appointment and went in.  Doctor did a mole check, removed the spot on my back, and I should hear back in a week or so to know if they got it all.  I’m assuming yes, but we’ll see.  However, the other day the area was really sore, because my bra strap keeps rubbing it…ugh!  I need for it to hurry up and heal…though I’m so thrilled for another scar.  Especially because all my scars are hypertrophic, which are like keloid scars, but don’t really extend beyond the area of injury.  They still stick up and are red, but follow the injury area only (which is good, I guess).  So…one more to add to my collection…bah.

And…I think that’s all.  Not a lot going on right now, mainly just lots of unpacking and dealing with house issues.  Hope you all had a fantastic weekend!

XOXOXO,
K.

Earlier today, I was talking to one of my best friends from college.  She’s pregnant, about halfway through her pregnancy, and I wanted to see if they’d found out the gender yet, so I could get to work on her baby blanket.  They’re having a girl!  I’m so excited and thrilled for them…I can’t wait to see the little darling!

And then my friend says, “and I wanted to ask you something important.”  She and her husband want to know if Jamie and I would be willing to raise the child should, god forbid, anything happen to them.  Talk about a slew of emotions!  First, incredibly honored that they’d trust us with their child.  Second, incredibly sad at the idea of anything happening to them…she’s like a sister to me, and I can’t imagine her not there.  Third, panic, at the idea of taking in a child dealing with the emotions of losing their parents, and worry that we wouldn’t be able to provide them the necessary emotional support they’d need to deal with such a shit time.  

So, Jamie and I will discuss it.  The chances of anything happening to them both are incredibly slim, but I completely understand their desire to be prepared for anything, especially when it comes to something as precious as a child.  I’ve already mentioned it to Jamie, and I’m sure we’ll talk about it more indepth before we give our answer to our friend, but in the meantime, a part of me is already in love with this child that I’ve never met.  She’s going to be so loved, and that’s really incredible!

XOXOXO,
K.

I didn’t make my plan of joining a gym the day after we returned, but I did do it within the first week!  We had really gotten into the habit of going to a gym, and I really missed it here, even though we were crazy busy (and it hasn’t let up).  But man…I am so glad we did!

Our gym here has semi-private training sessions (4-8 people in a group) several times a day, and it’s all functional training, which I absolutely love.  It’s particularly effective for me because I have so many problems with my joints, and it really helps me build muscle in the areas that I use every day.  Plus, if done right, you still get a really good cardio workout as well, which is always a bonus.

Today was a functional training day…and good lord, was it killer!  We did 4 rounds of a circuit:  BOSU burpees, rope smacks (basically, you have a giant, industrial strength rope in each hand that you raise up to your eyes and smack on the ground…50 times), box jumps, and then sled pushes (a metal “sled” that holds a 25lb. weight that you push down the length of the gym and back).  So…that was a complete circuit, done four times.  At the end of it, I was ready to die, but it was so much fun!  I had to modify the box jumps because of my knees, so I just did step kicks onto the box, but I did extra to make up for it.  I honestly thought I was going to puke, but I am so excited for Wednesday!

In other news…the weekend was full of: buying a vacuum, cleaning, unpacking, going to a hockey game, dinner and drinks, putting together furniture, and other random crap.  I feel like I need a weekend from my weekend!

Hope you all have a great day!

XOXOXO,
K.

We’re going with something short and sweet today:

- I have REALLY got to start cooking at home.  We have eaten out nearly every day since moving home, and I’m getting so tired of it.  It’s just hard when everything is a wreck, we’re getting home super late, and both are exhausted from work.  Must force myself to cook.

- I still love our new car.  My Prius is fabulous, but now I need to think up a name.  Thoughts??  She’s dark grey.

- I had an informal chat with the person who posted the job that I really want.  I flat out told him “you have a job opening and I want it, what do I need to do to get it.”  Those exact words.  He likes my “style and attitude” and thinks I have what it takes for the job, but I still need to go through the formal interview process.

- We’re going to a hockey game on Saturday and have seats in a suite!  I’m stoked…I love hockey!

- Work is still going well…I’m so glad to be back in the office, and I have already reconnected with a few of my friends here and we’ve made plans…really happy to be home.

- I have this insane urge to go to Thailand.  Like, right this minute.  I’m actually looking at flights…sigh.  Thailand.

That’s all for now…hope you all are doing well!

XOXOXO,
K.

So, since moving, I have been working back in our main offices where our world headquarters is located.  Can I tell you all how much happier I am working here??  I feel so much more connected with everything/everyone!  I loved the people that were in our old office in the Netherlands, but none of those guys worked on my program, so while we would chat it up during the day about random stuff, they weren’t a work support structure.  That was all located in the UK, and it was hard to get a lot of my job done with there being such a large gap.  That is so not the case here…it’s fantastic!

I mentioned in my last post that I had been hired on here as a full time employee.  While we were in the Netherlands, I was a local hire for the Dutch portion of our company, so I was a full hire there, but it was limited to the scope of Jamie’s employment.  So basically, he goes home, my employment ends.  As we were planning the move home, I had been looking into jobs here, and had applied to a few.  So yesterday, being called into HR and being offered a job PRIOR to having interviewed for any of the positions I was scheduled to interview for was such a surprise and so exciting!  Then, yesterday I received my offer letter and realized that I had been given a job with a substantial raise attached…and it was even better!  I feel so much more relaxed about the house (we had spent more than I was comfortable with) and all the money we had going out due to the move.  I stress about things, even though I knew logically that we were fine, but I would prefer a BIG buffer.  Thankfully, with this job, I can have that reassurance.

I had my first interview this morning.  It went well and I think I’ll be a good contender.  Then, as I was walking upstairs to talk with Jamie about how it went, I ran into another coworker, and he was like, “I want to interview you for a position…are you free at 3:30pm?”  Ummm…SURE!!!  So, I have another interview later today!  That job is one I’m REALLY excited for and I hope that I get.  Keep your fingers crossed for me!! 

Hope everything is going well for you all.  At some point I promise to take photos of the house and post them, but it’s still too much of a disaster to do that yet.

XOXOXO,
K. 

Today was my first day back at work, after moving home to the US.  It was also supposed to be the day I transitioned back to being a contractor, which I was less than thrilled about.  However, this morning, I was pulled into a meeting with HR and was told that they would be offering me full tim employment, because they felt I was “Company X material” and that they wanted to show that by extending me full time employment while I was job hunting here in the US.  Basically, they want to give me the security to know that I will have a job here, regardless.  Needless to say, I was super excited! 

So, I’m still lined up for two different job interviews over the next few weeks.  I also applied for another position today, one that I am super excited about, so hopefully something happens with that one!  Looks like things are really improving on the job front!

Hope you all had a great weekend!

XOXOXO,
K.

We finally decided on a car and went to purchase it today!  We decided to go with a 2013 Toyota Prius.  I love that we get around 50 mpg…woohoo!  It’s also a super comfortable ride and really spacious, which is good because we like taking road trips.

For now, we’re going to only get one car until it becomes too much of a PITA, then we’ll get a second.  I’m considering a little Honda Fit for the second car (as it will most likely be “my” car)…I’ve test driven them before and liked them, but didn’t get one because I was commuting three hours every day and the Civic was a bit more comfortable.  Since I won’t be doing that commute, I think the Fit will be a good choice.

Tomorrow is Easter…so excited to spend Easter with my family!  It’s our first one with my parents in four years!!

XOXOXO,
K.

I am finally home!  Yesterday was absolutely exhausting, but everything went really smoothly, which was good.  Lily was a champ on the plane and the airports…I was so thankful!  We got in last night around 8:30pm, had some dinner, met up with his parents for a bit (we couldn’t find our house key, so needed them to let us in), and then showered and passed out.   Woke up this morning at the ripe time of 4:30am, and just starting the unpacking process.

Our storage stuff and our IKEA shipment both come today.  I also need to go buy and phone, and we might go look at cars.  These next few days will be crazy, but it’s so good to be home!

XOXOXO,
K.

Tonight is our last night here in the Netherlands.  Tomorrow morning, we board a plane and head back to what will now become our “home” again, after over three years living abroad.  In the past week, I’ve cried more tears than I have in the past year, said more goodbyes than I have ever wanted to say, and given more hugs than I can count.  It hurts to leave this place in a way that is indescribable, and yet I’m filled with excitement for what is in front of us.  

I can’t even come up with words to say how thankful I am for this opportunity to experience all that we have, and for the relationships that I’ve gained with the people I’ve met along the way.  Each and every person I’ve met here has changed me…some in tiny ways, and some in ways so significant I’ve yet to realize the full impact.  But I’m thankful for all of them, and even though it hurts to leave, and I’m sad to go, I wouldn’t trade that pain for the friendships and relationships I’ve gained.  They’re worth every tear, every heartache, and every dollar spent on international telephone rates.  I’m going to miss them, but they’ll never leave my heart.

So, for now, tot ziens.  And remember, it’s not “goodbye,” but merely, “until I see you again.”

XOXOXO,

K.

This past week, things have really started to look up for me in terms of a job back home!  I have had HR schedule two different interviews with me for when I return!   Both positions are an extension of what I do now (account management), but one of the two is a hybrid position for account management and program management.  One of the positions also isn’t with the same business unit that I work with now…it would be working for the engine business.  Crazy!

So…my first interview is the 3rd of April.  I need to get home and get a suit ASAP!  I have a few already, but they both fit poorly…one is too small and one is too large.  Plus, they’re both a little dated and I’d like to get something with a bit more of a clean cut.  I’ll be hitting up Banana Republic and Ann Taylor as soon as I get home, for sure!  Ugh…I also probably need new shoes!  

I really hope I’m offered a position…I’m not really sure which I’d prefer, as they both sound very challenging and interesting.  I think either of them would be a good fit for me, and I know I could succeed in both.  But, at the moment, if I were offered both, I have no idea what one I’d accept!  Gah…hopefully the interviews would help me make a decision.  And…I’m getting way ahead of myself…lol.

Two more days here in the Netherlands…I can’t believe our time is almost over!

XOXOXO,
K.