Home is where the heart is.....

Time is ticking by and the closer it gets the more nostalgic I become. There are so many wonderful reasons to go home like.......

Family...I have only seen my mom 2 days in the last 2 years!

Seasons....our house and my kitchen. Look I have an OVEN!

A niece we haven't met yet and three others we haven't seen forever.

Long time friends from St Cloud.

Wonderful friends in Hastings. But then I start to think about all the things I'll miss, because after 2 years this has become our home. And if home is where the heart is my heart has two homes. There are sooo many things I'm going to miss on the island like.....

The view as your driving around.

Lounging around the pool.

The view off our balcony.

The best group of pals a person could ask for, who all are in the same boat so understand.

The beaches

My work with ICM and Behavioral Science

And one that may sound strange but missing holidays at home...I have never really had to feel what it's like to celebrate any holidays without my Dad. We moved 5 months after he passed so in a way, I'm sure, I have been able to avoid dealing with parts of his passing because I'm not there to see it. I don't go to my parents house and haven't had to feel his missing presence at Christmas time and the 4th of July (his and my favorite holiday)..I was always able to think he was just at home and that everything was still normal.

So, there are so many good and bad parts to what the next stage of life has in store for us. And as we did when we moved here, you just have to roll with the punches, make a new home, and meet new people to surround yourself with so your next place feels like home too. I will always value my time on the island. It has given me so many opportunities and experiences that I could have never had at home. Dave and I had rough patches but learned that we are strong together and have learned how important we are to each other. The kids have learned how to take it slower, how to respect another culture, and how to make new friends in a new place. So Minnesota we can't wait to get back to you but St Maarten we have a huge part of our hearts wrapped up in the family we have made here and the experiences we have lived and learned to love through.