Hello, Goodbye, Hello, Goodbye

I am sitting in the dark in our hotel room listening to the kids fight going to sleep. Nathaniel is at our house doing yard work in the dark. We are officially leaving Bloomington tomorrow morning. I am really, really excited about our move to china. I promise. I am no longer filled with the anxiety that moved me to write the last post. But, I sure am sad tonight. I remember a year and a half ago when I was so scared about moving to Bloomington. I knew that my life wouldn't be too different from Charlotte, but after the first 4 lonely years there, I had started to make some absolutely wonderful friends the last 3 years. When we moved to Bloomington, I was dreading being lonely and having to make friends again. I worried that the kids and I would never ever find anybody else that we got along with as well as our Charlotte friends.

Oh, was I wrong! In the short time we have spent in Bloomington I really consider it home. We found a neighborhood that we were fortunate enough to find a house to buy just up the street from the house we rented when we first got here. The neighborhood has a good school within walking /bike riding distance. But most importantly, We found amazing friends. Watching the kids make the rounds to say goodbye has been really hard to watch. I know how hard it has been for them. They have been real troopers. There have been some hard times for both of them, but it lets me know how much they have loved Bloomington too.

I am so proud of how we have kept in contact with our Charlotte friends, and I know that we are going to do the same with our Bloomington friends. We are so lucky to have all of the love and support of everybody as we travel over to the other side of the globe. I want you all to know that we are there for you just as you guys have been for us.

We are leaving Bloomington tomorrow morning and I am so, so sad about that. I am so thankful, though for all of the friends that we have made. You guys taught me that no matter where I go, I will be able to find people the make us feel welcome and are as excited to get to know us as we are them. You continued the love that our Charlotte friends gave us, and I hope that we were all there for you as well. I am sad to say goodbye to Bloomington friends, excited to say hello to Charlotte friends, sad to say goodbye (again) to Charlotte friends, and excited to meet and say hello to our Hangzhou friends...