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Published: September 3rd 2013
I left Europe for Asia in October 1996. I had a good education, a pretty solid Economics degree from a top European University...some savings from working all over Europe and Africa for Club Med while being a full time student in Belgium...I was ready for an adventure...that I was sure would last at least for few weeks or months...it was, 17 years ago...
Back end of July, I did something that made Leslie laugh a big one! I moved back to my parents...with my two kids and we registered again as living...in Europe! Yes, can't tell you how much fun Leslie had...wow, papa is moving back to his parents...so much fun!
No I didn't lose my job, no I haven't changed my plans...and no, I'm not in the middle of a middle-age crisis...so why than....well...simple! Disclaimer....I have an habit to organize most of my trips 24 months in advance...this was planed...24 month ahead!
To be able to apply for visas to some countries, you have to be resident somewhere...and you need to apply for a visa...where you are resident...so no other options....I moved back to my parents...and we all had a good
laugh! To know what are those countries, just wait few more weeks...
So on the program for August, and September...I'm on to give some serious "roots" to my children...bringing them back to where I grew up...and meeting a lot of people! Roots are important...and this time, we went wild!
First, Leslie and Tiffany had two full weeks of French classes...followed by a full week of sport with French speaking kids. Next, this 2nd September...it was their first day at school...in a...Belgian school....the exact same one where I spent 7 years of my youth...shall I call this...school tourism? They are here for few weeks to improve their French....that's today their fourth language after English, Vietnamese and Spanish...could be worst! And for the first time....no uniform!
So a lot of fun, a lot of great food....even some pretty nice wines... and a lot...a lot of friends the last few weeks...back to my roots...and some pretty interesting moments for Tiffany and Leslie. Thanks a lot also for the great welcome received by their Grand-parents (I still bring the wine)!!!
Next, I'm flying this week-end for two weeks of Africa...yeap...more fun, more
people, but also, some serious work ahead of me.
Than it will be back for few hours in Luxembourg, and for Tiffany, Leslie and I, before the end of September, the start of another long...truly long...and should be amazing trip too...just slightly different from many things we have done for a while!
I've gathered few pictures of the experiences we had the last few weeks. There was the Mundial of Balloons just across the border of Luxembourg in France...also the visit to the Fort de Fremont, one of the main fort of the "Ligne Maginot", this is the main fortifications built by the French just ahead of the Second World War...as you guess, it didn't help them much. There are also few family pictures, the school...and the golf course on which I spent most of my youth free time...playing golf and doing it with great friends! And yes, even some pictures of Luxembourg....pretty green city!
The serious fun is starting...pretty soon...
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Home and Away
Bob Carlsen
What a wonderful; idea...
giving your kids some roots. And planning this 24 months in advance...a year before going to Argentina! Too bad they couldn't have spent a whole semester there. But I look forward to reading about your next destinations. I know what you mean about applying for visas from your resident country. My son, Will, got the paperwork from Bangor University that certified he was to be a student there so he could apply for his student visa. He presently has a non-immigrant B visa in Thailand where he is teaching English for the summer. The UK immigration authorities wanted him to fly to the U.S. to apply from there. I insisted he visit the British Consulate in Bangkok to ask if he could apply there. He can...has an appointment on Friday...with the visa due two weeks later...the day before he flies to Manchester. Crazy!