Mea Culpa

OK. I feel guilty, very guilty for not posting anything in the last month. Yes I do have an excuse, several in fact - I made several international trips in a row for job interviews, was on the road a lot, hosted my dad here for 2.5 weeks, did lot's of Christmas & New Year's cooking and shopping....- Still. Apologies for jumping of the deep end. Truth be told, I think I was a bit in a rut too and felt like taking a bit of a break. But, that's done now. With the New Year, I've turned a new leaf and feel reenergized.

I also have another reason for feeling celebratory. I have received a great job offer from a large consumer-goods company and am very excited about the global position they offered me. We are still in the final stages of negotiations, but all should be worked out this week. Barring any hick-ups, this means that we'll be moving to Amsterdam shortly (!). Very exciting and a bit scary too. It will be quite a change of pace, replacing North Carolina's scenery with the canal-scene in the low countries, but 'verandering van spijs doet eten'...or something along those lines.

My main point of concern right now is the child care situation in Holland. I've read some horror stories online about how hard it is to find a good place in a good school/day care center for toddlers and how long the waitlists are...this doesn't ease my worries given that we're looking to move in less than one month and would have to find something in a matter of weeks. I'm thinking that a temporary solution may be to try going for a nanny?...we'll see. The company I am relocating for is hooking me up with a specialized service for assisting foreign relos, and I am hoping that they've encountered this before and can recommend the best course of action.

But first on the list: finishing the negotiations...the rest will come later.

In the meantime, a bit delayed but not less heartfelt: I wish all of you a wonderful start of 2007! May the year be a healthy one and bring you joy, happiness and the fulfilment of your dreams.