When Parents Leave The Country

You know I've been really fine with this whole thing all along. I think it is a fabulous idea that my dad and Sheila move to France. Today though, was actually their last day in California... and in a week they'll be in Paris and then moving on to the Bordeaux region. I think it didn't really hit me until this afternoon as we were all sitting together over coffee at Trieste in Sausalito.

There was somewhat idle talk several months ago by my father and step-mother that they were thinking of moving to Europe. Then in December they actually went to France and toured several regions of interest and came back buoyed by their experience and ready to move forward. They enlisted an attorney over there, several real estate agents, opened bank accounts and made the proper inquiries about citizenship, legality and insurance. Then they sold their house in Orange County, packed up the house, shipped their stuff and the car and hit the road for a few days. Spent the night with my sister in Santa Cruz, a couple of nights up here in Marin and tomorrow morning they jump a plane to Kansas to hang with Sheila's boys and the grandkids.

Fine. Really. It's just that OC is SOOO much closer both geographically and psychologically than the fucking Vendee region of France. I mean really, it's fine, it's amazing actually and totally the right thing for them to be doing. I tell you though, if I didn't have a German girlfriend with family near Berlin, I would be having a lot more difficulty with this. Now instead of just one good reason to up and go to Europe with any frequency, I have two.

As I'm getting older I am realizing how much I absolutely abhor Goodbyes. It isn't as though I don't feel anything, or that I'm somehow detached from the reality of a goodbye situation, I just remain healthily in denial until at least an hour later -- usually when I'm conveniently alone. I know in less than 4 months I'll be on my way to see my folks from Germany by train. But there is this whole period of intense change, evolution, transition, development, and in some ways upheaval that they will be going through really without either my sister or I, or our step brothers.

It is a grand adventure, that is my feeling. Grand adventures can be daunting though, and I saw that in their eyes tonight. They are prepared, things are going to be fine, but there is a strain behind their eyes. The strain of not knowing.

See the thing is they don't have a house in France yet. Yeah. They sold the OC house and are doing this move on speculation. Oh they know where they'd like to be, they have the proper contacts for seeing what's available... but they don't actually have a home base there yet.

I could really free write all night about this but I think I'll leave it at that for now. I'm stoked for them, and I really wish I could just go with them for a few weeks, just the first few weeks. Not to hold hands or help out even, but just to go see, to experience first hand their experience with this new adventure.

Sheila, Dad, I love you both very much and wish you absolutely all the best for a smooth, effortless, graceful transition into this new phase of life. Enjoy yourselves, and in three months I expect we'll be sitting in the garden, conversing in French, eating cheese and sipping a local favorite.

Bon Voyage!