I forget.

Briefly, just briefly when I first wake up, before I open my eyes I forget.  Therefore, I am surprised when I am not in my house.  In my room.  In my bed.  With my husband beside me.  My kids in the next rooms.  This happened when we were here long term and it happens now too.  Don't get me wrong.  I love a good adventure.  But not the kind of adventure that is vacation like.  It isn't glamorous.  Americans equate Europe with glamour.  As hard as I try to make people understand, being an ex-pat isn't really glamorous.  I get a little flustered when I tell people it isn't and their response is "uh right, Ms.-I-go-to-Europe-1x-a-yr-+".  I in fact live a very normal & practical life here.  I hussle my kids to school in the morning.  I spend vast amounts of time in the library while they are at school (glamorous Europe=glamorous prices=me not commuting back home while they are at school)  See the pic of my not so glamorous mobile workstation I have set up at the library.  I grocery shop.  I grocery shop.  I cook. We go to the park to play on the play structure, visit the grandparents, and take walks  On the weekends we take little weekend adventure trips to the beach, to a castle, to a town and walk the cobblestone streets.  (OK, that may be seen as a little glamorous). At night though I fall to sleep, just like everyone else and for a moment I forget where I am again.