We have a friend…Hallelujah!

As many of you know our social circle over here is quite small…or non-existent.  For the past 9 months I have said all I wanted was to find another English mom that I could hang out with.  I have tried to make friends, walk around daily smiling and trying to make conversation, only to be left with someone who either doesn't speak English, doesn't want to smile back or flat out doesn't engage with me.  So the days can be very long and lonely with no one to talk to.  The nights and weekends we have adjusted to and learned to appreciate the time we are getting to just the 3 of us.  The days when Andy is at work, all I want is one day to have someone to meet at the park, go to lunch, or interact with to break up the long weeks.

Our complex has been under construction since we moved in last Fall, but they recently started doing work on the unit right next door, which makes for some loud jack-hammering and sounds ALL day long.  Furthermore makes for a loud house and short naps for Annabelle.  It had been a long day and I needed to get out of the house.  We normally go to the park in the mornings/early afternoons, and seldomly head down in the late afternoon, but Monday we needed to get out.  So we went down to the park and were playing when this nice woman started talking to me.  She had heard me talking to Annabelle in English and asked if I was living here.  We started talking and found ourselves in very similar situations.  Every question we asked one another we both would respond with the same thing and we clicked…I was like, "Oh my God, where have you been the past 10 months?"  So we exchanged phone numbers and have hung out A LOT since meeting.  She is an awesome Swedish gal, has a son Ture who is 3, Annabelle calls him Toodles because she cannot pronounce Ture and they are great.  It is amazing what it does to the weeks having someone who we can call to meet at the park, go to lunch or just walk and talk.  I feel so fortunate to have met her and find it so odd how much we have in common both from our lives back at home and our situations abroad.  I never thought my first and only friend would be from Sweden, but thankful that we have found someone over here…finally!!

Annabelle and Toodles. She loves to hug him and hold his hand and he's not into the affection yet.  We are working on personal spaces and not invading his constantly :)