One year later

Today is the one-year anniversary of the horrific bombings in Madrid. Seeing the news coverage today has reminded me that we've now lived in Basel for a year! It was just a few days after our arrival in Basel and I remember a feeling of dread that, even when living in Europe, we were still going to have to be concerned about the threat of terrorism just as we had been in Washington. Hadn't we left that behind when we left DC? Now I know, after living in Basel for a year, that thankfully it's nothing like living in Washington. We don't have security barricades in front of government buildings and tourist sites, streets are not randomly closed off for security checkpoints, and the police presence on the streets of Basel is few and far between. As I look back, it's been quite a year for me personally. When we arrived in Basel one year ago, I never could have predicted that I would soon be moving back to Wisconsin for 4 months to care for my Mom during the last months of her life. Despite much sadness over her loss, I am also incredibly thankful for all the amazing opportunities we've had this past year. In many ways, it's been both the most challenging and rewarding year of my life. Just living overseas has always been a dream for me, and all of our travel has been more exciting than I ever could have imagined. We have traveled to places I had never even heard of (eg. Vanuatu!) and have had countless memorable experiences... and there are still so many more to come in the next year!