During the time I am in Belgium, I will probably not be paid to do any job. If our first days are any indication though, I will be plenty busy just keeping our lives spinning.
Belgian bureaucracy is time consuming and multi-step. We arrived three weeks ago now and on our first day began our application for a Belgian ID. We had to repeat step 1, because the photos that were taken were incorrect. We are now waiting to complete the next step and anticipate that in maybe a month we will have our IDs. Keep in mind these IDs are to be with us at all times while we are in country and we can be fined 100 euros for not having them on us.
American military bureaucracy is no better, just different and at least we can conduct these transactions in English. Today the kids had to have their medical exams for school, which would be understandable but just six months ago they had a full medical exam to be approved to move here.
Household chores take longer. A wash cycle takes just under 2 hours. The washer is also smaller which means more loads. As mentioned in a previous blog, the dryer isn't terribly efficient which means I air dry most of our clothing.
Living in a more rural setting means that stores are further away. The American commissary is a 40 minute drive one way. I wouldn't mind shopping at local stores, but food prices are much cheaper at the American commissary and there is the upside of being able to read the labels given Allen's allergies.
None of this is an 8 hour day, but nor are any of these things that can simply be accomplished after a full day of work. The evenings are full of cooking, dinner, homework and keeping up with the kids' activities (dance, cross country, church youth group).
So no, I don't have a job but I am occupied.
Maybe your job, besides keeping your family spinning, is to reflect on being a sojourner and in your written, posted reflections remind us how we are sojourners as well.
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