Now What?

Warning- this post is a bit cathartic for me...I apologize in advance for any rambling or topic shifting that may occur during your reading.  So the girls and I have been back in the Chicago area for a little over three months (my husband returned about 6 weeks ago) and in some ways it feels very comfortable and easy, but it also feels a bit strange after our whirlwind adventures in Sweden and Norway.  To be honest, the whole "transition" is a bit more challenging than I had anticipated.  I had big plans of continuing this blog, sharing the "American" stuff which might seem weird (or cool or even amazing) to those who don't live here.   For example, shopping at Target, driving (not walking or biking) everywhere, and finding almost any kind of food you want whenever you want it.  I am not saying all of these things are good (or healthy)...it's just the way it is.

You get the idea...

However, I have found my life focused on a couple of things other than writing about the interesting differences between living here versus Scandinavia.  One is getting the girls settled in their new school and letting them find an activity that they enjoy.  Looking back, we were so fortunate to have had such welcoming kids in the girls' classes (and some great moms, too!) while we were in Scandinavia.  The girls had a really easy time assimilating into their (several) new classes while overseas.

Birthday Party Fun!

The second area that is taking up a lot of my time and even more of my mental energy is the question of my career and "What do I want to be when I grow up?" (here comes the potentially rambling part!)  I am finding that our time abroad has changed how I view work and has clarified (at least a bit) for me the kind of work I want to focus on moving forward.  When we moved to Sweden, it was difficult to give up a good job in Chicago, not knowing what, if any, opportunities there would be for me to work.   Although I was still "me"... I didn't realize how difficult it would be to lose my professional identity and to be viewed mainly as the caretaker of home and children.  It was challenging to feel like I wasn't "pulling my weight", especially in a country where pretty much all of the women work.  Yes, yes...I understand that we moved for my husband's job and no one was expecting me to work...but that didn't change how I felt about my situation.  On a positive note, I now have much more appreciation for my own mom and other moms who stay at home with their kids...

It doesn't??  Someone should have told me...

Before you start feeling sorry for me (which is NOT the idea), I must say that the overall experience of living abroad was amazing and a HUGE learning experience for our entire family.  I'm so glad the hubby was eager to take that opportunity and that I found the courage to jump on board.  In addition to the travel opportunities, some cool work opportunities came out of this adventure.  After a lot of networking, I DID find a job while in Sweden and met some amazing people.  I even started a small business (we moved to Norway shortly after I filed the paperwork...but going through the planning was a great learning experience).

My company logo....thanks Kelly :)

My business idea from Sweden was not as viable in our small Norwegian city, so I decided to move in a different direction and completed additional courses to strengthen my skills as a coach.  Coach?  Like soccer or T-ball??  Not exactly- although there are certainly some parallels to coaching sports.  Rather I work with people who take their professional (and personal) success seriously.  These individuals realize that they can reach their goals more quickly with a supportive strategic partner who holds them accountable.

Now that the family is settling in...husband at the new job, kids at the new school, it is the time for me to figure out how to incorporate this work of developing others into my own business or possibly within a larger company.  I have always loved helping people get better in different ways, so let's see how this all comes together.  This particular blog will take a hiatus and I will get a new one going that will be more focused on my professional journey and things I learn along the way.  I hope that you will join me.  Stay tuned.....