And the winner is…Warsaw!

We are so psyched!

Yes, it will be freaking cold, and I hate being cold, but as hardships go, that’s manageable. And hey, by now, I have the gear to deal with it. I never would have imagined that I would spent ten years of my life in Central Europe (four years in Prague, three in Vienna, and now this!) but it’s growing on me. As I may have mentioned earlier, annual trips to Italy are a non-negotiable part of this deal…

Another real advantage is that we both have a head start on Polish, thanks to the Czech. I found on our recent visit to Warsaw that I can already puzzle out menus, road signs, etc. I doubt I will ever really speak the language, but at this point in my life, with so many languages rattling around in my head, I’ll take any head start I can get! And so will my husband, who is not super-excited about learning a fourth language at FSI, but figures he won’t be starting from scratch this time, anyway.

I’m really looking forward to the year back in DC. There are some times in life when living out of air freight for a year would be a major hassle, but with both kids out of school, I think it will be fun. I’m looking forward to some quality time with friends and family–not to mention soaking up all the vitamin D I possibly can!

Our son now has the option of spending a gap year with us in DC to get settled and/or get his head together before college. After that year, we up and leave. The advantages to this scenario for all parties go without saying 🙂

Special twist: my husband is half Polish. His great-grandparents left their villages in the old country and traveled to America in steerage. Now he’s going back to represent the new country to the old. The history geek in me just loves this.

So, onward to Warsaw!