Some Context

Let me begin by saying the following: it is extremely uncharacteristic that we are doing this.

We are what I'd refer to as "cautious."  Planners by nature, worriers by biology, and creatures of habit by choice, the fact that we actually committed to an 18-month rotation in Amsterdam is a very off-brand move, to put it mildly.  It's even more out of character when you consider that we agreed to this Netherlandian relocation not just once, but twice.  Twice!!

I hear you - of all the years for a risk-adverse duo to uproot their lives and move to Europe, 2020 might not have been an ideal choice.  Originally due to depart March 26th, we naturally were ready for our adventure long before then.  By no later than the 10th, our Chicago walkup was packed into boxes, my job was freshly quit, and our suitcases were metaphorically (ok, physically!) lined by the door. 

But as they say, the best laid plans oft... are derailed by a global pandemic.

As weeks of uncertainty soon became months, we slowly tried to return to "normal" life.  I took a new job, we unpacked, repurchased the furniture we'd sold, and began to plan next steps for our lives in Chicago.  Though not as exciting as a move to Europe, we'd agreed at the end of our lease to move to a new neighborhood, and I gradually removed the passport covers, waterproof raincoats, and travel bags from my Amazon cart and obsessively replaced them with barstools, couch pillows, and color-coordinated spatulas.  You know - the usual things one does when moving from one apartment to the next.

So, you can imagine our surprise when Jack's employer informed us that they were ready to resume our rotation.  After working through our initial shock, and several email exchanges navigating the unusual logistics of relocating during lockdown, we contemplated the opportunity ahead of us.  Did we still want to go?  With the current travel bans and safety risks, our trip was looking very different from the one we originally had planned.  After months of uncertainty, did we really want to take on a new challenge - or did we want some normalcy and predictability?

I won't lie and say it was an easy decision.  It wasn't.  We paced around our neighborhood nightly for a week straight, talking through every pro and con imaginable.  And there were many, on both sides. 
But ultimately, a decision was made.

I ceremoniously added all of the ponchos back into my Amazon cart. ​ Operation Stroopwafel was a GO.

... Which brings us to now!  Barring any more changes or global developments, our tickets are officially booked for an August 31st departure.  Although we already did our lengthy Chicago "farewell tour" back in March, we are grateful to have the next few weekends ahead for goodbyes with friends and family, to enjoy a few final good Chicago eats, and to check (and re-check) that our face shields, gloves, and sanitization supplies are all set for the flight.  

You heard that right: ​face shields. Seriously, what else did you expect from us?

Til next time,
- Lou