Gratitude

Five weeks ago I boarded a plane and cried as I said goodbye to James in Paris. At that time I knew that I had a return date set for France but it felt like all of the other times leaving him in France and not knowing when we would be together again.

Today my time in MN comes to an end and I have shed a lot of tears saying goodbye to everyone near and dear to my heart that are here. As I sit here waiting for my flight back to France I wonder what it would be like to have everyone I love on the same continent. 

It is quite hard to sum up how amazing my time here in MN has been. I have been showered with love and generosity and my heart is overflowing with gratitude for all of the people I am lucky enough to have in my life. I believe that it is possible for me to have pieces of my heart in two different countries because of this and knowing that I am returning to James.

Prior to coming for this visit I knew that I would enjoy my time here and being able to connect with everyone in person. During my visit I got to meet 5 brand new itty bitty family members, run around and create memories with my niece and nephews, see most of my amazing friends, and hang out with my wonderful family.

The only thing missing from this trip was James and the girls. I am grateful that James understands the importance of me being here and loving me enough to allow us to be separated for almost 5 weeks.

So I leave MN today sad, but also thankful and blessed. I am returning to France and SO excited to see James and discover where some new possibilities that are on the horizon take me.

While thank you doesn’t seem like a strong enough statement I hope my parents, family, friends and James know that I am forever grateful for having them in my life and for their endless love and support!