Let's Hear It for the Boys

For months before we left home, friends and family asked us what the boys thought about our move to India. Were they nervous? Excited? What did they know? How much did they understand? I’m still not sure of the answers to these questions but what I do know is that they seemed genuinely excited. They could point to India on a map (Asa could trace the route of our flight – Portland to Newark, then over the arctic to Delhi), and knew that we would live in an apartment (one floor living was a novel concept) where we would be able to walk to school, a few swimming pools, and a two playgrounds. We looked at photos, talked about the climate, and read books about India and other cultures across the globe. We told them about the monkeys and elephants and cows we would encounter. We discussed kindergarten for Asa and a new school for Liam (though he was only on a wait list – bad karma after working in college admissions). They got their first passports and looked at the stamps in ours from pre-kid travels. We all got vaccinations (both kids were rock stars) and discussed why we needed them. There were many conversations about what to pack – favorite books, blankets, stuffed animals – and which items should be shipped to get to India fast (by air) or slow (by sea). There were times when the boys' heads were clearly overloaded and we redirected the conversation to the weekend plans instead.


So, after nearly a week here, and despite jet lag and it's crazy sleep patterns, things are going very well. It's truly amazing how quickly things have happened in such a short time, how fast we have gone from clueless and overwhelmed to almost comfortable and in a groove.


A few highlights from the first week: finding our way around campus, walking to work with Jonah, hiring Angeline who will care for the boys when we are at work (she had previously worked for the same AES family for 14 years!), touring Delhi by van with other newbies, eating some great Indian food, swimming in the campus pool, shopping for fabric for the couches and chairs (before and after photos to follow), and finding out Liam got into preschool!


So, I'd say the boys are quickly adjusting to life here and it is such fun to watch them process all that they see and hear. However, since we arrived earlier than the returning faculty, there are not many kids on campus yet. The boys are ready to play with people their own age (though they have become fast friends with some of our new colleagues) and get into a predictable routine. In the meantime, they are getting to know their way around campus, seem very much at ease meeting so many new people, and have asked about a billion questions.