We have family wherever we travel

So, there is this weird thing called family. Take a look at this definition of family : "people you love and love you back, not necessarily blood or biological, but you trust them and they trust you, and they take care of you and you take care of them." (Source : Urban dictionary... because yes, that is where I do my research!) We have family wherever we travel. We build relationships wherever we go. We will never be alone. 

I just finished up my third week living abroad. It is strange to think that I have become a part of the family de Boer in that short amount of time. There is a saying that time flies when your immersed in new experiences, or is it when you're having fun. Either way that is what the last few week have been experiences and fun! What might normally take months to develop, has taken three weeks. It becomes a necessity when traveling to build a relationship and trust the people who are caring for you. A necessity because of the need for love. We as human beings need love. God, our creator, made us to be loved and to love.  

My host family is very similar to my own family, at least in the number of people. A mom, a dad, an oldest son followed by three daughters. Each one is unique and has their own personality. Maroes is passionate. Romijn is tenacious. Aniek is strong. Yoran is dynamic. Sure, they fight and disagree, but what siblings don't? The moments that strike me the most are when the family feels emotion together. My heart fills with joy when we are sitting around the table smiling and laughing and that language barrier that I mentioned in a previous post, it doesn't seem as large.  

It occurs to me several times a day that this is real! I pause and realize over and over again that I have a family in the Netherlands. My blood-relation family is back in Minnesota, but in the here and now I am part of a family bonded in trust, love, and tranquility (and maybe a little or a lot of noise too). Furthermore, I believe that when traveling that these are the memories that make the most impact. This is what traveling is about for me - relationships. Of course, I absolutely love scenery and finding that perfect spot where you capture the essence of your trip in an Instagram post. However, all of that is mundane unless you build relationships.

God, Creator of the World, with love you made each human in your image. Let us honor your image through the relationships we build. Thank you for the gift of love and the ability to show love. Let our actions be a sweet offering to you. 

Pizza with the family de Boer
photo credit: Wietse's Facebook

Christmas time with the Argo family
photo credit: selfie stick

My two families on two continents

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See any similarities?

#katiespiceurope
#family