First month back in the States

*Author: Rachel

When we had said our farewell to Barcelona, we boarded two different planes bound for the U.S. Since Devin had work awaiting him in Oregon, and I had family and a class to attend awaiting me in Iowa, we each headed to our prospective homes. This was not an ideal way to begin our transition back to the U.S., but it was what made the most sense given our circumstances. 

For me, July was spent catching up with family who I hadn’t seen in almost a year! Time was spent in Iowa City as well as a weekend in Wisconsin to see my brother Aaron, his fiancée Kirsten, and meet Kirsten's family.

Waking up and having breakfast on this porch was perfect.

Enjoyed many walks through Hickory Hill Park.

A walk through the park in Wisconsin.

For two weeks, I took a class in Des Moines earning my Orff Level One certification (a music ed. thing…). The 8-5 daily class schedule (+ homework!) was a little sad considering I had waited so long for summer, but it was a very enriching time. The best part of the two weeks was how much time I got to spend with Sarah! We rented a small house through Airbnb near the Drake campus and biked to and from class every day together. We ate, slept, worked out, studied, and did truly everything together! For us, this was bliss! 

We completed the course, and headed straight for our family reunion in Southern Iowa. Neither of us have been able to attend the reunion for a few summers, so we were thankful this year’s timing worked out for us to be there. It was so much fun to reconnect with our relatives and be reminded of what wonderful family I have. I so appreciate the positivity and fun nature when we gather together. Even though we have a variety of careers and lifestyles, I love how we can always catch up and take interest in what and how each other is doing.

My mom's hometown in Southern Iowa

    
 

Evenings spent catching up and watching the sun set on the lake.

   

The little ones are growing up already better fishers and skiers than most of the adults!

My sweet cousins who I don't see often enough!

The last week in Iowa was full of bike rides, picnics, and even a new adventure - getting a family tattoo! Four of the six of us got the same tattoo to represent our family, the musical heritage we were brought up in, and the meaningful musical experiences we have had. It is the 4/4 conducting pattern, which also represents the four siblings in our family and the music we have made together. There were some nerves involved for some of us, but we it was so much fun to go together and we were all very happy with the result!

 

             

   

   

                                  

Our last evening together as a family was spent going to a cousin's beautiful wedding.

During the month of July, Devin was busy getting back into the sound work, with big shows such as the Salem Arts Festival, The 10 Grand Piano Concert,  and a variety of shows on the Nike Campus.

Although we were feeling unsure of what to expect from the summer when we left Spain, we were both pleasantly surprised at how good the initial transition was. Of course, this is largely because of our amazing families and friends that we are able to see when we are in the U.S. and who make coming home abundantly worth it.

The next chunk of our summer would be spent together, and we will tell you about it in the next post!