ONE YEAR

A Year Ago:

"Where are you staying tonight?"

I can only imagine what we must have looked like.

We'd just survived flying to Germany, loading our belongings and 2 cats into a rental car, and driving all the way to Luxembourg. (Honestly, I don't know what we would have done if anything had gone wrong with our phone. We downloaded the GPS directions on the airport WIFI, said a prayer, and started driving.)

We were exhausted. The poor cats had not been out of their carriers in hours, and we were clutching bags of meager supplies--cat litter, milk, plastic forks. The landlord had just handed over the keys.

Our housing specialist, the invaluable Ann-Sophie, was standing in the foyer, wincing at our shell-shocked expressions.

"Where are you staying tonight?" she asked again, when Russ and I hesitated.

"Here."

The house was freezing and so empty it actually echoed. There was no furniture, no towels, nothing in the entire kitchen. The radiators were stone cold.

"Don't worry. We packed an air mattress and our sleeping bags." Ann-Sophie did not look impressed, but she took pity on us and did not argue. Instead, she reminded us of the various appointments we had set for the next couple of days (hoops, so many hoops) and said goodnight.

We freed the cats and hauled the suitcases upstairs. The cats were especially excited about the stairs and (much to my chagrin) the echo. They ran up and down, singing the song of their people while Russ and I brushed our teeth, blew up the air mattress, rolled down the black-out shutters, and put on extra layers.

We spent our first night in Luxembourg bundled up in sleeping bags on the floor of the family room, with both cats jammed in around us.

A year later, that seems like it all happened in a different place. Like the way the new car smell eventually fades, the strange, cold house of our first night gradually morphed into our home. This is where we live now. The kitchen appliances are no longer a mystery. The quirky front door has been repaired. I've grown peas and flowers in the alcove outside the kitchen window and hung laundry up on the terrace above the house. And we've long since muffled the echo with furniture and books and picture frames.

Luxembourg has become another variant of home.

Oh, we're not all the way there yet. I still throw the occasional tanturm. ("Sucks-embourg.") There are still times when I panic because I've made a rookie mistake or run into new territory. There are still nights where I desperately want to order pizza. But I know you'll forgive those failings. Because we're still trying. Because we've learned so much. And honestly, we're getting better. Better every moment, better every day.

One year down. It makes me wonder what this house will feel like another year from today.

Here are some stats that cover the FAQs:

Arrival Date in Lux: Jan. 21, 2015

Countries Visited: Luxembourg, Germany, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway, Italy, Monaco, Portugal... and the USA. :)

Russ's Favorite: Norway, Switzerland is second, Belgium is the most underrated.

Star's Favorite: Norway (except the food--smoked fish for breakfast?), Italy, and Belgium.

Roundtrips over the Atlantic: 3

Russ's Best Part: The travel: how much we've been able to see in a relatively short time.

Russ's Worst Part: Feeling less than competent doing ordinary tasks.

Star's Best Part: How many people have traveled out to see us and the friendships we've made with people here.

Star's Worst Part: Missing my job. The frustration that comes with having to learn how to do everything--go to the doctor, get an oil change, get the yard clippings picked up, etc.

Biggest Takeaway: Fulfilling a long-time goal. Learning empathy, patience, and humility. Reaffirming the value of adventure and travel.

Upcoming Trips: London, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Vienna, Prague, Norway (again!)

Our French: Better... but still probably subpar. We're working on it.

Photographic Evidence of Our Year in a Nutshell: