2007
One of the nice things about writing a blog is that you can put whatever you want in it whenever you'd like. So even though it's almost mid-February 2008 I've decided to do an overview summary of 2007.
2007 was a year of significant change for Agi and me and--like most everyone on the planet--it contained its share of good, bad, ugly, neutral and great. However, we were actually rather glad when 2008 rolled around and we could say sayonara to 2007.
The Quick Overview:
We quit our regular jobs we both liked a lot and decided to move to Hungary to be near Agi's family and friends. We transitioned well, bought a condo in June and have enjoyed setting it up. We were thrilled to have several American friends visit and we got to visit Rome and Bordeaux. What was truly unfortunate, however, is that Agi's parents went through an unpleasant divorce and everything and everyone got sliced up (financially and psychologically). The repercussions continue of course and everyone in the family has been affected. We also were sad to lose two grandparents (Agi's remaining Grandpa and my Grandma). In addition, we were hoping to see some results for a bambino of our own, but unfortunately that didn't work out either in '07. However, we were thrilled that Agi's brother Miki got married to a wonderful girl named Aniko and they are going to be moving out close to where our condo is in Budapest.
Hungarian tax law changed this summer and so we quickly decided to only live here six months of the year to avoid getting squeezed financially by their very high tax rates. That brought us back to the US for the remaining three months of 2007. Remarkably, right at the end of the summer, Agi's company wanted her back as a full-time employee (and able to work entirely remotely) and this enabled us to get a good loan on a condo in Portland, Oregon where we'll be living for the other half of the year.
So there it is! We know that life is good--and hard--and time is short. I'll also like to note for the record that my lovely wife continues to impress me with the depth of her character, her strength and her beauty inside and out. I am a blessed hombre.