Vroom Droom Adventures

 It is hard to believe our time house sitting in Maureillas Las Illas is coming to an end in just a few weeks! We love this area of France. The mountains, the proximity to the Mediterranean, the mild climate, and wonderful people we have met. Last week I celebrated my 58th birthday with Jean Paul, a local friend. It was an impromptu decision made at a weekly French/English language exchange when we discovered we shared the same birth date. More than 20 people showed up for the "Auberge Espagnole" style (potluck) gathering at his house and we celebrated for more than 5 hours. The big news...last week I finally heard back from the IND (Immigration and Naturalsatiedienst) and my application to become a Dutch citizen has finally been approved! This has been a three year process which started with moving to France and getting a "Titre de Sejour". The ceremony will take place sometime in April and we will be invited to the Dutch Embassy in Paris. We are planning to fetch

 Dear Family and Friends, A holiday note from the Vroom Family which I am writing in Lisbon, Portugal! Recently, we welcomed Anika for a week in Maureillas Las Illas, France (where Herman and I have been house sitting since October). Anika started a trip journal on Polarsteps and has a lively account of what we have been doing along with pictures. If you are at all interested in some armchair travel, I encourage you to log into Polarsteps (link below) to view photos and stories of the past week and our upcoming two week trip in Portugal. As I write this, we are anxiously awaiting Nina's arrival from the Netherlands, her flight having been delayed just over three hours. We are all looking forward to the holidays together but of course miss having Tessa and Delaney along for the adventure. They will be celebrating Christmas and the New Year with the rest of the Garfield clan. Polarsteps: follow Anika on our trip ‘Winter Vacation 2023’ at https://www.polarsteps.com/ AnikaVroom/9733673