12 Days to Go

Friday was quite possibly one of the best days. It started with walking Charlie to school for the very last time—ever! A little sad here. Then, I had coffee with the girls at Lobita. Things are looking up. After, I paddled out at the Côte for a short but fun session in the water. Next up was pilates with Ash and Luis in Hendaye, followed by pintxo hopping in San Sabe. One thing that always happens when we turn off the highway and enter town: I still get that giddy sensation—I'm in San Sebastian! That feeling hasn't faded, and I hope it never does. I absolutely adore this city. We started at Bar Antonio, enjoyed the freshest fish at Kofradia Jatetxea, and capped it off with a morras salad at Gorriti. Txakoli flowed, stories were shared, and laughter filled the air (the only downside being that Gabe wasn’t with us).

After school, I met Charlie at Miramar beach, where he was attending his first French birthday party. The invite protocol here is straightforward: hand-written invitations, not everyone is invited, and that's that—no hard feelings. Meanwhile, Luke explored four different beaches on his bike to see various friends, fully embracing the freedom of summer living. He eventually joined us at Plage Miramar. Close to the end of the party, I headed home before the boys, and they walked back together with Manon and her family, arriving home around 10 pm. Charlie had a fantastic time, and I'm thrilled he had this opportunity. It turned out to be a wonderful last day of school gathering with some of his classmates as well.

Okay, not to talk trash—but I don’t want to forget this interaction. So Basile's parents ... We found out on the first day of school that they just returned to France after living in Corona del Mar for five years. Charlie was thrilled to have a male friend he could speak English with. The first time we met Nolwenn and Francis, they seemed to vibe us, but I thought maybe it was just cultural differences or that I was being too nice and putting them off. Of course, I suggested we exchange numbers so the boys could get together. A week later, I texted her and got a response five days later, saying she's busy but yes, let's get the boys together—no date, no time, just that. I decided to wait until Charlie brought it up again. Which he didn't. It turns out Basile uses a lot of swear words, which Charlie didn't like, and he even told Basile to stop or he wouldn't be his friend. Months passed, and Charlie suddenly says he wants to play with Basile again. So, I send a message. No response. I'm done. These two barely acknowledge me or Gabe. Of course, we go out of our way to say hello, not allowing that nonsense to dictate our interactions. In the past month, we're on a field trip together and have a nice conversation. Okay, fine. Next, I see her at Lobita, and we chat—it was interesting. Then, Charlie gets invited to Basile's birthday. I wasn't planning to go until pickup time, but Charlie really wanted me to be there. So, I went. The strangest thing happened. Nolwenn spent a lot of time chatting with me, saying Charlie was at the top of the birthday list, offering to help with packing next week, and both she and Francis said, "Say hi to your husband from us—we hope everything is going alright." WTF. I am so confused.

Moving on. Saturday brought rain and chilly winds. I took advantage of the weather and everyone's availability to sort through all our belongings. Ashley came by to collect her pile of items, and she and Wyatt even helped me deliver items to Monika. Bryan arrived for his loot armed with bubble wrap, and together we prepped the boards for our flight home. It is a huge relief to have all that sorted, though there's still more to do. I'm feeling noticeably calmer thanks to these incredible people—I can't express enough gratitude. We capped off the day with dinner at the Castros. At one point, the boys ventured off with Lexi and Evie to their house. By 11:30 pm, I sent Luke a message to meet me back at home because, well, it was nearly midnight. He protested, claiming they weren't tired, but I insisted. After all, we had plans to surf at 9 am, and they needed their rest. Ah, summer hours.

Sunday began early as I picked up food for the day at the Halles. Returning home, I got the boys motivated and suited up for another day on the Côte. Blue skies, low tide, and good waves greeted us—hello, summer! Luke, with a foot injury and feeling the chill, was out of the water first. He met up with Emile and headed back up to the apartment. Charlie, on the other hand, was eager to catch waves on Luke's shortboard. We spent two glorious hours out there. At one point, I paused in the shallow water, taking in the scenery: Belza house, our villa, the stairs to Etxola, Spain in the distance, the beautiful surfers, the perfect waves—gratitude overwhelmed me. This year has truly been the most incredible time. I can’t believe it will be over in 10 days. 10 days. After lunch, the boys headed to the beach for the rest of the day while I packed and organized so Corrine, la femme de ménage, could do a deep clean tomorrow. We enjoyed dinner at La Plancha with the Sivaks and some friends. I loved the stunning ocean views, especially at sunset when the sky turned vibrant hues of orange and pink. Luke had a sleepover at Emile's. Monday started with pilates for me, followed by a paddle out with Charlie. At first, Charlie was resistant to go, insisting I was the worst mom for making him walk up and down the stairs. He complained about having a rash and being tired, but I am glad that I didn't cave and just kept calm, saying, "Suit up and let's go." Once we got into the ocean, it was all smiles and pure joy. Luke spent the day at the beach with his buddies and had a sleepover at Matius and Ines' house. I only saw him for 10 minutes when he came home to change and grab his sleepover clothes. Oh, to be 14!

Corrine finished cleaning and took the cleaning towels, which was frustrating. She mentioned bringing them, and although I didn't quite understand, I reluctantly agreed. Now, I'll have to resort to using paper towels for the remaining cleaning tasks before we move out. I'm a bit annoyed that she didn't leave a few behind. Adding to that, while she cleaned most of the apartment, there were areas she missed like the mold in the shower, the top shelves where spices used to be, and she didn't touch the fridge or freezer. Last night, I had to scrape ice and clean out the freezer myself. It was quite the hassle. I know I sound ungrateful for everything she did do, but I spent days clearing out everything so that she could thoroughly clean. Note to self - next time, leave her specific instructions rather than assuming she will just do it. It seems pretty obvious to clean those specific things.

This is the DHL courier with our three pieces of luggage weighing 100 lbs. plus other things. She will ride all the way to Bayonne to meet her colleague! What?

Today has been a whirlwind of productivity. Despite some delays with Luggage Forward and other errands, we managed to keep things moving. Charlie and I dropped many cartons at the Déchetterie Ranquine, Luke had his foot appointment, Bruno took care of Gabe's bike, and the boys hustled to get supplies for tonight's game. Once everything settles, I'll swing by Audi for a service reset. Dinner with Ashley and the kids awaits, followed by the France vs Spain futbol match at 9 pm. It's been a packed day, but it feels good to check off tasks and enjoy some fun time too.