Life right now:

waking as the sky lightens
walking to school, laughter starting the day right
the endearing and frustrating combination that is a 7-year-old child
hugs that threaten to knock me off my feet
continual head-shaking at the Belgian weather patterns - or lack there of
red tulips on the coffee table, catching sun and my eyes as I walk in the door
running through the forest, curving amongst the trees, sloshing through mud, alone in the quiet
cooking dinner with the patio door open, music playing, light still lingering in the sky
the routine and the random with friends in the familiar and the far away

feeling like spring is finally here
and life is grand
so much left to live and experience
but so little time to do it

starting to be excited about going home... but dreading leaving this place

wondering... am I making the most of it?

knowing - from this moment, I am

Somewhere in my neighborhood there lives a little old lady, shrunken with age and foot deformities. She walks slowly and awkwardly, but even so, every time I see her she is walking her dog, an adorable brown-and-black, german-shepard-mix. And the dog is never pulling her around, is always walking patiently beside her. It makes me smile every time.

Bizarre Belgium

The weather here is the most bizarre weather I have ever seen. An example from yesterday:

5:30 - I leave my house for a run in the forest. It is sunny and beautiful.

5:45 - still sunny and beautiful

6:00 - I'm leaving the forest, and the sky is starting to cloud over in the setting sun, with that "a storm is coming" feeling.

6:05 - the sky is completely clouded over and quite dark

6:06 - it starts to precipitate

6:08 - I run the last two blocks to my house with snow/sleet/hail hitting me in the face.

6:10 - I stand inside and watch the snow/sleet/hail come down in a fury from dark gray skies

6:20 - precipitation stops

6:25 - sky is clear again


and this happens off and on throughout the day.

CRAZY!