Thanks Leigh for telling me about this.
Happiness this week is remembering these past two months. Cant think of a happier time than being gone these past two months.
Edited to add: For those of you curious, the picture was taken in France 🙂
Thanks Leigh for telling me about this.
Happiness this week is remembering these past two months. Cant think of a happier time than being gone these past two months.
Edited to add: For those of you curious, the picture was taken in France 🙂
So I havent written as much this trip as I really would have liked to. I honestly planned to write everyday, upload pictures, and do everything of the sorts…but time has just gotten away from me. The first two weeks we were here, I was thinking I had loads of time, we had no return tickets – why stress on writing? I had lots of time. But now, looking back, I really wish I would have. Even writing one sentence each day about what we did proves to be too much, and I am once again relying upon my camera to refresh my memory.
You know how your mom tells you to do something, and you grudgingly do it? Like why mom, does it matter if the date is set right on my camera? I know what day I took the picture, whys it matter? But boy have I been thanking her lately. If I hadnt set the date correctly, I would be completely lost…atleast now I can sort of piece together what was going on what day.
I started my flikr account up again, in hopes that I would atleast be able to upload a few pictures…but once again, I havent even done that. I just now got around to uploading pictures to my facebook account – pictures that were taken over three weeks ago are just now starting to make their appearance.
I try to remind myself that I will remember things, slowly. They will come back to me, and I will laugh, smile, and maybe even write about them. But I want to write about it all now. I want to write about our adventures, and the wonderful times…I dont want to forget the small, stupid things that sometimes, just make my day. The things that overtime I will forget. Those are the things I want to journal, to write. The big things I know will stick. I will eventually recall the metro troubles, being pick-pocketed, and getting stopped at the border. I will always remember how beautiful France was…and how peaceful our time here has been…but what about the other things? What about the small details of everyday life here that will otherwise go unnoticed?
What about the little boy who used the water fountain for a bathroom, or the streets that were alley ways? Will I always remember how I felt walking out to the Mediterranean for the first time? Stepping off an airplane into the France heat? Will I forget about the soaking wet bike ride I took? The misused french words? The late night giggling fits I shared with my sister? The things that are over looked, glossed over, and classified as everyday life.
Those are the things I want to remember. The things that I am slowly forgetting. The things I didnt write down, the things I wont remember. The forgotten things. The unremembered memories. The casual walks, and late night grocery store trips. Gummy worms. Cheep wine. Meeting new people. Seeing new things. Taking it all in. Remembering it all.
Even though I try to write, take pictures, and run over the adventures numerous times each day…there are still things I am leaving out, still things I will forget, and still things that will never be remembered again.
This trip has been awesome, thats all I can say…because words…pictures…memories even…cant describe the way things have been. Sure, its life. And life isnt always easy, and it has had its rough spots…but the underline of this trip has been plain and simply: Awesome.
I am thankful for the opportunity. For being given the chance to go. I hate to say good bye. Dont want to leave behind all the wonderful things that we have done and seen. I want to stay here forever. In this moment. This perfectly happy peaceful moment. That will never make history, because its just another ordinary moment that God has given me to live. Another ordinary day. Nothing special to jog my memory about this moment. Its a moment that I am living now…
…but want to live forever.
“…What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”
1998 2010
Same cat, same outfit. 12 years apart.
(and yes, same me too!)
*Since were in France, and I dont know if I will have internet access I scheduled this post, but wont be able to link it*
I’ll admit, Ive never been a big fan of spring. Spring in Alaska doesnt mean much, just a slightly less cold version of winter, with plenty of rain. The flowers come out, but then we usually get a cold snap a short time later, and they are gone until summer. But this year, spending spring in England has been amazing.
When we first arrived, things were still kind of dreary. But over the past month, flowers and green have popped out everywhere.
Since I wont be here Thursday (we will be in France!) and I dont know if we will have internet over there or not, Im posting this early. We fly out tomorrow morning!!!
Happy Spring!
Spring Flowers:
Spring Animals:
…and from what weve been told, we have baby chicks back home.
In less than a week, I will be 20. For the past amount of time, its been a running joke that I will be entering the “Old” group. Officially leaving behind my teenaged years, and entering the real world of “Old people.” Sigh.
I feel old. FEEL. OLD. I remember turning 10. Surely that is a sign of how old I really am. Remembering the good old days, back when. Leaving behind the single digits, going for the doubles, where I will most likely remain the rest of my life. Again, I feel old.
Amanda and David, complain of the aches and pains of being the ripe old age of 21, almost 22. And here I go, entering the world of the 20’s. What most would consider to be the prime of life…and I have to wonder, if this is prime, then do I only have 20 years left? That would really mean I am old…
Somewhere between 19 and 20, is that invisible line that thrust you from childhood, into almost on your death bed. Or so Im told, I guess we will see Wednesday.
But all (serious) bluff aside…
I will be 20 in a few short days.
Does this really mean anything? Probably not.
Nothing other than I will be spending my 20th birthday (hopefully) on an airplane to France.
It means that in the past 20 years, so many things have changed, but nothing much has changed.
I realized a few (months??) ago, that the bed Im sleeping in at home, is just a shortened version of the same bed I was sleeping in when I was 10.
Except that when I was 10…the biggest problem I had was wondering when my friends were coming to play.
My cat is still the same cat he was 10 years ago, although he too, will be 10 years older.
A decade. Two. Actually, but the first one doesnt really count, I dont remember being born.
Every birthday, I wonder…”I have been here for ___ many years, what have I done for God?”
And every birthday, I make the pledge to live my life fully for Him, because there isnt anything else I can do…and that lasts all of about 3 days, and I go back to my whiny days.
The impractical, impatient, selfish self, wants everything to go my way, all the time, every time, and when it doesnt, then I get mad. Or pouty. Or something. Instead of yielding my life to God, realizing that He has a plan, that doesnt always go along side mine. You would think that after 20 years, I would have this figured out…but I dont.
…and while I think and FEEL old…and sometimes like to think Im older (read: wiser) than I am….
I still have a lot of growing up left to do.
I just hope that today, I can surrender my life back to the one who created it, for His purpose, for His use. For Him. Not for me and my selfish wants.
But I tend to forget things sometimes, it comes with the territory being old, you know?
What was I saying again?
Tangled Thoughts 