From the land of cheese and chard

I was awake this morning as we came across the Atlantic and started seeing the French coastline. I looked down at all the lights, all the small villages, and thought how funny it is that there are people sleeping down there who speak a different language than I do, may never leave their village, and don't care about America. It's a wonderful reality check. I realize I have been homebound too long when thoughts like this make an impression on me. It's so easy to get caught up in my little life. To think that what is going on personally and in the US is so important. It's easy to forget that there are billions of people in the world who have equally significant and interesting lives. Sometimes it overwhelms me because I want to meet all of them and know I never will.

Jonathan and I spent the afternoon walking around the village where his friends live. It's right on the edge of Lake Zurich. The sun came out in the late afternoon and gave everything a creamsicle glow. There is a wonderful mixture of old and new here. His friends' apartment is the most comfortable European apartment I've ever been in. It has a full size shower and bath. It is warm, and I didn't feel like the hot water was going to run out if I took more than three minutes. It's on the top (fourth) floor of the building and has windows that face the lake. I'm not sure if it's a renovated old building or if it's new. The elevator is officially the smallest I have ever seen. It's about 2.5 feet square, though that might be an exaggeration. It makes me realize how big everything is back home. Even the bottle of shampoo and body wash are smaller here. I don't know why this is. I wonder if they have the 164oz. big gulps at the petrol stations...

Now we're waiting for our host to get off work so we can celebrate Jonathan's 38th birthday. I'm not suffering from jetlag so much as I'm suffering from mass body clock confusion. It's been dark here for an hour and I couldn't remember if it was just after noon back home or just after midnight. Oh well.

The trains running on the opposite side of the shore look like sparkly centipedes crawling among the buildings. It's a beautiful night and I'm a fortunate girl.

A day for the memory file box

I feel spoiled today. I'm staying in a beautiful hotel in Greenville, SC. I spent a few hours this afternoon walking around town, looking in shops, and checking out the Reedy River Falls Park. It seems that everything about today is beautiful. The air smells like fall in an indescribable way. The trees and starting to show red and yellow tips. It's overcast but the temperature is perfect for wearing long sleeves and a scarf.

I slept until 10:30 this morning. I feel bad because I only slept in about a third of the bed. It's a king with a real duvet and thick white sheets. The coffee maker in the room comes with Starbucks coffee. I am now drinking my second cup and eating a delightful molasses clove cookie.

The Falls Park is beautifully landscaped. There are benches and swings throughout to sit and watch the ducks and chipmunks. It is such a peaceful day. I wish I had brought a book or something to write on. Or maybe that I was able to just sit still and be quiet for more than a few minutes.

I stopped in a shop that had interesting and creatively stimulating jewelry and art work. There were earrings and bracelets made of old watch parts and others made of old Starbucks gift cards. It makes me wish I had money to buy everything and simultaneously wish that I would make time to do more creative things.

I signed up for an online writing workshop. My first assignment was due last night. I have yet to receive any feedback about it. The class is Essentials of Writing Personal Essays.

All hell may break loose when I go to the airport and fly to Atlanta, but this has been such a relaxing and enjoyable day I know I'll be able to handle it.