Mon Aventure

Today is Friday, March 26, and there remains exactly one week until we move into our new apartment.  Perhaps next week I'll have photos of the apartment for you.

It's a busy and exciting time for us.  In one week we move into our new (and more permanent) apartment and in 2 weeks I will be going on a mission trip to Lebanon while Chris is putting in long hours at work.  I'm buying head scarves and other unique items for this trip.  I'll be traveling with 4 individuals.  Among other things, our focus will be to distribute food and clothing to those in need.  I could not be more excited about this trip.  I've never been on a mission trip of this sort before and it's a dream come true for me.  When my sister and I were little we had certain prayers we repeated every night.  One of our repeated prayers went something like this... "Please help all the little boys and girls have food and toys and clothes..."  (Said in the cutest of munchkin voices.)  Well, at 31 years old I finally have the opportunity to visit some of those little boys and girls in person and distribute the "food and toys and clothes."  Like I said... it's a small part of my dream come true.

Trust me.  If the group I'm traveling with permits it, I will have pictures to show you when I return.

In the meantime, let me catch you up on the last 3 weeks...

Two weekends ago Chris and I went skiing for the second time since moving to Europe.  This time we borrowed a friend's car and went to Verbier, Switzerland.  We can now say we've skiied in the French Alps AND the Swiss Alps.  It was a breathtakingly beautiful day.

At one point Chris and I accidently found ourselves on a double black diamond trail.  There's only one other type of trail harder than the one we were on and that would be a narrower trail.  Thankfully, this trail was wide.  I can't really say I "skiied" down this trail.  I slid down the trail sideways and focused on surviving it.  In spite of the lack of real skiing, I was out of breath and my legs were on fire.  I stopped every 20 feet or so.  It took an eternity to get to the bottom.  I wish I'd taken a picture of this particular trail for you.  It was steep and bumpy. (The one pictured above was VERY easy in comparison.)  When we reached the bottom Chris told me to look back and see what we accomplished.  We survived Mt. Fort without taking our skis off and we were proud of our accomplishment.  From the bottom it looked like a cliff.  It wasn't nearly as hard for Chris as it was for me.  Nonetheless, we were both impressed with what we'd done.  Actually, at that point he was impressed and I was irritated.  If I hadn't been out of breath, emotional and close to tears I might have had the presence of mind to take a picture for you at that moment.


At one point during the day we rode a cable car looking similar to this one.  I was so excited.  I'd always wanted to ride a real cable car instead of chair lifts out in cold, open air. 

From now on it's chair lifts and 4 -6 person gondolas for me.  The insane cable car operators manage to squeeze 100 + people on one cable car... all standing up, holding our skis, tips of our skis and other peoples skis in our faces along with your neighbor's bad breath.  Incredibly clausterphobic.  What if the cable car broke down and stopped for repair for several hours?  What if mass panic broke out?

No thanks. 

Fortunately there are options.  It was a gorgeous day and we opted for other modes of transportation the remainder of the day.

We returned home tired, happy and VERY sore.

Last weekend we took a quick, last minute trip to Atlanta and back.  Our newly finalized visas had to be stamped by the Swiss Consulate downtown.  Apparently "quick trips" across the ocean are now a commonplace affair for me, but I don't think our bodies are intended to do this on a regular basis.  Not unless we take several days to recover at the end of every trip.  I have that luxury.  Chris doesn't.  I don't know how he does it.

After getting our visas stamped, our seemingly silly errand turned into a special visit to Athens, GA (an hour from Atlanta) to visit my sister, Kellie, who is attending UGA.  We attended her vocal and theatrical performance in an opera called The Merry Widow.  We decorated the driveway with chalk for Easter, Chris made dinner for us and we baked cookies.  It was a wonderful girlie time.  Chris was a chum to tag along.  In truth, he desperately needed the down time from work.  While Kellie and I were "playing," he was reading or watching March Madness.  He misses American sports on TV.

Speaking of missing the U.S... I truly didn't think I was missing my homeland at all.  I was having so much fun discovering Europe.  One step inside Krogers, Target and Michaels and I was in heaven.  I had a list of things to stock up on... things that are painfully expensive or can't be found here, and our U.S. friends who live in Europe put in their own requests as well.  My most precious purchases were brown sugar and crisco so I can make soft, chewy, real American cookies!  Who would have thought they wouldn't have those over here?  I guess they're so focused on the pastries, they've missed the cookies.

Anyway, I stepped into those enormous, big box stores and breathed a sigh of relief and contentment.  I'm amazed by this.  I really didn't think I gave three toots about these stores.  And deep down, I don't.  But I guess it's the familiar that was so relaxing.  To be able to shop with ease, everything written in my own language, navigating a store layout I have memorized, and finally... not subconciously worried that at any moment I might break a law or cultural faux pas I knew nothing about.

I left the U.S. and my sister a little depressed.  It was harder to say goodbye than I expected.  I miss my sister and adventures are tiring.  I miss my home in the U.S. and I suppose this is a good thing.  Someday, when I return, I'll be glad to return.  For now, I'm content to be back in Switzerland, enjoying the adventure.  It took a few days and a few good nights sleep, but I'm back in my Europe routine.

Returning, Spring has fully come to Geneva in the mere 5 days we were gone.  Delicious.  I open my windows every day now.  It's 20 degrees warmer than last month.  It still rains, but the sun is out more often and the air smells like things are getting ready to bloom.

Now I'm off to watch re-runs of MASH on my laptop with Chris, cozy this evening in our hotel apartment.  Time to rest.  The next few weeks are going to be busy.

I had a strong need to feel alive.  To feel my lungs burning and expanding, cement pounding underneath me.  Maybe Bear and I will both be in pain tonight, but at least we'll be more alive and happy. 

Perhaps we won't run tomorrow.  Perhaps we'll do something else.  But today running met the need.

Did you know the ancient Hebrew name for LORD was Y-H-V-H?  It has evolved over the years to be pronouced by many of us as Yahweh.  The ancient rabbis believed that these letters were actually breathing sounds and were essentially unpronounceable because they were a series of vowels.

What a beautiful revelation.  The name of God is the sound of breathing.

This brings new depth to the passage in Acts 17 that says many seek and grope for Him, though He is not far from each one of us.  For in Him we live and move and exist. 

And new depth is brought to the song we sing, "This is the air I breathe."

As I ran, I breathed.  And I reveled in His name.

How can so many eyes and minds be darkened, unaware of His presence when the very breath in their lungs is from Him and the sound of His name is on their lips?  Another mystery too big for today.

We found an apartment.  Actually, God handed us an apartment.  We have not even formally begun the search for an apartment.  The rental availability rate in Geneva is currently less than 1%.  It typically takes 3 to 6 months for an apartment to become available.  We had not even begun the search because our visas were not finalized and there's no point in looking at apartments if you don't have the legal paperwork to jump on one when you find the one you want.  Furthermore, it costs several thousand dollars (Swiss franks) to pay a relocation company (real estate agent) to help you find an apartment.  No sense paying for it until you're ready to use it. 

Only a few days after our visas came through, Chris came home and said that a guy at the office is offering us his apartment.  He is currently sub-leasing it to another couple, but they are moving out at the end of March and we are welcome to take their place.  This apartment meets all the criteria we are looking for..... two bedrooms, a small balcony, old building with charm, lots of natural light, close to the park and the lake.  Unbelieveable.  God has spared us the money and exhaustion of apartment hunting.  Unbelievable.

I also have to tell you about another apartment that was offered to us when we first arrived.  It was in the building next door to Chris' office.  Great! we first thought.  Close to work, no commute.  Furthermore it had a HUGE balcony.  It was someone else's roof top.  We could have thrown parties out there.  But as soon as you step onto that balcony you realize why we turned it down.  I could see Chris' office, his desk and his office mate from the balcony and they could see me.  There was a whole wall of office windows.  NO WAY was I going to have the freedom to lay out and sunbathe.  Not that I ever do.  I'm not into that, but it's the principle of the thing.  A person needs to be able to chill out on their balcony without work friends playing Peeping Tom.  No, it just wasn't going to do.  We respectfully declined.

We'll be moving into our brilliant apartment with the itsy bitsy balcony in roughly 4 weeks. 

There is one drawback to our perfect apartment.  It's on the 4th floor with no elevator.  This is common for many of the buildings in Geneva.  No elevator.  I'll be climbing 90 stairs 3 times a day to take the dog out.  I'll be climbing 90 stairs with groceries in tow once a week. 

I went ahead and bought it now, because truth be told, my arms have been falling out of their sockets carrying those 2 bags of groceries home from Migros once a week.  Those two bags are frequently VERY large and heavy. 

I love the location of our future apartment for another reason... it's right around the corner from a new friend of mine.  Her name is Bethany.  Actually, some of you already know her from the beginning of this story when I met her in December at a work Christmas party. 

Speaking of friends, Switzerland seems to be raining friends down upon me.  I found it challenging to make friends in the U.S. but here I am experiencing abundance. 

Woman in Geneva do not smile at you on the street.  That's an American thing.  But the woman I've formally met and befriended REALLY know how to laugh.  We've all heard that laughter is the best medicine and it's so true.  Americans could use a dose of laughter.  I know I, for one, have been in need of it for years and I haven't had enough yet.

My days are full of long walks, good friends, and work in my cozy apartment in front of the window.

Here you can see my new easle. Yesterday was cloudy when I took this picture, but it's a very bright spot when the sun comes out.




Right now I'm working on a painting of the Voyager of the Dawn Treader from the Narnia series, for a young guy back in the U.S. who has been absorbed by this story since childhood.  The painting will be of a ship (The Voyager) with the head of a dragon.

So far, the sky is done and the ocean water is in progress.  I will show it to you when it is finished.


Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!  (Today, March 5th, is my parents 33'd anniversary.)

33 years ago, two Virginians fell in love.....