villars. creperie.

22 march 2007 ... today is my first day off from l'abri and my roommate Ga yeon and i hitched a ride up the mountain to Villars. she is wandering around town looking for a post office while i update my blog. so um, i forgot the wire to upload my photos from l'abri so just took this shot quick a minute to go with this post. i have finished Circle of Quiet and must take a minute to recommend it to ALL of you (especially you mom, you would love it). she talks a lot about being a writer/creator/woman. but also about finding ones ontological self, the person you were meant to be (the person God has created you to be). what makes life worth living? she asks and answers: laughter love and a willing acceptance of being persons very intentionally created and very closely loved. in this our struggles are bearable. and can be seen as creative rather than destructive. i send you peaceful greetings from far far away. be well.

next time around...

18 march 2007... next time around i will perhaps have a watch or a map or a travel book or phrase book at the very least. one of these important traveling tools may have come in handy on my solo journey through these countries of which i do not speak the native tongue or know the routes familiar! oh amelea, i think. who do you think you are?!! but i did find my way to this little mountain town of huemoz nonetheless :) l'abri is stunning. my little bedroom in the chalet bellevue has a door that opens up to a path that if i take to the left will lead me round a bend and onto a road that spins and winds around the side of the mountain. through forests. bubbling brooks. looking out the mountainous landscape fills the sky in every direction. as the sun sets you can see the snow caped mountain tops and the small towns around lake geneva begin to light up and sparkle down below. the first day here was unseasonably warm, we played outside all afternoon in tanktops and flipflops. then the storms came and we have spent the last 4 days completely blanketed in. l'abri is full of kind folks. eager to share themselves and their experiences. i will begin my studies here reading a book my parents gave me for my birthday called "A Circle of quiet" by madeleine l'engle. the title in and of itself sounds like exactly what i am looking for... hope you are all well. i would go into how much i miss you, but hopefully you already know. i would love to hear about what is going on back home, your days, your thoughts. take care and be well.

branches. somewhere south of paris.

17 March 2007... staying at this little (not so little) cottage in branches was the perfect place to begin my journeys abroad. seeing ari again has been wonderful, her friends are kind and gentle. our week was blessed with sunny days on the grounds and warm evenings by the fire. lots of games, wine, bread and jam, treasure hunts, climbing trees, hot tubbing under the clearest of skies. it is quiet in this tiny farming town. branches has no post office, no general store. just happy folks working hard and enjoying simple life. it has been a joy to be a part of that.

small village en route to winery.

bedroom window in branches.

most afternoons.

ari. just outside of Branches.

country dining. typically at midnight.

branches.

queens park.

greetings all. just a little note to say i landed safely into LGW oh so bright and early. being that i am still on fourfriends time, we arrived to victoria lane just about opening time back home. tea and toast with Ari. she is trying to convert me into the marmite fan that she is (yeast spread??!!). if you dont know, dont ask. i am told it is just fabulous with cheese. her flat is just as quaint and sweet as you can imagine. the sun is out and we are off to paris. neither of us speak a lick of french, so that is bound to be an adventure. cheers.

this is where we begin.

if you know me at all, you know that this is a bold endeavor for me to take on. blogging that is. (not quitting my job, packing all my brightly colored things into boxes and heading, black trenchcoat black bag in tow, overseas.) so please be gentle in spirit with me if you dont mind. and kindly ignore all gram.mattic.al errors and spelling disasters. that is where we shall begin. thank you for joining the ride.