life changes

Apologizes for not writing more frequently or responding to your comments in a more timely manner. I truly appreciate them and it's so nice when people take the time to comment or give my blog an award, but lately I have felt awful that I haven't been able to devote the same energy back. I promise I'm working on it!

I have to say I'm still surprised it's not just my family and friends from home who occasionally read this, which is extremely flattering, if not slightly intimidating.

Lately many people in my world have been facing big life changing struggles. As Stefan's Oma says, "Luck doesn't always fall on one side." Sometimes it means picking up the pieces, changing life plans, or making the most of time with loved ones.

Times like this call for appreciating the little things, which I often have to remind myself. That alone isn't always easy being so far away from home and leading such an unpredictable life, but there's a beauty in knowing that support can come from the most unlikely of sources. It's one of those beautiful moments of life beginning again.

It makes me think of the hermit crabs in the Maldives. Every single day there was so much action on the shore line. Upon closer inspection I would see the tiny crabs fighting to move into a new shell. Even for the little guys life isn't easy, but everyone fights on, gradually getting stronger and more colorful over time.

All of these little battles are tedious and demanding, but they are what make us appreciate the wonderful things of life and the moments that bring us joy. They add color to our lives as well, and shape us into interesting and complex people.

At the end of the day it's important to be thankful - even for the smallest things, and to realize how difficult life can be for everyone from time to time.

Pretty Reminders

I'm a firm believer in doing little things to make yourself and others happy.

Simple notes tucked into pockets, or into luggage, are bound to bring smiles to people's faces. I also think it helps to surround yourself with beauty - people who radiate happiness and make you feel good, as well things that brighten up life.

Being away from home makes me appreciate my friends and family so much more and to realize just how fortunate I am to have them in my life.

My family knows me so well and surprised me with the most thoughtful gifts for Christmas and my birthday. I would even go as far as saying it was one of the best and most memorable holidays for me. It was so nice to be home and have time with everyone.

A few of my favorite gifts that make me smile and think of everyone at home are a shopping basket, the classic style cafeteria trays, and further fueling my wanderlust is 'The Europe Book' by Lonely Planet.

My shopping basket makes grocery shopping that much more enjoyable and the reactions to it are priceless. The cafeteria trays make me think of cookouts and gatherings, plus they are eco-friendly. And I'm already reading up on Rome for our upcoming trip... and the smallest country with the lowest birthrate in the world - The Vatican.

And what do you know - as I was unpacking I found notes in my own luggage. What sweet reminders of home.

origami cranes

When we travel, we often pick up an ornament, if we can find one. I was so happy to see a unique store front in Georgetown that had tons of beautiful paper cranes and I was even more delighted to later find ceramic ornaments fashioned after them.

In Japan, cranes represent long life, prosperity and good health, so they are fitting for the new year or to keep up year round.

The New Year has been really good to us. Recently everything seems to fall into place, and I just want to sit and take in all of my happiness.

I just celebrated my birthday and I can already tell that it's going to be a fantastic year. I also realize just how much I'm loved and the lengths that people go to make me happy. It truly makes me feel like the luckiest person in the world to have so many caring people in my life. I need to let people know I appreciate them more frequently, which is my challenge to myself for 2009.

It's nice to be content where I am and to have such wonderful people all around me. Tomorrow that will come to a tear filled halt, when I am forced to say goodbye to everyone. It's not exactly goodbye, but more of an 'until next time, whenever that shall be'. And, on the bright side, it will give me something nice to look forward to when we are able to see each other again.

2009 will be a year of change, not because of the Obama mantra, but because there are plenty of surprises in store for us. Some of the surprises are under our control, while I'm sure others aren't, but I'm looking forward to seeing how things unfold.

I'm enjoying my final days in the US and I have many updates in the coming days. I hope everyone is enjoying 2009 as much as we are!

Picking Strawberries

This afternoon Stefan and I made it to pick strawberries right before it started to rain. I'm always surprised how many we walk away with - and how inventive I have to get to use them all. Right now I am thinking we'll be having strawberry margaritas and perhaps trying strawberries with balsamic, which I hear is delicious. What's also surprising is that 2 large bowls of strawberries only cost 6€!

We saw some interesting things in the field - Stefan tossed me a heart shaped strawberry and he spotted conjoined (or mating) may flies. My favorite finds were the strange shaped strawberries - one even looked like a star.

If you live in the Munich area, you can find nearby fields at Erdbeerzeit in München. This website also lists nearby fields for raspberries and blueberries as well.

I have a feeling we'll be checking those out soon!

Life is too short

When you are a lady of leisure with idle time to burn, much like myself, you often consider things that you could or should be doing. I'm not talking about the household chores, but all of the possible career paths and life choices. The things that make life interesting. The difficulty is not knowing how long we will be living here to know how much of myself to invest in these endeavours... not to mention crossing the language barrier in a foreign country.

Being in an international marriage means that at least one of us, at all times, will be the foreigner. Right now Stefan has a different kind of battle, considering he's an international business man and speaks English and German fluently (on the down side he works crazy hours, but he is passionate about his job). I, on the other hand, have plenty of interests that I would consider sinking myself into, but have other obstacles to conquer along the way - namely the German language, social system, and the political and bureaucratic games that are unique to every country. Granted, these are the same things that make me appreciate the opportunity to live in a foreign country and really challenge myself.

The unfortunate thing is that even with so much time to ponder what I want to be when I grow up, the secret is I am still quite clueless. I've had a number of jobs in my life to know things I am not interested in doing, but I am excited for the time when I am able to do something great. Sure I love being a tour guide - it's probably the best job I've had to date, but I yearn to do more.

I was thinking about this today for a variety of reasons... Spring is a time of new beginnings, Stefan and I have major life changes in the next few years, and I finally entered Geobuch - the book store located at Rosental 6. The reason I list this travel book shop is because to me it contains a wealth of possibility and experiences. The glowing globes in the windows draw me in and the collection of books inspire me.

I love life and the possibility of it. I'd probably even come back for another one if I was able to. With as many interests as I have I think I would need several more lifetimes to accomplish everything. There is one common thread that I notice with my interests- they make people happy. And here is a sampling:

Art - I love art history, archeology, architecture, art education, and museum work, which are all visual communication that people from every walk of life are able to take in. I love the link to the past and understanding how old societies did things, as well as modern works that the people of today will be remembered for. Let's hope it's not another strip mall! All people are creative and I think it's really essential to have some form of a creative outlet. Hence my need to take zillions of photos and make arty things as shown to the left.

Travel bookshop owner / writer- While I'm nearly finished with my second self published children's book, I would like to write a real book. If I lived in a city long enough I also think it would be great to have a shop like Geobuch or Globe Corner Books. Did you notice the graffiti monkey?


Florist - my grandparents owned a massive greenhouse before I was born and I wish someone in the family would have taken over it. Being surrounded by color and beauty all day sounds like an alright life to me. Especially if I could make visually stunning arrangements.



Non-profit work - I'd love to do any kind of work that helps people for the greater good. Perhaps that is due to my benevolent side.






Letterpress stationer - sure it may be an archaic title and job, but for me it's deeper than that. I appreciate hand written correspondence and the personal nature of it, as well as the tactile quality. I never met someone that didn't love getting mail - so why not make it high quality mail? Having the space and finding a Vandercook press is another obstacle.

Pastry chef - while I don't want baker's hours, I love beautifully made desserts that are elegant and delicious. People always love cakes and cookies. I'm also a big fan of various interesting chocolates, like those at Vosges.




I definitely have an interesting adventure ahead of me and I'm enjoying life as it happens.

Sending balls to Karonga, Malawi

A friend of mine has been working in Malawi for quite some time. I asked her what I could send to help out and she said they needed soccer balls, volleyballs, and mustard. She said obtaining mustard there is quite difficult.

I am so excited because we went shopping and bought tons of balls and I am certain we looked comical as we were trying to carry them through the store. It brings me so much joy to know how much they will be enjoyed and provide some recreational fun for community. It's especially nice to know someone and be able to send things direct and know when they are received, as opposed to donating money somewhere and hoping it trickles down to the cause. I'm a firm believer in doing small things or what you can to bring happiness to others. It's amazing how much doing for others brings joy not only to the recipient but also the giver. It's powerful stuff. I wish I was able to do more volunteering myself, but it's really not so simple in Germany. The only thing I'm aware I can do is visit Americans that are in jail in Munich. While that may be a kind thing to do, I am not certain that's the crowd I need to get involved with.

If anyone has any ideas for me I'd love to hear them!