Yes, I Still Write a Blog

Hello all! Apologies for the super long delay between the last post and this one. Funny thing, when one does not have internet, one cannot post to one's blog. We still don't have internet, but I am wonderfully ensconced in a friend's house (shout out to Leah Starling!) who has fed me lunch (and more importantly, homemade plum tart dessert), granted me access to the internet (aka, Civilization), provided a pack n' play for Mac to sleep in, and turned on American television. *intake of breath* It. Is. Great. I mean, Jimmy Fallon, Jeff Daniels, and Jim Carrey are cracking jokes. 

So here are a few updates, in short-sentence-order. We've moved into our new house and are slowly getting settled. It is a slow process. Ikea and I are spending long hours together, both in and out of store. I've spent many days on reconnaissance missions, trying to figure out what the many primary-colored stores hold inside. I've got a favorite bakery, Barbarossa Brotkultur. I can't decide if I like it more for the ambience, coffee, and fresh pastries or because it is named after a Holy Roman Emperor. Fall is upon Deutschland....it has been downright cold at night. We now have our car, with some damage gifted to us by the shipping company. We have most of our furniture, except the stuff that the moving company lost. We're working on getting internet, consistent hot water, and a washer/dryer combo that does not involve threading a flexible pipe through an open window to obtain dry clothing. There was a full-on drink fest in our village that lasted day and night (mostly night) for three days. Our landlady said she is just now recovering. It was a week and a half ago and she took the entire time off of work. We've made some great new friends (you know who you are) who have supported and encouraged us. I've had several mental breakdowns that have included manic hair-pulling and frantic sobbing and concluded with wine and either an old episode of Community or a walk in the hills. We're going to Scotland tomorrow for five days for some time in Edinburgh and then on to Dufftown for scotch-tasting galore.

The Little Guy just woke up. I'll be blogging as much as I can going forward until we have internet. Stay tuned and don't give up on me.

Reset

I feel as if beginning each post with "life's been crazy, I'm barely keeping my head above water" will eventually wear on you, Dear Reader. And yet, it is true. We moved on Saturday...to our next TLF (Temporary Lodging Facility). From one hotel to another. This hotel is larger, nicer, and a three-story walkup. No elevator. Whomp-whomp. Great for everyday life, not so great when you are hauling six *heavy* suitcases + groceries + various sundries. Ben was heroic and we celebrated his moving prowess with a few episodes of Friends and double cheeseburgers from Burger King. Good news though...I think our furniture will be delivered to our new house tomorrow!!! YAY! Only one more move (it'll be our fourth since June) and we'll be Home. I can't tell you how ready I am to be settled, with my own stuff around me.

I've decided moving is like New Year's but better. New Year's is an annual reset button, full of resolution to be a better version of one's self. Moving to a different country is more of a delete button. Nothing in my life besides Ben, Mac, and our possessions is the same. I've been thinking a lot about this "newness" in life. How we will have to adjust how we live. Living in a village of a thousand people will be a bit different than living in DC. For starters, there's no grocery store nearby, no CVS, no shopping, no restaurants (well, there's the village pub by the pool). No coffee shops (I've been fantasizing about a mocha from Dolcezza every day for a week now). We're building friendships from scratch, we've started going to a new church, we're hopefully going to learn a new language. Simple things like paying a parking ticket (don't ask how I know this) require planning, time, and a lot of effort (mostly because I have no idea what I'm doing and everything is in German). This phase of life feels like a free do-over. The chance to make my daily habits what I want them to be, to live in a way that prioritizes Real Pleasures over easy distractions. And so, here are my priorities, my New Life's resolutions:

• Pray and read the Word more days than not, even if for just a few minutes
• Read...daily, by default. I used to read all the time, but now, my phone is my constant companion. I hate this, but I do it anyway. I've started a Goodreads page to spur myself onward. Or is it onwards?
• Be comfortable in the kitchen and learn to enjoy cooking. I want to experiment with fresh ingredients and be less afraid of failure. I also just want to get better at having a meal on the table most nights. I'd like to see cooking a bit more like Robert Farrar Capon in The Supper of the Lamb: A Culinary Reflection...as an outpouring of God's Creative Goodness.
• Write, often. In journal and blog. As creative outlet and soul-solace.
• Be outdoors. Jettenbach (our village) is tucked in between two hills. The higher of the two boasts park benches with views of valleys, villages, steeples, and patchwork fields. I want to sit and think and read and be. There are also hiking trails about 200 meters from our door. And I want to use them.
• Explore. My village, surrounding villages, surrounding countries.
• Learn German. I realize I won't be fluent. I may not even been decent at conversational German. But I'm going to learn as much as I can and dedicate time to the process. 
• Cultivate ritual with Macallan. Reading, prayer, singing. 

There are, of course, other things on my list (learn basic photography, listen to Mars Hill Audio , make the house a home, start a book club). But somehow, the things above are the most important. In my journal (where this list originated), I wrote, "Overall, a focus on Quiet Creativity and Reflection."

I often fall prey to the notion that if I just live in a certain place or house, if I just follow my rules well, then my life will be perfect. I struggle with that here...thinking that this time I'll get It right. Will my life be perfect here? Will I do these things well all the time? Nope. Do I have to resist the urge to turn this list into a List that dictates my life and highlights my failures? Very much so. But I'm very much hoping these goals can be a gentle guide to a life well-lived.

What are your goals? Your Real Pleasures? What does a life well-lived look like for you? I'd love to hear.