There are a few things that I especially love to do with my close friends: going out for breakfast, going out for coffee and quality conversation and taking long walks, especially semi-late at night, even if it is really cold. I have a few friends that I share breakfast with on a semi-regular basis and its splendid. I've gotten to do all three things in the last few days and it warms my heart. I had breakfast with some amazing women this morning, for example, at 3rd coast which is quickly becoming a favorite place (I've been there 3 times in the last week and a half). I also had an early thanksgiving dinner today and Maureen and Abbie's. I always come away from their house amazingly blessed, I can't even explain it except to say that within the walls of that apartment the love of Jesus is experienced in a way that I have yet to experience elsewhere. Tonight I got the double blessing of riding home with new friends, Jeremy and Julia, precious people. I hope I get to spend time with them again sometime at least semi-soon.
I just got some hard news from my mom about people who are, in many ways, closer than family to me in Portugal: my "aunts" and "uncles" during my five years there with relational threads that run deep and will continue through the rest of my life. I won't go into detail but I feel as though my world has been shaken. Its a strange sensation because I'm now so far removed from it all being here in college but at the same time still feel so deeply, intimately connected to it. I feel as though the roots I put down there, the roots I still, to some degree, feel like I have there are in completely different soil now than when I left. I'm not sure what to do with that reality. Part of me mourns the loss of it all and part of me just wants to shrug and say that's life and I have a hard time reconciling the two. I guess that this is just the beginning. The whole process is only going to continue and get more complicated as I get older. Times and realizations like these make me all the more glad that there is more to life than what my eyes can see or my heart can feel.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
its that time of year...
Its that time of year when people pull out their hats and scarves and wool coats.
Its that time of year when I officially can't wear flip flops anymore because my feet will freeze.
Its the time of year when its so cold that it makes your eyes water and then your eyelashes freeze shut, a truly absurd feeling.
Its that time of year when my hair freezes because its usually still wet when I go outside.
Its that time of year when it gets dark outside at 4:30pm here in Chicago.
Its that time of year when the only things left on most of the trees are little red berries.
Its that time of year when my glasses fog up when I step inside.
Its that time of year when almost every warm drink has peppermint in it.
Its that time of year with magical evenings of snow flurries.
Its that time of the year when Christmas lights and decorations are strewn across the city trees and lamp posts.
Its that time of year that big, fake, evergreens are placed in front of huge windows and decorated beautifully.
Its that time of year when 93.9 has Christmas music playing non-stop.
Its that time of year that I pull my boots out.
Its that time of year when people seem to become warm inside, I think I've been getting a lot more hugs lately. :)
Its that time of year that I especially think of my family and fun traditions (Chris, mom, It snowed here for the first time a few days ago and I so badly wanted to eat dinner by candle light! :)
Its that time of year when Ange and I do our 1000 + piece Christmas puzzle. (I guess its been a few years...)
Its that time of year that my mom makes her amazing cereal/M&M mix, russian tea cakes and chocolate covered pretzels.
Its that time of year that I remember all the festivities in Lisbon and realize that they're still going on without me and I'm missing them...
Its the time of year when everyone gives each other ferrer rocher chocolates, bolo rei, and those amazing chocolates in the shapes of sea creatures, I'm somewhat sad that I can't remember what they are called.
Its that time of year when I eat way too much chocolate and five bolo reis sit on top of our fridge untouched because no one likes them.
Its that time of year that the castanha venders are lining the streets.
Its that time of year when Lisbon's Christmas light displays beautifully illumine the city.
Its that time of year when the malls are PACKED and not quite worth going to unless its before noon.
Its that time of year when the biggest Christmas Tree I have ever seen is put up in Belem.
Its that time of the year when I miss Portugal the most.
Its that time of year when I would willingly eat an entire bolo rei (fruit cake) if it meant I could be back there again.
Maybe next year. For now, I get to enjoy the winter beauty of Chicago: carraige rides, snow, leafless trees, and my amazing and beautiful friends.
Its that time of year when I officially can't wear flip flops anymore because my feet will freeze.
Its the time of year when its so cold that it makes your eyes water and then your eyelashes freeze shut, a truly absurd feeling.
Its that time of year when my hair freezes because its usually still wet when I go outside.
Its that time of year when it gets dark outside at 4:30pm here in Chicago.
Its that time of year when the only things left on most of the trees are little red berries.
Its that time of year when my glasses fog up when I step inside.
Its that time of year when almost every warm drink has peppermint in it.
Its that time of year with magical evenings of snow flurries.
Its that time of the year when Christmas lights and decorations are strewn across the city trees and lamp posts.
Its that time of year that big, fake, evergreens are placed in front of huge windows and decorated beautifully.
Its that time of year when 93.9 has Christmas music playing non-stop.
Its that time of year that I pull my boots out.
Its that time of year when people seem to become warm inside, I think I've been getting a lot more hugs lately. :)
Its that time of year that I especially think of my family and fun traditions (Chris, mom, It snowed here for the first time a few days ago and I so badly wanted to eat dinner by candle light! :)
Its that time of year when Ange and I do our 1000 + piece Christmas puzzle. (I guess its been a few years...)
Its that time of year that my mom makes her amazing cereal/M&M mix, russian tea cakes and chocolate covered pretzels.
Its that time of year that I remember all the festivities in Lisbon and realize that they're still going on without me and I'm missing them...
Its the time of year when everyone gives each other ferrer rocher chocolates, bolo rei, and those amazing chocolates in the shapes of sea creatures, I'm somewhat sad that I can't remember what they are called.
Its that time of year when I eat way too much chocolate and five bolo reis sit on top of our fridge untouched because no one likes them.
Its that time of year that the castanha venders are lining the streets.
Its that time of year when Lisbon's Christmas light displays beautifully illumine the city.
Its that time of year when the malls are PACKED and not quite worth going to unless its before noon.
Its that time of year when the biggest Christmas Tree I have ever seen is put up in Belem.
Its that time of the year when I miss Portugal the most.
Its that time of year when I would willingly eat an entire bolo rei (fruit cake) if it meant I could be back there again.
Maybe next year. For now, I get to enjoy the winter beauty of Chicago: carraige rides, snow, leafless trees, and my amazing and beautiful friends.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
one week from today
I'm thrilled! One week from today I will be in Iowa having a mom day. It will be the first one in a long while and probably the last for a while too. We're going to spend the day together, probably doing a little bit of Christmas shopping and just talking, having "cokes" like old times. I can't wait.
Monday, November 17, 2008
good morning, winter.
Its been snowing, (more like flurrying, I guess) around here. Its beautiful but the cold, grey skies are settling in. This kind of weather always makes me pensive and nostalgic. I keep thinking of Portugal and longing to be living in my sweet memories. Cobblestone streets, ancient churches, castanhas, cafe, two-hour long lunch breaks. It seems further way each day...
A large part of my extended family was together for my cousin's wedding this weekend and I wished so badly that I could have been there. I guess the bright side is that I will see them in almost two weeks for Thanksgiving. I'm looking forward to that. It will probably be the last time for a while. I never know. But its coming, and for today, that is enough.
A large part of my extended family was together for my cousin's wedding this weekend and I wished so badly that I could have been there. I guess the bright side is that I will see them in almost two weeks for Thanksgiving. I'm looking forward to that. It will probably be the last time for a while. I never know. But its coming, and for today, that is enough.