Home again.

I've spent the last five weeks working in Europe, mostly out of our outpost in Berlin, but also in Amsterdam and Barcelona. I'm always fascinated by the personal dichotomy that I experience. It's a wonderfully divisive sense of enchantment for old world Europe - the cultural institutions that are nurtured and integrated into daily life. It's the manifest of language, art, architecture, literature, cafés and salons, symphonies, opera, alongside the rituals of community and quality of life - a decisive generosity of time devoted to savoring the everyday. This magnetism meets its pollar match in the inevitable homecoming. The familiarity of place and sense of belonging that 'home' brings. It's a telling expression of the ying and yang that is life - one that I embrace and hold incredibly dear.

I've always had a profund sense of wanderlust. It comes in part from my love of language; my early days of learning French as a child and tasting foreign syllables on my tongue. Back then I wondered about the places where other children spoke these strange utterances and was from then on forever-bound to following that trail of linguistic and cultural breadcrumbs to satiate my curiosity. I began to follow this rue magnifique; first French, then German - discovering foreign languages became part of me, shaped my future path, and travel made my spirit come alive.

So, when Ben and I were recently back in Europe, I again came home to that place of really knowing, free to soar, and eager to explore. And, our destination did not disappoint: Prague - said to be the Paris of the east. It is an incredibly beautiful, magical, and romantic city. With vibrant facades of rich butter rum, darling pinks, and charming mints, the brilliant hues and feminine flourishes captivate. Cobblestone streets and the majesty of the golden spires and medieval lanes of Prague castle complete the fairytale.

We had such a great time exploring all the nooks and crannies it offered. Not to mention the good Czech beer (right, Ben?!). We also went down to Czesky Krumlov and Czesky Budjevice. We rented a raft at Czesky Krumlov, got dropped off up river about five or six km and paddled our way into the picturesque town. I think it was one of our favorite days.

Then we were on to the French capital. Paris was lovely in its own right where we got the chance to bathe in all the French splendor – food, wine, art, culture. I definitely got a chance to recharge my creative batteries by spending plenty of time soaking in the incredible art; I was particularly filled up by the modern masterpieces at the Centre Pompidou. We were fortunate to see two incredible temporary exhibits: Big Bang and Africa Remix. The former was a fascinating exploration of modern art grouped thematically rather than chronologically, and the African Remix exhibit was a politically-charged, mixed-bag of mediums and visual commentaries on the political, social, cultural, and economic realities (injustices) of the continent.

"you gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face... do the thing you think you cannot do."

- eleanor roosevelt

Unexpectedly, my sister-in-law gave me a lovely gift last weekend. It was a very thoughtful gesture of thanks for the support I've given to her (my husband's) family over the past few months while their dad has been recovering from a sudden illness. The above quote was written on the front of the card that accompanied the gift. It immediately struck me in two ways: one, how pertinent the quote was for how I have been feeling lately; it inspired me to shift my perception. And two, how intimately thoughtful her choice of card was; it was a warm acknowledgement of me as part of her family and that was not lost on me.