The Cinque Terre

As I was lounging in the family room at our friend's home in France, my husband was busy studying maps for our morning trip South to Nice. Suddenly he came running into the room hopping up and down in excitement. "The Cinque Terre is only a 3 hr. drive from Nice!" he exclaimed. "I have ALWAYS wanted to take you to the Cinque Terre!" His excitement caught on despite the fact that I had no idea what the Cinque Terre was and we made a quick decision that it was a must do in our travel plans over the next week.
The Cinque Terre is know as "the Five Lands" on the rugged coast of the Italian Riviera. To get to these 5 towns you must travel on the walking path known as Sentiero Azzurro (Light Blue Trail) through the Cinque Terre National Park , by rail on the Via Dell'amore (Love Walk) or by boat. A permit/rail pass must be purchased to access the trails. The people of these 5 towns have protected the charm of these towns by fighting large road access.
We parked our car in the nearby town of Levanto, purchased our trail/train pass and hopped on the train to the first town of Monterosso. The stunning blue of the Mediterranean, painted buildings, a castle, round colorful sun umbrellas, green hillside and steep grey cliffs were almost too much for my senses to take in. We got off the train and headed through the tunnel connecting the new town with the old town, to begin our journey on foot. The 1 1/2 hr. hike took us up and down the terraced mountain side used to cultivate grapes and olives. We traveled on steep steps chiseled into the mountain. Through vineyards, over streams on rock bridges and past houses. Each twist and turn brought a new breath taking view.
Around each corner brought the view of the town of Vernazza a bit closer. It was beautiful from a distance. The colorful buildings and a castle turret rising on the edge of the Sea. The harbor was built out creating a protected cove on one side with waves dashing against the boulders on the other. As we came upon the town the trail dumped us into a series of alleys. One wrong turn and we would end up in someone's living room. We were hot and it was time for a break. We enjoyed some gelato while sitting on the rocks watching the waves crash in. Our oldest daughter and I decided to take a trip up the castle turret while the others took a swim in the harbor. From the top of the castle I was dismayed to see my husband among the crazy people jumping off the pier on the Sea side. He had to tread water for 20 min. while waiting for a wave large enough to sweep him back onto the pier. Well, he's living in Pakistan, guess there's no hope for safety in our lives!
After giving the kids some time to cool off in the calm waters of the harbor, we decided to take the train to the next town of Corniglia. The train travels mainly through tunnels in the mountains. We sat back for the ride before getting out and exploring some more. The harbor in Corniglia was surrounded by small cliffs. Ropes went up from the sea and men were climbing them and diving in. My husband couldn't resist. Into the water he went, up the ropes and into the water again. The kids and I sat above and watched, a bit envious but feeling too much danger to give it a try.
We did an easy 45 min. hike to the 4th town of Manarola. Manarola is not situated on the sea, so from the trail you have to go down the mountain to the beach or up the mountain to the town. By this time we were exhausted. We hiked up to the town, took a rather quick look around, not overly impressed and decided to get on the train to travel back to the first town of Monterosso for dinner.
Pesto and foccacia bread were developed in this region of Italy. A unique type of pasta was created to go with the pesto. Dinner was well deserved after hiking and exploring all day. In the setting of a small Italian town pasta had never tasted so exquisite. A piece of tiramisu was a perfect finish for a perfect day.

Package

I received my first package from my husband today. I have been watching and waiting, hoping that a box would come in the mail just for me. It's kind of silly to long for something tangible. Something I can hold that says "This made me think of you" or "Because I love you".
The kids gathered around teasing me. They knew how excited I was! I tore into the box as if it was Christmas morning. On top were two cds. How interesting, some Pakistani music. We stuck it into the computer and began listening as we turned back to the box. I lifted out two suckers. They were "Chupa Chups". We have those cream and fruit swirled suckers here, but these were packaged with a million tiny pieces to be assembled into a toy. No way would those be sold in America. They are a law suit waiting to happen! The plastic around the sucker was impossible to get off. Only with sharp little sewing scissors did I finally succeed. I laid out the little pieces. The kids wanted to help, but no way. This was Mom's toy. After unfolding the tiny directions and squinting at the little pictures I assembled a lion with an accordion tummy. In a few days I'll assemble the next one to add to my collection.
Under the suckers was a letter. I set it aside to read later.
Next I pulled out this odd cloth thing. It has a stiff part at the top, some fancy needle work and a skirt around the bottom with a slit in it. My first impulse was to put it on my head. The kids roared with laughter. It was definitely not a hat. My next thought was that it was a wine bottle cover. Possibly. I just can't imagine messing with a fabric skirt around my wine bottle each time I want to pour a glass. I'll just have to wait to find out what it is from my husband.
Lastly I took out a paper bag with something soft inside. I slowly pulled out a beautiful cotton table cloth with napkins. The pattern dyed into the fabric is a beautiful brown vine motif with soft blue flowers. I am often amazed at how well my husband knows me. He picked out something for me that exhibits the essence of who I am.
As I sat there looking at my gifts and listening to the music it really hit me how vastly different our world are. Each time he steps outside his apartment he is in a foreign country with foreign music blaring, foreign smells and sights and sounds. Designs and patterns are different. Foods and drinks are different. I am so glad that he is sending me some bits and pieces of his experience. Things that remind me of where he is and what he is experiencing.

Doing Church

Every Sunday our family attends church together. Not only is it part of the rhythm of our week, it sets the rhythm for our week. It is one of the ways we get focus and direction for the life we live. Church is an active part of our lives. We attend, we discuss, we participate, and we serve. With the head of our household gone I find it more difficult to joyfully attend each week. Everyone needs to get ready and out the door and that can be a fiasco in and of itself. After the service I am now lacking my discussion buddy. Unless I write down every verse to discuss later, much of the service and intent is lost in translation. Yet I continue to attend with the kids because I know it is vital to my survival without my husband present. I need corporate praise to our God. I need instruction from the pastor. I need fellowship with other people who support me in this journey of life. Yet this morning as I woke with a cramped up stomach and thunderstorms outside, I felt compelled to stay home and have my own worship service with the kids. Mentally I compiled a plan of how it would look. Each kid picked out a song we would sing. I printed out the words. They brought their Bibles and study materials to the family room. Just as we were beginning I thought about my husband so far away with no church to attend and no companions to share God’s word with. I turned on Skype. Although he was not online I sent him a message inviting him to join us if he got online. We turned itunes onto our first song. With the volume cranked way up we began singing our praise to God. As we began song two my husband tuned in via Skype. I think he was a bit amused at seeing us belting out songs but we quickly slipped into a familiar comfort of knowing one another and the intent of each of our hearts in our praise to God. Rather than preach to the kids from a passage in scripture, I chose to have each person share what they were learning about God in their personal reading time. As I sat and listened to my kids share, I began to see how God was intertwining each of our individual journeys together with a shared theme of prayer. My husband joined in with comments, scriptures, and encouragement. Once again the barriers of distance were erased. I shared then my husband shared as well. We ended with a time of short prayers, bringing our needs and concerns before God. Two hours flew quickly. A void was filled in me during this time. We were able to share our separate journeys in this grand family journey and it brought us closer together.
“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in your midst.” Matt. 18:20

Let the Bidding Begin!

I have a seed of excitement within me that is beginning to bubble. My husband and I finalized our list of 6 posts to bid on that is due at the end of the month. The first four posts were fairly easy. Although there were many factors to consider, safety, schools, family community..., those first four were easy because no matter which one we may get, I would go to any in a heartbeat. They speak to who I am inside. They fill me with excitement of the adventure. They are cultures that I want to experience. Countries that call my name. It was the last two spots that were the toughies. I have spent the last couple months looking at the list. Reading reports on the posts. Praying. Knocking city after city off the list. Many were knocked off due to the schooling or rather lack thereof. Our son will be a Jr. and Sr. in high school the years we are at this post and so his education needs to be a priority. My husband told me that we must be careful to only put cities on the list that we were truly willing to live in. One employee that he talked with has gotten bid number 6 every time. So the last two spots on our list. What to do. We sat down this morning across from one another, skype to skype. I had the list in front of me and we read down considering each city. "Nope - unaccompanied post. Nope - bad schools. Nope - doesn't interest us." And on and on. By the time we were done we had three more cities to consider. Then my husband said "I really want to know what you think. What cities are you the most interested in?" It was like he had just given me possession and ownership of the decision. Where would I like to live next? Those questions told me that he understood how apart from his life I felt. This journey we had embarked on together was at a point where he was on the high road and I was on the low road. We were still headed in the same direction, communication was still vital, we were working together because not all the supplies could be carried up the high road and someone had to journey on the low road for both of us to reach the destination. It's just that the low road is disappointing. But he recognized this and cared! So we narrowed the three to two and now have our list of 6 posts to hand in at the end of the month to bid on. I am excited to think that one year from now I will be living in one of those cities!

An Anniversary via Skype

Last night was our 17 year wedding anniversary. How does one keep the day special while living on two different continents, separated by time and oceans? Part of keeping a relationship alive during this time of separation is remembering the monumental days in life. Remembering that we can still keep those days special, it will just be different and may take a little bit of creativity and effort.
We decided that we would share a special meal together. I love dressing up and I especially love dressing up for my husband. An hour before our designated Skype time the kids helped me set a table, arrange the flowers, light the candles and makes sure the camera on the computer was in place and the lighting would still work. They took delight in making sure the details were perfect. Then they went downstairs to watch a movie. They seemed to get that Mom desperately needed some time alone with Dad. No interruptions to tell Dad about the days soccer game. No arguments with siblings. No asking Mom a question. Just time for me to bask in the moment of being with my husband.
I got dressed in the new dress that I was so excited to wear for my husband. Flowers in my hair, my favorite jewelry, even a squirt of perfume.
Promptly at 10 pm I sat down at the table, signed into Skype and pushed the green call button. He answered on the first ring. He looked so handsome in his shirt and tie. Not his typical attire for 7 in the morning, but he did it for me. He had his French toast and coffee set before him and I had a slice of tiramisu and a glass of wine before me. The moment was so perfect. He had music playing a bit too loudly so he jumped up to turn the volume down. In doing so I discovered that rather than having on his dress pants, he was still wearing his sleeping shorts. I giggled as he sat down again and all I could see was the fashionable man sitting across from me!
The hour and a half we spent together dreaming, laughing, and reminiscing flew too quickly. Just as Cinderella would turn back into a common person at the strike of midnight, my evening must end as well. I know that we will continue to find ways to have fun and keep falling in love with one another even when things like distance lay between us. We will conquer this mountain and be a stronger couple because of it.