My Life Be Like Ooh, Aah--CRASH

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I was getting into the swing of things, I really was. I was taking the bad with the good and enjoying everything I could. I was befriending strangers and hiking foggy mountains. I was sleeping on trains and feasting on unrefrigerated cheese. I was making plans and treating myself to excursions. I was caught by surprise by the half-way mark of my Adventure and worried that two more months wasn't enough. Sweden, Norway, and Finland werer beautiful, and Berlin was fun, and then--

I don't know exactly what happened. It's like I tried to sweep a tablecloth out from underneath a setting of dishes but didn't get it quite right, so all the dishes went crashing to the floor. It might be that I started to get too comfortable, formed expectations, and had those expectations smashed in my face like cow pies. It may be that I finally wrote down a plan, made a commitment, and jinxed myself. It may be that God doesn't love me anymore. All I can say is that I could sum it all up with "I have a headache."

I must give credit where it is due, though, and say that I've been having some incredible times, too. I've mentioned it before, but it's worth a second call-out: the autumn leaves are something from a fairy tale. And I kid you not: I fed reindeer and went dog-sledding (though not in the snow because the Arctic Circle was experiencing a heat wave). I went on the BEST walking tour of East Berlin; I laughed the whole time. In Krakow, Poland, I ate bacon-wrapped prunes, zurek (soup), pierogi (dumplings), ice cream, and pretzels because everything was so cheap. The train ride through Austria was breathtaking. I got to visit the Visitation Sisters where Saints Francis de Sales and Jane de Chantal started it all: Annecy! I met Maggie, the niece of my nanny-parents, and we talked for the whole day as we enjoyed Swiss scenery, toured a chocolate factory, and Skyped with my nanny-family (a thousand thank-yous to my nanny-mom, Paula Kraus, for hooking us up!). I walked the French countryside with an old French classmate, whose family also fed me, washed my clothes, gave me a bed, introduced me to Pearl Harbor, and gave me good-bye cookies for the road. I drank water from the Grotto in Lourdes.

Now I forget what my problem was. There has never been a dull moment on this trip--some panicked ones, yes (couldn't get the train I wanted, was late for a rendezvous, didn't know where I was going to sleep that night, didn't sleep well once I found a bed, again and again and again), but they were totally worth it! I have been having the time of my life: a crazy, fabulous adventure. My life be like perfect.

By the way, cheers to my mom for her birthday and to my sister Maria and her husband Michael for their first anniversary.

Love,
Anna

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