a walkway

there's a walkway that i didn't discover until a couple of months ago. but since i moved, i've been using it a couple times a week. it's a footpath that goes over the train tracks and main train station, which is about 10 or 15 minutes from my place. this footpath is wide enough for three people to walk comfortably, but has a metal stripe down the middle because there's traffic moving both directions. it takes probably 3 or 4 minutes to walk from one end to the other, on wooden slats with metal on both sides and a bit overhead. it's always interesting to see the people i pass (and since i'm usually trying to make it somewhere on time, i'm generally walking rather quickly..). a wonderful variety of people. one of my teammates made a comment that it's the closest she comes to feeling like she's driving. in that it's like a two lane highway. and if you have to pass someone, you have to do it before the person coming the other direction reaches you so you don't get in their way or impede traffic. and going over train tracks. it's rather nice. that's what i wanted to share with you today. maybe i'll get a picture and post it. maybe..

'my place'

so .. i've been a bit out of the loop in terms of internet and communication. two weeks ago i moved into my new apartment! which has been rather exciting. and it does indeed make me feel like i'm growing up (at least a bit!). in the next couple of weeks, amy will move in, but for the moment it's 'my apartment' and 'my space' -- but my space to share!

and sharing is something that i have indeed been doing.

17 tuesday .. had the team over for dinner, prayer, and a team meditation on purity (and i cooked my first meal for them .. spaghetti, salad, garlic bread, and cookies!)

18 wednesday .. had a friend over after we went walking, and prepared dinner for her (which happened to look pretty similar to tuesday's dinner .. )

19 thursday .. got to spend the afternoon and evening with a friend (who happens to be the executive director of ic), and we also made dinner together in the evening

20 friday .. had my friend (who happens to be my team leader) over for dinner and some 'criminal minds' .. she brought some of the food for dinner, but we did prepare it together

21 saturday .. whole team and e.d. over. ate lunch together (with everybody bringing something), spent time reflecting and preparing for our new season as the ic romania team, played some games, watched an episode of 'alias' .. and just got to be present together

so .. 5 days in a row i had friends over and got to be hostess. to invite others into my space and to share life with them in a very tangible way. excited about what it means that i can invite people over to 'my apartment' with freedom. and i'm even enjoying cooking and cleaning a bit (crazy, i know!).

out & about

the weather here has been rather marvelous. like 14- 16 degrees. celsius. which translates to high-fifties - low sixties. which is definitely spring weather. and in spring (and summer and fall) it's nice to be outside, and people don't call you crazy for walking. (when it's winter and cold outside, people give all sorts of funny looks. anyway .. )

walking. at the moment (for another week or two), the places i visit most often are a bit spread out. where i live to the office .. 30 minutes by bus or 50 minutes on foot. one teammate's place .. 30 minutes on foot. another teammate's place .. 60 minutes on foot. and it's nice weather, and i'm not generally pressed for time, so i've been enjoying walking. as i walked home today i did a bit of calculating.

60 minutes to language lesson (a bit past the office)
60 minutes home
30 minutes to second teammate's place (shortened because i rode a bus partway)
60 minutes home

these are approximate figures, and i'm not speed walking at these rates .. but that means that i was walking about 3.5 hours today. and my feet and legs aren't even sore. apparently i've been doing a bit of walking so i'm in shape to do this. it's nice. to be outside. to breathe fresh air. to use my body. to observe spring and people and buses and practice sounding out romanian words. to
process events of the day. to pray for those i pass, for the places i walk through, for the emotions i see in the eyes of some i pass, praising God for the beauty of what He has created. pretty good times. maybe i'm not "accomplishing much" during my walks. but they feel right and 'useful' to me. and maybe it's more about the process than the product.