One of the many things that drew Tim and me to a life abroad was the leisurely pace of life enjoyed by folks all around the world. We envisioned afternoons lingering at a sidewalk cafe, long, slow walks through historic cities, meandering conversations with new friends, ample time to read all those great books we’d never managed to get to in our American lives. In our short time here, we’ve been fortunate to experience all of these.
But suddenly this week, we have noticed a change in the pace of our days. We’ve come to realize that a one-hour language lesson per week is not nearly enough to allow our brains to absorb much. As a result, we’ve committed to spending more time on homework and to adding at least 15 minutes a day with an online Portuguese course. We’ve even decided to expand the tutoring lessons to two per week.
Along with the drive to learn Portuguese, I was inspired to joined a study group that my mother attends every Tuesday. A small group meets in Mom’s living room to discuss “On the Brink of Everything” by Parker Palmer, and they allow me to join via video chat. It’s a nice way to get a little Mom time while challenging my brain with new ideas. Still, keeping up with the reading eats into my day just a bit.
Maintaining this blog takes a little time, too. Even on the days when I don’t post anything, I’m always thinking about what I’ll write the next time. Although this started primarily as a way to document our journey just for our own memories, I’m gratified to learn that several of our friends and family are keeping up with it. It has become a labor of love and an enjoyable way to stay in touch with multiple people we care about.
In fact, I enjoy doing this so much that it has inspired me to revisit a blog I did several years ago. That one was based on the wartime love letters between my parents. Because they were both such prolific writers, and because that war lasted so long, it took 1,101 posts to cover all of the 6,000 pages of letters that passed between them. I have always been aware that many of those posts, written in haste, or in the wee hours of the morning, were in need of better proofreading and serious editing. I’ve begun the long, but necessary task of doing just that. Starting with the letters from October 1943, I’m editing about 20 posts every day. That rate may have to slow a little, but I’ve already neglected it for so long, that I feel compelled to finish it as soon as possible. Besides, I never tire of “revisiting” these charming, love-sick kids through their thoughtful, articulate and funny letters.
With three evenings every week filled with lessons or study group, and my days packed with blogs, reading, and homework, there’s little time left for the other “fun” stuff like laundry and grocery shopping. Of course, Tim steps in to cover some of that, but he has a lot on his plate, too.
The one thing we never want to skimp on is social time. After all, it’s far too soon to abandon our dreams of…afternoons lingering at a sidewalk cafe, long, slow walks through historic cities, and meandering conversations with new friends.