We've been here for seven months, and we still talk about New York. I figured NYC would be a distant memory by now, but Olli and I regularly say things like "Aw, I miss ________" or "do you remember when we ___________? Man, that was great." We make a lot of comparisons, sometimes to the detriment of Frankfurt - say, when I want to run a couple errands on a Sunday and TOO BAD, because nothing is open on Sunday... nothing. Or when I have no energy to make dinner but soldier on, bitterly, because I no longer have 100 delivery options at my fingertips.
Some things catch us off guard though, and give us moments of "you mean life can be like this?" There was a weekend back in late summer, for example. On Saturday we decided to bike to the waaay other end of the metro area, to the Altstadt of Hoechst. Within 15 minutes we were out in the countryside, and after about 30 we came to a perfect spot in the Nidda River to go for a splash.
Wet clothes and undies flapping in the breeze, nearly naked children safely seated in the bike trailer, we pressed on. We arrived in Hoechst just hungry enough to head straight for the food. You see those tables up ahead? That was the main platz, and we grabbed a spot for Flammkuchen and apple wine. Easy breezy.
The next day, Sunday, we met up with friends in the afternoon to check out this little patch of countryside about 15 to 20 minutes from home. The blackberries were ripe! Someone had seen bushes out there! Bring your tupperware...
The bushes were full and the place was empty. Not another soul to be seen under the quickly darkening sky. We picked and picked, amazed that these bushes were just here, and that we could just sidle up and take what we wanted. Where were the crowds? Where was the struggle? Were we really this close to all this beautiful, open space?
These are the good years, aren't they.
1 comment:
For some reason, that last photo makes me think of the Little House books. The Wilders totally went berrying!
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