I don't have many words today. The days have been full and seem to be ending quicker than I can fully grasp them (hello, tomorrow is August...when did that happen?!), but I'm thankful anyway. I'm trying to turn off my brain, stop over-thinking everything (a near impossible feat), and live in present--sometimes I try to capture the moment too, but more and more, accurately preserving all it seems too overwhelming a task. I've turned to writing in my journal more these days, trying to capture the feelings properly. It will be good to have when I'm back at home and today has again turned into yesterday.

A few photos and some more things to be happy about:

top: thrifted || shorts: american eagle || shoes: thrifted || necklace: c/o the poppy chain || belt: thrifted || bracelets: assorted

the milky clouds of cream in tea not quite mixed || slate skies and dark green ivy || the smell of a tomato plant || the sound of splashing water || sunlight on white walls and wooden floors || people watching in a crowded city || coral shorts || sitting on the balcony and watching a storm roll in || lazy sunday afternoons || the foam that clings to your upper lip from the first sip of cappuccino || a life that sizzles and pops

Happy Tuesday!

These past few days have been the kind of days that books are written about, songs sung about, and dreams dreamed about. Nothing--words or photographs or anything in between--cannot properly describe fairytale days like these for fear of belittling the sheer perfectness of it all; only the clucking of the hens, the sparks floating up to the night sky, the sun gently prying open my eyelids in the morning, yesterday's makeup and smoke clinging to my clothes, ice cream a few licks away from dripping down my arm, and the feel of wading waist deep through fields of wheat can begin to tell the story. And when the last harmonica strains die away, the big and little dipper melt into dawn, and the ink has faded from our skins, the memories will come back with tomorrow's starry night, the smell of warm sun on wheat, and the lingering smell of campfire and we will swear to never ever forget.

do yourself a favor and watch this video in hd || music by benjamin francis leftwich

We got back late last night from a quick two day trip to Berlin to visit my sister Alina (and take in the sights). On the train, as the sun was setting, I scribbled down my favorite moments on a crookedly torn sheet of paper--it's amazing how many memories you can fit into the span of less than forty-eight hours--because I was scared I would forget. I accidentally left the paper on the train, folded into quarters, but I like knowing that some stranger will sit in the very seat I did and read the words I wrote on that paper.

Berlin was big, it was bustling, it was full of life, and it was wonderful. I can entertain the idea of living in the country as much as I'd like, but in reality, I'll always be a city girl. I thrived on the beat of the city beneath my feet and the adventure. And we are also now pros at the likes of:

a) switching from subway to streetcar to subway again
b) walking long distances on crowded sidewalks
c) avoiding sudden rain showers by dashing to safety like the crazy people we are
and d) sleeping on the train (or, in Lilly's case, on a chair at a pizzeria that was bursting at the seams)



And then there was the goodbye. Which, unfortunately, we are pros at, but that doesn't make it any easier. There were lots of group hugs and I'll-see-you-soons and waving. I miss Berlin and my sister already.

Over the weekend, we went on a little daytrip to Holland. It'd been a few years since I'd been in the country and I fell in love with it all over again. I love the quiet distinctiveness it has and the way everything pops against the gray background of the sky. Also, the bicycles! People use bicycles as a prime means of transportation all over Europe, but in Holland they take it to a whole other level. At times, the traffic created by bicycles can be worse than the traffic created by cars, hah!
The outdoor market we visited was another highlight. So many languages and so many people! I got the biggest kick out of the vendors yelling at the top of their lungs, trying to get their merchandise some attention. The atmosphere was sublime and it made the rainy day so much more cheery.

Hey Holland? You're pretty cool. I like you.