The Past Month

I probably should have seen it coming, but I never would have guessed he would have been so sneaky. My bird friend, who has spent so much time keeping me company, eventually flew in the the open window. But, to my surprise, he entered through the kitchen window, not my bedroom's. He claimed the kitchen table as his own new land, making just enough rustling and tip-toeing sounds to make me suspect a home intrusion. Sneaky, sneaky little oiseau. He left as quickly and quietly as I chased him (quickly, but not so quietly) back out. In California, I've notice that there are more ant attacks in the fall, before it gets colder for winter. I suppose I could decide that my feathered visitor's home invasion was meant to signify the start of a new season, too.

Spring has finally arrived, and it could not have come at a better time! The ugly knobbly trees finally have leaves, the insect population has grown both indoors and out, and, just like all those illustrated kids books always claimed, calfs and lambs have shown up next to their mama animals. I cannot stress, however, how much of an impact seeing the sun has had on me. My excitement at it not raining for a week has hindered my common sense though, and as a result of my reveling in the glorious sun, I've already had two sunburns. Although both were completely worth it.

The first I received while on what had started as a pleasant walk around Lac Léman. This walk eventually turned into an epic journey as my friend and I set the nearby city of Montreux as our goal. We reached our destination 21 lizards, 16 car honks, 7 hours, 5 speedo-or-less old men, and 20 miles later. The second was not as much of a sunburn as a light-pink tan while spending the day with my family in The Netherlands.


The Netherlands was amazing. As much as I didn't want to leave Rome when I visited Italy, I could have moved into a cardboard box just outside the residential area of Amsterdam. I keep trying to describe how beautiful the buildings were, how kind the people were, how happy I was there, but these words just aren't working the way they should. I will say that Dutch food is amazing, filled with tasty bread and chocolate and butter, Dutch people every ounce as friendly as they are tall, and cities built on top of canals is pretty much the way I would design my town if I had one of my own. (I would also have bubbles come from all public building windows, more bicycles than cars, and have a waterfall in the town center, just in case you were wondering.)