what's a girl to do?
i've just finished my breakfast in belgium (at le pain quotidien, no less, and don't think i won't be going in nyc all the time now). it was bread with chocolate spread and a chocolate croissant and some hot chocolate. well, i am in BELGIUM, what do you expect me to do?
besides, i'm flying home tomorrow and then all the food madness will end. so i've got to get my kicks in now before reality strikes.
speaking of food, it feels like all we've done since we arrived in europe 3 days ago is eat. maybe that's because that really is all we've done. we were picked up in the paris airport by nabia's uncle anwar (sp?), who has the same crinkly smile lines around his eyes as her father, and he brought us back to his apartment in a suburb of paris. we were sans luggage, as it apparently did not successfully make the mad dash connecting flight in johannesburg, as we did. alas. we took it in stride, like the seasoned travellers that we are, and were thankful that we had brought our toothbrushes on the plane. but wearing the same clothes two days in a row? that's old habit by now, believe me.
so we napped and chatted (en francais, bien sur) with anwar and zahaida (his wife, lovely) all day and we made a beautiful algerian dinner of fel-fel (these roasted peppers and oil and yum) and little fried spring roll beef parsley onion things, and hrera soup of fava beans and chickpeas and wow was it ever delicious. went to sleep with a happily full belly.
next day there was a walk in the lovely sunshine and sitting by a river - nice to get out of the house, then we visited nabia's cousins yanice and aniece (i don't know how to spell these things) and they were lovely, then over to nabia's parents' friends' house: gerard and dominique, with anwar and zahaida. there was quite a gourmet dinner waiting there for us as well - with several courses and things i've never eaten before, and may well never again. they were gracious and lovely and we stayed with them that night before getting on the one and 1/2 hour train to brussells. it's amazing how small europe is. how close together the countries are. sitting on the train and watching the countryside go by (green fields that weren't rice - weird), i realized how different travel would be here than it's been for the past year, and i was a bit happy our schedule worked out as it did. maybe europe really is a different trip. i don't want it to be too far away in the future - things are changing so fast - but maybe it's good it wasn't attached to the end of this particular journey.
so. yeah. we got to belgium, went to the novotel lugging our too-many-bags-cuz-i'm-cheap-and-didn't-want-to-mail-myself-another-package, and soon jordan (that's belgian cousin, one son of my dad's twin brother bob who lives here, for those of you just joining us) came to meet us and we hung out with him and laurence (girlfriend and co-owner of cheese shop and successful new restaurant) all afternoon. the four of us met up with bob and his lady nicole last night for a delicious italian dinner and i can't really believe the amount of food i've fit in my stomach the past few days. amazingly, yesterday nabia said i looked thin. hah!
so. it's really nice to see all this family, both those i've never met before and those i've grown up with but haven't seen in a while. it feels different to me to see them without my parents - usually my parents are present at family functions, so we're always a unit, but i'm standing much more on my own now, with experiences and things to talk about.
we've been rehearsing our answers to the usual questions: where did you go? how many countries? which was your favorite? where was the best food? what was the worst?
you'll all be hearing all that soon enough. i'll save the answers for when you see me and ask 'em yourself. don't worry, you can ask. i'll let you know if i don't want to answer again. maybe i WILL have a t-shirt made...
so. it's tomorrow, tomorrow that i fly home. nabia stays here another few days, with jordan, and then jets off to london before joining us back in north america next week. that means i've got 8 hours on the plane to ponder the past year. 8 hours all by myself. that'll probably be the most i've been alone all year. funny.
sadly, my body's given up already and i've come down with a nasty cold. swollen eyes, red nose, and the whole deal. ah well, it doesn't mirror how i'm feeling.
before i left home a year ago, i was horribly sick. my eyes wouldn't work together and focus and it gave me terrible headaches. i developed bad heartburn and felt nauseated all the time. turns out, i think it was all anxiety. i wasn't feeling nervous in my head, but maybe i was in denial and the worries had to express themselves some other way. so they came out in my eyes and throat and stomach.
now, i admit i'm a bit anxious for this next transition, and my eyes are holding up - glasses were sent home months ago, the heartburn never showed itself again (though i did buy pepcid back in hawaii just in case), and i haven't had a panic attack since the plane ride to figi. so just admitting some nervousness can solve the problem, perhaps. so i've just got a cold. psychosomatic symptoms, difficult to endure....
am i excited to come home? yes i am. do i NEED to come home? no. and so it's the perfect time. i'll have my bagels, i'll sort through my myriad packages and photos, i'll sew some thai triangle pillows and experiment in the kitchen trying to reproduce some of the delicacies i've eaten. i'll take it easy and try to keep myself busy as i adjust. i'll be reunited with family and friends and my old way of life. i'll figure out what's next.
i'll probably be back at home when next i write. i'd hoped i'd make it to 100 entries, but it looks like i'm falling just short. maybe i'll have to keep the blog going. i can't imagine what i'll have to write about if i'm not traipsing around the world, but we'll see.
in any case, i'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for reading my blog. loyal readers and commenters, occasional readers and commenters, those who read sometimes but never comment, people i've never met before... all of you. it's been wonderful to feel like you're listening out there.
much love and belgian chocolate,
amy
email me
besides, i'm flying home tomorrow and then all the food madness will end. so i've got to get my kicks in now before reality strikes.
speaking of food, it feels like all we've done since we arrived in europe 3 days ago is eat. maybe that's because that really is all we've done. we were picked up in the paris airport by nabia's uncle anwar (sp?), who has the same crinkly smile lines around his eyes as her father, and he brought us back to his apartment in a suburb of paris. we were sans luggage, as it apparently did not successfully make the mad dash connecting flight in johannesburg, as we did. alas. we took it in stride, like the seasoned travellers that we are, and were thankful that we had brought our toothbrushes on the plane. but wearing the same clothes two days in a row? that's old habit by now, believe me.
so we napped and chatted (en francais, bien sur) with anwar and zahaida (his wife, lovely) all day and we made a beautiful algerian dinner of fel-fel (these roasted peppers and oil and yum) and little fried spring roll beef parsley onion things, and hrera soup of fava beans and chickpeas and wow was it ever delicious. went to sleep with a happily full belly.
next day there was a walk in the lovely sunshine and sitting by a river - nice to get out of the house, then we visited nabia's cousins yanice and aniece (i don't know how to spell these things) and they were lovely, then over to nabia's parents' friends' house: gerard and dominique, with anwar and zahaida. there was quite a gourmet dinner waiting there for us as well - with several courses and things i've never eaten before, and may well never again. they were gracious and lovely and we stayed with them that night before getting on the one and 1/2 hour train to brussells. it's amazing how small europe is. how close together the countries are. sitting on the train and watching the countryside go by (green fields that weren't rice - weird), i realized how different travel would be here than it's been for the past year, and i was a bit happy our schedule worked out as it did. maybe europe really is a different trip. i don't want it to be too far away in the future - things are changing so fast - but maybe it's good it wasn't attached to the end of this particular journey.
so. yeah. we got to belgium, went to the novotel lugging our too-many-bags-cuz-i'm-cheap-and-didn't-want-to-mail-myself-another-package, and soon jordan (that's belgian cousin, one son of my dad's twin brother bob who lives here, for those of you just joining us) came to meet us and we hung out with him and laurence (girlfriend and co-owner of cheese shop and successful new restaurant) all afternoon. the four of us met up with bob and his lady nicole last night for a delicious italian dinner and i can't really believe the amount of food i've fit in my stomach the past few days. amazingly, yesterday nabia said i looked thin. hah!
so. it's really nice to see all this family, both those i've never met before and those i've grown up with but haven't seen in a while. it feels different to me to see them without my parents - usually my parents are present at family functions, so we're always a unit, but i'm standing much more on my own now, with experiences and things to talk about.
we've been rehearsing our answers to the usual questions: where did you go? how many countries? which was your favorite? where was the best food? what was the worst?
you'll all be hearing all that soon enough. i'll save the answers for when you see me and ask 'em yourself. don't worry, you can ask. i'll let you know if i don't want to answer again. maybe i WILL have a t-shirt made...
so. it's tomorrow, tomorrow that i fly home. nabia stays here another few days, with jordan, and then jets off to london before joining us back in north america next week. that means i've got 8 hours on the plane to ponder the past year. 8 hours all by myself. that'll probably be the most i've been alone all year. funny.
sadly, my body's given up already and i've come down with a nasty cold. swollen eyes, red nose, and the whole deal. ah well, it doesn't mirror how i'm feeling.
before i left home a year ago, i was horribly sick. my eyes wouldn't work together and focus and it gave me terrible headaches. i developed bad heartburn and felt nauseated all the time. turns out, i think it was all anxiety. i wasn't feeling nervous in my head, but maybe i was in denial and the worries had to express themselves some other way. so they came out in my eyes and throat and stomach.
now, i admit i'm a bit anxious for this next transition, and my eyes are holding up - glasses were sent home months ago, the heartburn never showed itself again (though i did buy pepcid back in hawaii just in case), and i haven't had a panic attack since the plane ride to figi. so just admitting some nervousness can solve the problem, perhaps. so i've just got a cold. psychosomatic symptoms, difficult to endure....
am i excited to come home? yes i am. do i NEED to come home? no. and so it's the perfect time. i'll have my bagels, i'll sort through my myriad packages and photos, i'll sew some thai triangle pillows and experiment in the kitchen trying to reproduce some of the delicacies i've eaten. i'll take it easy and try to keep myself busy as i adjust. i'll be reunited with family and friends and my old way of life. i'll figure out what's next.
i'll probably be back at home when next i write. i'd hoped i'd make it to 100 entries, but it looks like i'm falling just short. maybe i'll have to keep the blog going. i can't imagine what i'll have to write about if i'm not traipsing around the world, but we'll see.
in any case, i'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for reading my blog. loyal readers and commenters, occasional readers and commenters, those who read sometimes but never comment, people i've never met before... all of you. it's been wonderful to feel like you're listening out there.
much love and belgian chocolate,
amy
email me
posted by theonetheycallamy at 11/01/2005 05:29:00 AM
4 Comments:
last year when walter and i picked you and nabia up on that street corner in manhattan it was the first time in my very long life i had been alone with you what a pleasure that was then soon you flew off and blog was born i hated it for a couple of days until barbara and trudy helped me capture it thanks for the incredible journey luv u alice
Amy.....now that you are once again at back in the States with your family (we arrived back in the States on 31/10, Monday), most of your readers will have an opportunity to visit with you personally. I, for one, would love for you to continue the blog as a follow-up to all your wistful introspection and concern about "coming back" after such an enormous and impact-making journey.
So if you can find time and inclination, it would be wonderful to read how you are feeling and what you are doing as you transition back into American life.
Your blog was fantastic, as are you. Lots of love, Elaine
You blog has been a revelation for your readers. It has given me the chance to know you so differently, as you shared your adventures in the world and in your introspection. We will be glad to welcome you and soon our dear Nabia home, but hope to continue to have an occasional peek inside as we have had on your journey. Love, Barbara
It's a little hard for me to write, as I'm feeling rather overwhelmed (as you are too, I know). It's been an incredible journey for us, as well. You shared your adventures and your emotions (and your meals!) with all of us, in such entertaining, informative and insightful ways. I'm awaiting your arrival today, and have such a mixture of excitement and (happy) anxiety. I can't wait to see you and hug you. Thank you.
Love mom
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