Enjoy The Heck Out Of It

On Friday after biking to the lake, cooling off and then biking back and stopping half way home to have lunch complete with a beer for us and ice cream cone for the kids all before Marty had to be home for the radio show I was struck with how idyllic life here can often be.  Who gets to do that?  We certainly didn't when we lived in Seattle.  First, we don't have a lake that is a 15 minute bike ride away.  I guess we could always bike to Alki or Lincoln Park but I don't think we ever would.  Biking on Seattle streets is not even close to as safe as here not to mention the many hills. 

Plus, we have a car and somehow once you are used to using your car for things like this, those habits are set in pretty deep.  But the biggest difference is the fact that Marty's work schedule allows him much more time to spend with us.  On Friday, he had gotten

some video work done in the morning but by 10AM he was pretty much done and ready for a break.  The 4 hour bike, lake, lunch was just the thing.  And we all get to do it together.

 I had written to my friend Erin about our 15 minute bike ride (with lunch break in the middle) and marveling how cool it is that we get to live like this here and her response was brilliant.  First, she noticed how hard it is for us to decide where we ultimately want to live given the choices between here
in Berlin our back in Seattle and days like that just highlight how cool it is in Berlin.  But she didn't leave it with just empathizing with our tough choice - we won't have to decide to extend another year until January or February but it really is a daily thought for me

- she added in that the moral is probably to just "Enjoy the heck out of it for now" Which is so true.  I wish I could just enjoy the heck out of it and not stress myself out about what will be next.  We have another awesome year ahead of us and in the end we know beyond a shadow of a doubt we would be happy in either Seattle or Berlin.  There really is no wrong decision.
If we were to write down a list of pros and cons Berlin wins in nearly every category except two: Family/Friends and Roots.  When I was newly back in Seattle I really REALLY was sold on the fact that one more year in Berlin would be enough and then I really wanted us to move back to Seattle.  I wanted to plant my vegetable garden, I had house projects I wanted to do, I wanted to get involved in the local refugee community volunteering.  I had plans.  I could see us back there in the summer of 2019.  But now being back here in Berlin I'm doubting all of that.  I like the way our family spends time together here.  I like how we do things

differently here, I like how our life is just simplified here, I feel so much more alive here.  I'm not sure if that is because even though significantly more comfortable here than I was a year ago it is still newish for me.  I'm not just on auto pilot all the time.  I ride my bike everywhere or walk and even though a car is clearly way more convenient, biking and walking makes you interact with the outside

world in a way a car does not.  But, as I said, we don't have to decide for quite some time.  So... Until we have to "decide" I'm going to try my best to "enjoy the heck out of it"  Sage advice, Erin!!
Clink this LINK to see our route from our apartment to the lake.  Pretty dreamy.

Lake pics are from our Saturday return trip to Schlachtensee Lake.  We didn't stop by for lunch on our way home this time because we were invited to an early dinner with friends.  We had an awesome dinner and dessert.  So yummy.  Then after dinner as we were hanging out outside we all started getting eaten alive by the

mosquitoes. It was after 9PM and it was still nearly 90 degrees.  They suggested a fire to keep the mosquitoes away which was a good idea however being that fire is HOT and it was HOT outside, the fire was lost on nearly all of us except Benjamin and their son, Luis.  Benjamin LOVES fire!!