Summer Feelings

Emma's departure is coming up so very fast. In between I am sure she felt like this summer would never end. I know she is excited to see her friends and start her 2nd year of college. In the last weeks I have been collecting small memories for myself, to keep close to my heart once she is back on the other side of the ocean. We will both have to adjust to the time difference when it comes to communicating, It just is not yet defined when I will see her again and so it feels a bit more emotional than when I send her off on her first year.

My favorite part of sleeping on the same room was that at night, when the light was out and she could not sleep she would open up and talk. Nothing of real depth necessarily, just her thoughts of the day, of her future and anything else that came to her mind. We often giggled and laughed and I can't express how happy that makes me.

Yesterday we spend the day hiking in the Taunus Region, it is a very different feel than Maine, but still very beautiful. We had a perfect summer day, not too hot, lots of shade, very few people on the path and more than one time a bit of a view. I am glad to share this with Emma. We had quiet moments and good conversations, while soaking in the beauty around us.

I am not going to lie, going uphill proved to be a challenge for me, I was quite out of breath, but hopefully that will get better over time too.

The dogs had to stay behind, Mia simply can't handle 8 miles, but we grabbed them on the way home for a short walk and had some ice cream to round out the day. So simple and yet perfect.

Work life is starting to feel a bit more settled and despite the current situation I am looking forward to making some social connections soon, but I am grateful Emma agreed to a boring summer with family, so I get to stash away a few more memories.

All in all life is running smoothly somehow, and yet it still feels a bit surreal and not quite normal yet. Patience is not my strong suit and I am working on allowing the days to unfold as they wish, things can not be hurried along and one never knows how many days are ahead. So I try to stay present, to breath and to let go of the desire to control every outcome. It is not easy, but all I am seeking is progress.