Here.

Less than ten days ago, I was here...on a cruise ship in Spain with a butler named Johnathon, a balcony overlooking the Mediterranean, daily bread and butter and ice water and sunshine, and most importantly, my family.

Today I am here...being made homemade dumplings for lunch by head nurse Sherry after I finish tutoring her high-school son...

Here where I receive 1am text messages from my hair washers asking me why I haven't gone into the shop to see them since I've been back. (answer: I'm broke).

Here where I pass a man selling live ducks tied to a stick outside Sherry's apartment complex...

Here where I dry heaved on the bus to class this morning because a man was spitting loogies into a napkin in front of me.

Here...where I found a bag of Ukranian candy left for me by a dorm-mate who just returned from a summer trip home...

Here where young grocery store employees pointed and gasped as I meandered by cart by their tea stand. "Look at the white, white foreigner with pretty eyes!"

Here...where I fill this bucket with hot water from the boiler to hand wash my unmentionables...

Here where I live.

I caught myself today thinking about how nice life was a week ago. How comfortable and beautiful everything was. How I dressed nice and didn't sweat through my clothes. How I had an amazing shower and fresh towels. Not in an uber longing way - but in an Hmm...that was really nice, kind of way.

And then I thought about the depth of my life here. Sherry and ducks and hair washers and international community and sacrifice and blessing.

Here. It's all here.

walk slow. xoxo.