Chamonix

I am sitting in an internet cafe right now and feeling excessively lame to be inside...because I am in CHAMONX - A.K.A. HEAVEN ON EARTH. Seriously, this is the most beautiful place I have ever been in my life, and I wish I could post pictures, or that pictures would do this justice. It is clear blue sky outside, sun beating down...I am surrounded by charming houses with wood siding and shutters, and looking up at the French Alps. My view does not consist of mountains, it is DOMINATED by mountains!!! Oh my goodness...breathtaking to look up and see the WHITE snow jumping out from the background of the blue sky.

We splurged on an excursion up the mountain yesterday. For about $75, we purchased a ticket that allowed us to go up the side of Mt. Blanc in a giant cable car. (Galyn, be proud, we went for your advice! Mom - we are doign well with our budget, but sometimes we feel like splurges are necessary and are deciding to GO FOR IT rather than regret - I'm sure you'd approve, and I think of you everytime we make a necessary splurge.) We spent hours at the top, breathing in the beauty on all sides, taking pictures until our cameras died, and feeling ALIVE. Highlight of the mountain-top experience: when Greta dropped her trusty waterbottle, and it rolled off the edge of the platform we were on....dropping to the snow below and rolling down the slope to join the landscape at 12,000 ft. I could not believe how many people were hiking or climbing at the top of the mountain - so many grisly mountain men all over the place...I felt a little silly in my bermuda shorts and little puma jacket, and not at all hardcore -- but I loved every minute of it!

We have met the most amazing friends on this trip. Betsy and her mom Angie are staying at the same B&B that we are staying at, and Greta and I are spending all our time with them. They are perfect travel friends....except they both think I'm really entertaining when tipsy and Angie bought us several pitchers of beer at the pub last night to encourage my silliness...dangit. Being a good SPU student, I have not experience alcohol prior to this exciting post-graduation adventure...I have learned that I am a LIGHTWEIGHT - but you would all hopefully appreciate how happy, fun, and delightful I am when I have a few drinks in me. I don't plan on making a habit of drinking though...it kind of freaks me out to be rational in my mind, but acting so silly.

Anyway - Yes, we went to a pub last night....where my sister was the live entertainment of the night!!!!! Greta was playing her guitar in the garden outside our Chalet while we drank wine and ate bread, cheese, and fruit last evening. (A real tough life, right?) Phil, the owner of our chalet, heard her playing and told her that she could play for an audience if she wanted to. Long story short - Greta ended up playing the electric guitar backed by a band at a fun pub/microbrewery in Chamonix. She looked and sounded fantastic (though sadly, I was not the MOST alert and attentive spectator because I was feeling pretty fuzzy) and the pub owner told her that as long as she looked good, people would love her. He followed that up by telling her that with a guitar, she looked like "pure sex." It was pretty funny.

Don't worry Mom - we are being REALLY good and are responsible. We are looking out for one another, and have friends that are taking good care of us too. I only had 2 glasses of beer last night, and I was not tipsy enough to do anything foolish. Just tipsy enough to laugh a lot.

Sigh. I feel like I have been gone forever...home feels so far away, even though I think of you all daily and cannot keep my mind off of home for very long at all. I'm trying to soak up the experience of this trip and to learn everything He would have me learn...I am trying to make space to be guided by Him and hear His voice...Sigh.

Less than a month and I'll be home. It's going by very slow, but SPEEDING by at the same time. I feel like I am in the middle of a beautiful whirlwind, and while I am enjoying the sights, food, and people immensely...I cannot help but think that it will be nice to have my feet back on the ground again. But while I'm caught up in this whirlwind, I am trying SO HARD to just let go and enjoy it. You would all be so proud...

Ran out of time at the internet cafe, and I'm off. Sorry these are so long, but I am posting infrequently. You'll hear from me again in Interlaken, Switzerland where hopefully I will have stories of HEIDILAND!!!!!

LOVE LOVE LOVE!