I’m in-between assignments today -I also needed some lunch, so I decided to take a brain break and sit outside. No headphones. No book. Just a pencil and paper. Just a bottle of soda. crest bitter lemon if you wondering.

There are few foreigners here, also called “muzungus”. The ones that are here are mostly missionaries or people on vacation. You rarely see the same faces for more than a few days. That might sound like it could be lonely or depressing, but it’s actually quite nice. You find yourself spending more time making friends with the local people and less time socializing with people just because they look like you. The fact they are only in town for a few days minimizes the chance you would see them at the same cafés over and over.

It feels good to sit in the same place for so long. It seems like it’s been a long time since I last stopped to smell the roses, let alone in another country. Between school, graduating, surgery, moving, starting grad school, our wedding, flying home for the holidays and all the things that come with daily life…and that’s just the past two years. It’s been a fast pace of always moving for more than that, so takin a few minutes feels good. Really good.

With all the people here that do come and go, it makes you realize how much you miss when you just blaze through a town, city, state or country; without sitting still. If we miss so much when we travel, how much do we miss when we are home? It makes you wonder if is matters, wouldn’t we all take in life’s little moments more? If we did, would we accomplish less? Even if we accomplish less, would we enjoy what do accomplish more? Makes you wonder what We have lost or gained by running through our lives more rather than just a brisk walk.