(this has quickly become my favorite place) 

my first two nights here were quite difficult. I cried myself to sleep because I think it’d finally hit me that I was not going back to college anymore, that I wouldn’t be living with my parents anymore, and it was time to learn to live on a budget in a european country. the big girl pants you yearn for your entire life were finally mine and all I could do was plead to do it all over again.

my third morning here came as an incredible blessing. I got to sleep late, work out and eat waffles on the back patio. I got to enjoy the house and alone time and have a taste of what my normal days are like and the peacefulness I’ll get to enjoy while the children are at school.

ali (the summer au pair that overlapped with me for the past week) was taking care of the girls and josephine had asked to be read the bible. I could hear ali reading from matthew, taking particular care to repeat it specifically for each of them. and I laid on the yoga mat and said to myself, the Lord said, Christina, I will be with you always. 

matthew 28:20 holds a special place in my heart and my mom’s. it was the verse that sat on our fridge for the better part of our lives and the verse that each time I hear it brings sweet tears and a huge comfort and I’ve never been more thankful to hear it than then.