My iPhone has saved me so many times these first few weeks of life in a new country. I can take off on a run in the middle of an unknown city and turn on my map feature if (when) I get turned around. I can pull it out at a restaurant and translate a word (or several) on the menu since they are usually written in French. If only we'd had our iPhones prior to poor Alex ordering the filet american (see blog post #2) on our homefinding trip last month :)
Because I am usually behind on technology and didn't have an iPhone in the States, I'm discovering the plethera of apps available for every need imaginable to mankind. Browsing the apps last night, I found one called "Today" that I wanted to pass along. While the app is fantastic (and updated daily), its more what I read on "Today" that I wanted to share with you. Here's the passage - it is so appropriate this post-Easter week:
"But Thomas, one of the twelve disciples, was not with them when Jesus came (after the resurrection). The other disciples therefore said to him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.
And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Jesus cometh, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst and said, Peace be unto you. Then he said to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger and see my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and put it into my side; and be not faithless, but believing. Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
Jesus saith unto him, Because thou has seen me, thou hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. Many other signs therefore did Jesus in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written, that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye may have life in his name."
John 20: 24-31
I'm often like Thomas: doubting. Moving across the world to a new place with a new language and nothing familiar, though exciting, can also rasie doubts and fears. I'm overwhelmed today at God's provision for our lives here in such a short time. We found a lovely apartment, a church and even friends who are already so special - all in just two short weeks. Why do I doubt?
Though Thomas wouldn't believe without seeing the nail prints in Jesus hands, a merciful Christ extended his pierced hand to his doubting follower. Jesus' next statement is profound: "Blessed are they that have not seen, and have yet believed." That is you and me...and Jesus has called us blessed.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Weekend day-trips
Its amazing how fast a week can go by in my new "unemployed" way of life! There has been so much to write about but Alex and I have been trying to get settled and complete the "arrival checklist" that I've been quite busy!
I want to catch you up on our fantastic first weekend in Luxembourg: our Saturday trip to the Vianden Castle and a Sunday afternoon drive through the wine country of the Moselle region of Luxembourg. Though we still have SO much to discover in Luxembourg City, Alex and I were in the mood to explore a few other parts of this beautiful country. Here are a few things we found...
Saturday:
The Vianden Castle (built between the 12th and 14th centuries) is about 40 minutes north of Luxembourg City. The quaint little town, on the edge of the German border, is situated right beside a river making it so charming and lovely. Here are a few pictures of the castle, itself...
Sunday:
After church on Sunday (we were blessed to find a really nice, English-speaking one!), Alex and I took a drive East toward the wine country. The wine region of Luxembourg is called the Moselle, named after the Moselle River, which serves as the border between Luxembourg and Germany. The Moselle is known for white wines - specifically reisling and champagne. Vineyards and wineries dot the banks of the river for miles and the sight was absolutely breathtaking!
So that, everyone, is just a hint of what you have to look forward to if/when you come visit us! Alex and I are really anticipating harvest in the fall because we hear the vineyards are even more gorgeous when they are full of grapes!
On one last note, today is Good Friday and we've discovered that Easter is celebrated in a huge way in Western Europe and Luxembourg. Schools are closed for 2 weeks and businesses take today and/or Monday off in honor of the holiday. It is so refreshing to find that Easter is a very important time of contemplation and celebration for this culture. May we remember that our faith is grounded in the miracle that occured so many years ago on Easter and my our hearts delight in the redemption that is now ours because of it.
Love until next time...Melanie
I want to catch you up on our fantastic first weekend in Luxembourg: our Saturday trip to the Vianden Castle and a Sunday afternoon drive through the wine country of the Moselle region of Luxembourg. Though we still have SO much to discover in Luxembourg City, Alex and I were in the mood to explore a few other parts of this beautiful country. Here are a few things we found...
Saturday:
The Vianden Castle (built between the 12th and 14th centuries) is about 40 minutes north of Luxembourg City. The quaint little town, on the edge of the German border, is situated right beside a river making it so charming and lovely. Here are a few pictures of the castle, itself...
(Yep, I'm sure the coat looks familiar :) So excited that our air shipment - the rest of my clothes - arrives in a few days!)
(These adorable little sheep were beside the road on the way home and I made Alex pull over :)
After church on Sunday (we were blessed to find a really nice, English-speaking one!), Alex and I took a drive East toward the wine country. The wine region of Luxembourg is called the Moselle, named after the Moselle River, which serves as the border between Luxembourg and Germany. The Moselle is known for white wines - specifically reisling and champagne. Vineyards and wineries dot the banks of the river for miles and the sight was absolutely breathtaking!
Alex and I started our journey in Remich, one of the "larger" and more southern Moselle communities. The first "cave" (cellar) we found was appropriately named St. Martin's so, of course, we stopped :) The gentleman inside the "cave" let us taste as many wines as we wanted and we ended up taking two bottles home. After our tasting, Alex and I decided to drive up the Moselle to check out other caves for future trips and the scenery continued to amaze us...
So that, everyone, is just a hint of what you have to look forward to if/when you come visit us! Alex and I are really anticipating harvest in the fall because we hear the vineyards are even more gorgeous when they are full of grapes!
On one last note, today is Good Friday and we've discovered that Easter is celebrated in a huge way in Western Europe and Luxembourg. Schools are closed for 2 weeks and businesses take today and/or Monday off in honor of the holiday. It is so refreshing to find that Easter is a very important time of contemplation and celebration for this culture. May we remember that our faith is grounded in the miracle that occured so many years ago on Easter and my our hearts delight in the redemption that is now ours because of it.
Love until next time...Melanie
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Sneak peak of Lux video
Happy weekend, everyone! Here's the link to a little video (that begins with a few photos) that Alex and I shot with our iPhones that will give you a little glimpse of what its like in Luxembourg City. Forgive us as we're out of breath after walking up a HUGE hill at the beginning and not very good videographers, in general :)
Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt72VeDjqZs&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Friday, April 15, 2011
Alone in Lux: Day 1
Yesterday was Alex's first day of work, which meant that it was my first day solo in my new European home. My first task was to drive Alex to work in the manual shift rental car, which is a lovely red "Ibiza." Here she is in all of her splendor...
After our initaial drive from the airport, I was terrified to get behind the wheel. (I owe a lot to my dad, who taught me to drive a 5-speed when I was 16 because this would have NOT been the time to learn.) The drive, thanks to dad and the map on my iPhone, went just fine and Alex made it to work - almost on time - but that wasn't the Ibiza's fault.
My second event for the day was a "welcome coffee" at the American Women's Club. The AWCL is open to any English speaking native living in Luxembourg and I went for the single purpose of making friends and meeting people. Because I didn't want to attempt to drive again quite yet, I walked a little over a mile to the clubhouse and was greeted by about 20 other women who were mostly in their 40's and 50's. Luckily, there was a seat open by one of the two young girls in the room who I imagine will become a good friend. My new friend and I talked about all the opportunities the Women's Club offers (fitness, hiking, book clubs, happy hours, etc.) and I decided to join. After all, my schedule is quite free these days :)
After a nice walk home, I had lunch and mentally prepared myself for the Ibiza again. This time, my drive would be to the Auchan - the huge grocery superstore across town. This drive didn't go quite as well because I got a little off track (lost) coming and going but I did come out with the item I went for - my very own poussez. If you read my 2nd blog post, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Here she is!
After our initaial drive from the airport, I was terrified to get behind the wheel. (I owe a lot to my dad, who taught me to drive a 5-speed when I was 16 because this would have NOT been the time to learn.) The drive, thanks to dad and the map on my iPhone, went just fine and Alex made it to work - almost on time - but that wasn't the Ibiza's fault.
My second event for the day was a "welcome coffee" at the American Women's Club. The AWCL is open to any English speaking native living in Luxembourg and I went for the single purpose of making friends and meeting people. Because I didn't want to attempt to drive again quite yet, I walked a little over a mile to the clubhouse and was greeted by about 20 other women who were mostly in their 40's and 50's. Luckily, there was a seat open by one of the two young girls in the room who I imagine will become a good friend. My new friend and I talked about all the opportunities the Women's Club offers (fitness, hiking, book clubs, happy hours, etc.) and I decided to join. After all, my schedule is quite free these days :)
After a nice walk home, I had lunch and mentally prepared myself for the Ibiza again. This time, my drive would be to the Auchan - the huge grocery superstore across town. This drive didn't go quite as well because I got a little off track (lost) coming and going but I did come out with the item I went for - my very own poussez. If you read my 2nd blog post, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Here she is!
A "poussez," as the locals call it, is what you bring with you to the Wednesday and Saturday morning markets to haul your fresh fruits, veggies and flowers back home in. I've been anxiously awaiting the purchase of this item and am now ready for the market!
Lastly, I'm excited to share that Alex and I have Friday night plans...with PEOPLE! We have a happy hour with the American Women's Club for members and their husbands and then we have our first Lux double date with a Luxembourg guy who studied for a semester at Vanderbilt and his girlfriend who I'm thrilled to meet!
Tomorrow, Alex and I are going to take a little day trip to Trier, Germany, which is only about 35 minutes away. I'll take pictures and blog our adventure when we return! I'll also be posting a 5 minute video that Alex and I took this week of the city and our apartment! It will give you a glimpse of what it looks like where we live and where we'll be spending the next few years!
Love until next time...Melanie
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
5 Things...
After about 11 hours of travel, Alex and I landed safe and sound (along with our 9 checked bags, miraculously) in Luxembourg yesterday morning. Here's a picture of Alex with the embarassing display.
It has already been a very eventful day and a half and I thought I'd share a few lessons we've already learned. Here's the official list...
5 things we've learned in Luxembourg in 24 hours:
1. HAIR GEL IS UNIVERSAL (UNFORTUNATELY) BUT VINEYARD VINES AND LILLY PULITZER ARE NOT. I think our clothes are going to give us away, folks.
2. ALWAYS CHECK TO MAKE SURE BOTH KEYS OPEN YOUR DOOR WHEN GIVEN TWO TO YOUR NEW APARTMENT (especially when you don't yet have a phone, a language or a single friend). Alex and I were locked out of our apartment yesterday for quite some time but the bartender at the restaurant below our flat allowed us to use his phone to call our relocation consultant (thank goodness I had her card in my purse) who called building management to come let us in. I'm sure no one was inconvenienced in the process ;-)
3. EVERYONE DOES *NOT* SPEAK ENGLISH IN LUXEMBOURG. Even our new French tutor just emailed us... in French. Does that seem a little funny to anyone else? I'm thinking that if we could have read it, we wouldn't need her.
4. iPHONES COST $1,000 IN LUXEMBOURG. Luckily, I didn't learn this the hard way (and we got ours for a fraction of the price for a 2 year contract) but I've been informed that I've only got one shot at this.
5. BUS DRIVERS ARE NOT LENIENT WHEN YOU DRIVE THE WRONG WAY DOWN A ONE WAY STREET. I never though about the fact that street signs would be different here but if there's one I should learn, its the "one way / do not enter" one. Don't worry, Mr. Bus Driver stoped before he hit us but he made it pretty clear that he wasn't happy about it :)
Hopefully, we've learned our important lessons for the day. Tomorrow, I'll send photos or our apartment and even a video (if we can figure out how :)
Love until next time...Melanie
It has already been a very eventful day and a half and I thought I'd share a few lessons we've already learned. Here's the official list...
5 things we've learned in Luxembourg in 24 hours:
1. HAIR GEL IS UNIVERSAL (UNFORTUNATELY) BUT VINEYARD VINES AND LILLY PULITZER ARE NOT. I think our clothes are going to give us away, folks.
2. ALWAYS CHECK TO MAKE SURE BOTH KEYS OPEN YOUR DOOR WHEN GIVEN TWO TO YOUR NEW APARTMENT (especially when you don't yet have a phone, a language or a single friend). Alex and I were locked out of our apartment yesterday for quite some time but the bartender at the restaurant below our flat allowed us to use his phone to call our relocation consultant (thank goodness I had her card in my purse) who called building management to come let us in. I'm sure no one was inconvenienced in the process ;-)
3. EVERYONE DOES *NOT* SPEAK ENGLISH IN LUXEMBOURG. Even our new French tutor just emailed us... in French. Does that seem a little funny to anyone else? I'm thinking that if we could have read it, we wouldn't need her.
4. iPHONES COST $1,000 IN LUXEMBOURG. Luckily, I didn't learn this the hard way (and we got ours for a fraction of the price for a 2 year contract) but I've been informed that I've only got one shot at this.
5. BUS DRIVERS ARE NOT LENIENT WHEN YOU DRIVE THE WRONG WAY DOWN A ONE WAY STREET. I never though about the fact that street signs would be different here but if there's one I should learn, its the "one way / do not enter" one. Don't worry, Mr. Bus Driver stoped before he hit us but he made it pretty clear that he wasn't happy about it :)
Hopefully, we've learned our important lessons for the day. Tomorrow, I'll send photos or our apartment and even a video (if we can figure out how :)
Love until next time...Melanie
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Saying Goodbye
I'm sitting in my living room right now surrounded by boxes and my four really strong new friends - JJ, Mike, Robert and Andrew. They are packing and moving everything we own and will either take it to storage or to our sea container: destination Luxembourg. In 4-6 weeks, our stuff will arrive and be lifted up (via some sort of crane apparatus) to the third floor and through the window of our apartment on Ave. Monterey.
I've always hated goodbyes and this week is going to be full of them. Today is Tuesday and Alex and I will be leaving Nashville in four short days. Leaving Nashville to go to Luxembourg is bittersweet; mostly sweet with the bitter part being saying goodbye for a season to friends and family that I love dearly. The past few weeks have been rich, though, and we've tried to soak in everything and everyone. In addition to the fun double dates and lunch dates, a highlight for us was definitely our going away party this weekend thrown by some of our best friends. The party was on the fabulous back deck of our favorite sushi spot, Zumi, and the weather couldn't have been more lovely. We were even given a coffee table book about Nashville that everyone signed. So special. Here are some pictures!
While Alex finishes up work this week, I'm taking care of some remaining house stuff and doing lots of cleaning. Because we won't have any furniture after today, our home until Saturday will be the Loews Vanderbilt hotel which, I must say, I'm quite looking foward to! Saturday morning, we'll be off to Atlanta to say goodbye to my family, leave our cars and hop on our one-way flight to our new home! At that point, I'll have much more to write about and many more pictures to share so tune in!
Before I go, I'll leave you with one last picture that sums up my day well...
I'll explain...I meant to eat BEFORE the movers packed the silverware but I didn't make it in time. The only "utensil" (and I use that word loosely) that I could find to eat my Trader Joe's veggie enchilada with was part of Alex's grilling tool set. Emily Post would disapprove but a girl's gotta eat :)
Love until next time...Melanie
I've always hated goodbyes and this week is going to be full of them. Today is Tuesday and Alex and I will be leaving Nashville in four short days. Leaving Nashville to go to Luxembourg is bittersweet; mostly sweet with the bitter part being saying goodbye for a season to friends and family that I love dearly. The past few weeks have been rich, though, and we've tried to soak in everything and everyone. In addition to the fun double dates and lunch dates, a highlight for us was definitely our going away party this weekend thrown by some of our best friends. The party was on the fabulous back deck of our favorite sushi spot, Zumi, and the weather couldn't have been more lovely. We were even given a coffee table book about Nashville that everyone signed. So special. Here are some pictures!
Before I go, I'll leave you with one last picture that sums up my day well...
I'll explain...I meant to eat BEFORE the movers packed the silverware but I didn't make it in time. The only "utensil" (and I use that word loosely) that I could find to eat my Trader Joe's veggie enchilada with was part of Alex's grilling tool set. Emily Post would disapprove but a girl's gotta eat :)
Love until next time...Melanie
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