A blessing, a dream vacation come true...
Hello everyone! We just got back from a week's vacation at Côte d'Azur, South of France. It's beautiful there and it was indeed very recharging, refreshing, and reinvigorating. It was a much needed break from school for Jul and for me from the nagging reality of my domesticated everyday life.It was a wonderful blessing because it was an all-expense paid trip, not by us, but by Jul's dad and his generous best friend who owns the house.
At the beginning of this Summer Break, we've already come to accept that we might not leave for vacation. We spared money for it but the hassle was getting a Schengen Visa for me, (again), and another Visa for Czech Republic to visit Jul's grandfather. We could have had left for vacation to their rest house in the middle of a forest, also in South of France, if only my sister-in-law could have at least waited for us to finish our responsibilites at school. We needed to travel by car, not by plane 'cause it's simpler to pass the frontiers and I can 'legally' stay for at least 5 days anyway without getting that much time&energy-consuming Schengen Visa. And we've decided not to go to Prague because our budget only allowed one destination. But when one door closed, God opened another one, and it was more than we could ask for! We had a borrowed private little paradise all to ourselves, and we especially appreciated it when the beach got too crowded and when the winds blew hard at the seashore. The house has all the comforts of a modern-day home, with hi-tech facilities and wide plasma tvs. Even the pool has its own automatic, robot-like cleaner that looks like a hoover. We had 2 cars and 3 motorcycles at our disposal to be able to go around the region and check out the sights. I found myself one day holding a baguette in my right hand and holding on for my dear life to Jul with my left, while we were on a motorcycle ride, on our way back from the supermarché to the house. It was so cliché! (giggles)
We were also able to visit the glamorous (and too much touristic) town of Saint Tropez 'cause it was just a neigboring town from where we were staying. Jul and I don't like crowded places but it was a must-see. There wasn't anything extraordinary about its town, much like any other European town, but the busy and packed side of the pier was kind of overwhelming with all those gigantic yachts gleaming and screaming with, if not all, much of the money of this world.
It wasn't exactly a 'perfect' vacation (well, nothing in this world is perfect) for I had my share of awkward moments. Like when we had dinner at a restaurant with the owners of the house and despite of my french courses, I still find myself with a blank face while everyone's laughing their hearts out. I still have to brush up on my 'spoken' french, and widen my vocabulary with both formal and more commonly used words if I want to integrate myself further in the society and at the same time, in the work industry here. Not that I'm complaining but it does get tough sometimes. But nonetheless, it was an enriching experience.
How I feel that God loves me so much. He never fails to drop blessings like this vacation along the way to constantly remind me that life can be beautiful if we put our trust in Him. But He's also constantly teaching me so many things at the same time - patience and grace in spite of life's small and great challenges. My life is not perfect and I know that it never will be. But it doesn't matter as long as I walk through it with God.
Maybe most people would be a bit sad after a wonderful vacation has passed but not me. I am content to have had my share for now, and I am excited because I know that there is so much more to come! With God, the best is always yet to come!!!
Click on Fifi for some silly photos and for a glimpse of God's magnificent handiwork at the Mediterranean.:)
