Serenity in the City

Last night as I was writing my entry about "Rough Seas Ahead", I was sitting outside on my balcony.  The balcony really hasn't been used since up til last week, I didn't have any furniture on it.  We have a great rooftop terrace that we are in the process of decking out and so our bedroom balcony wasn't a huge priority.

But I wish we'd made it one before.  You see in our old apartment, we were completely on top of each other, none of us with our own personal space.  In this new apartment we've been lucky to be able to spread out a little bit.  But I hadn't really thought of this tiny little balcony as much of a personal space before.

A few weeks ago, I was at Bauhaus (our answer to Home Depot) with a friend and I noticed this chair on sale that I was going to buy for the balcony.  My friend had one just like it and since she was moving said that I could take hers.  Sold!!  Aidan and I picked up the chair amongst a few other things last week and it's just been sitting there.  I haven't had any mornings to just sit out which is how I had anticipated using it - I figured it would wait til the fall when the kids would be back in school and I'd have some more time on my hands.

Yesterday, as you know, was a bit of a rough day.  So when I put the kids to bed around 8:30, I decided to head upstairs with my laptop and sit out on the balcony and just chill.  It was a beautiful night with a light breeze.  I threw on my playlist in my itunes and just started writing my blog.  As I typed, I couldn't help but notice just how serene our back "yard" is at night.  Yes, we live in the middle of the city, but our street is pretty quiet overall and the courtyard area (none of it shared, all private per building but overlooking each other) was completely silent.  By 10PM there was not a light on in any buildings surrounding the courtyard.  It was me, the laptop, my music and the stars.  Not a sound to be heard beyond my typing and some mellow music.

My hope was to type and to watch the Perseid meteor shower, but alas Mother Nature had other plans and around 11:15 it started to sprinkle out.  Regardless, I ended up with just about 3 hours of complete peace and quiet.  Such tranquility that for a few minutes I forgot that I was in Spain and could have easily have been on my back deck in Attleboro (ok missing the sound of the peepers and crickets but you have the idea, it didn't feel like the city).  It calmed me being out there.  It relaxed me.  It made me feel like everything is going to be ok.

And with Josh in the States until next Monday, guess where you'll be able to find me for the 7 nights??

My new favorite spot in my house... 

Our "courtyard" of buildings around us...

Besos,

Julie