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Change
We can learn much from a tree. Colorful. Spectacular. Beautiful. Standing, being who they are meant to be. That said, in a few weeks they will experience loss. Bare. Exposed. Vulnerable. Enduring change after change after change. Nevertheless, there they remain. Bold. Present. Living. Standing, being who they are meant to be. “In a higher world it is otherwise, but here below to live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.” -St. John Henry Newman
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A New Hang Out
A few weeks ago on a Sunday afternoon our family decided to take a train to the city of Thun so we could jump on a boat to visit a castle that sits on Lake Thun. It is a place that we have seen many times but never gone. Well, we finally did. And then I had to go back!! For those who have come for a visit or have experienced the Swiss transportation system on your own you know that the efficiency and quality make traveling around this beautiful country very easy. We have become very accustomed to the accessibility of all forms of transportation that taking a trip…
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Man vs. Nature
There is something innate about the human person that when we find ourselves face to face with nature we believe we can conquer it. We believe we can win. Maybe it is ego. Maybe it is just human nature or more a “guy” thing. Or maybe it is the result of the first fall. Never the less, time and time again when we confront nature in its purest form we soon realize that we can never conquer that which is unmovable. Unconquerable. That which is undefeated. This is where I have found grace time and time again. And it is also why I continue to confront it. The humility that…
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Feeling the Falls
Photos were taken at Trümmelbach Falls in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland. They are considered to be the largest underground waterfalls in Europe. Growing up I remember thinking that my tendency to be introspective was a deficiency, almost a sign of weakness. So much so that in certain circles, especially participating in sports, I often felt less masculine. For I had bought into the “men don’t feel, men don’t cry, men don’t show emotion” mantra. I remember feeling like I always had to turn off my thoughts but I never could. As a result, my natural tendencies to feel and think brought about many insecurities. Today I am less insecure about it but…
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Opposites
It’s summer. Which means less structure. Late nights. Travel. And time to enjoy the warmth of the sun. For many of us we have spent the last few months counting the days until the first day of summer. Yet, after spending one week with our children in the house all day, it can also be the time when we count the days until school begins again. I am currently experiencing the second summer in Switzerland comprised of these types of days with my boys. Days in which I am both very grateful for and don’t ever want to change. For I know it is time that I will never get…
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Sunrise Over Lake Maggiore, Italy
Last weekend we traveled to Lake Maggiore, Italy for a long weekend with our most recent family guests. We had a great time in the quaint little town of Cannero Riviera. Here are some shots I took one morning as I walked the quiet streets at sunrise.
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Weather, Writing, and Truth
As the emerging clouds roll in here in Switzerland, they not only threaten the last glimpse of sunlight but also your plans for the day. And yet, just as the clouds move in and the rain comes down, the sun can reappear just as quickly, and with it, unexpected opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. The weather in Switzerland is unpredictable to say the least. The surrounding Alps have the ability to both hold in and prevent weather patterns to emerge which result in the drastic changes that we experience. (A few of us even refer to the weather as being schizophrenic in nature) On one hand the ever-changing weather can…
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A “Religious” Walk Home
I had an intense “religious” experience one night while walking home from my small Swiss village of Worb. An experience that not only prompted childhood memories of my past but gave my present day desires and future longings a place and time to be experienced as well. The pathway home was lit only by the reflective light of the full moon which reminded me of walking down a dark Pennsylvania road as a boy wanting nothing more than to know who I was in relation to this big world. And yet at the same time, the dark Swiss countryside was calling me to be present not only to my desires…
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Stockhorn
It was great to have my parents come for a visit a couple of weeks ago. We had a great time exploring both some familiar and new places here in Switzerland. One of which was the mountain peak of Stockhorn. It was a beautiful day and my parents were able to cross a few things off of their bucket list, namely a gondola ride to the top of a Swiss Alp.
