Right Now

Springtime has come to Copenhagen. We have had something like four or five days of sunshine in a row. I was able to bring my medium-weight coat out of the closet and put away the down coat - instantly making me look at least 5 pounds slimmer when I walk down the street. With blue skies, anything seems possible.

I am sure that part of my sunshine addiction stems from growing up in Santa Fe, New Mexico with an average of 325 days of sunshine and blue sky each year. Yep 325 days. I can't seem to find an average of blue sky sunshiney days for Copenhagen, but it's nowhere near 325. This isn't to say Denmark is bad by any stretch. No place I have lived other then New Mexico or maybe El Paso, Texas, has provided me with enough sunshine. But after a long and dark winter, I am elated to have sun and fresh spring air streaming in my window. Aaah.

There is a particular rhythm to life in Copenhagen and this time of year is even more special because of how dreary winter can be. People all over town are outside. Ice cream shops and other seasonal businesses are re-opening, cafes are expanding their outdoor seating to take up entire sidewalks and to extend way out into pedestrian streets and city squares. All the outdoor chairs at the coffee shop downtown are filled with people, many of them eyes closed, faces toward the sun. It is as if the city takes a collective deep breath and all the people blow out their cozy candles and emerge from their homes at once.

For me, this time of year has always been artistically inspirational. A time to shake off the mental cobwebs and recommit to whatever it is I aspire to. This year, I will hopefully rediscover what it is I aspire to.

Like many women I know, I had a baby and lost my professional drive. Everything I used to do seems a bit devoid of meaning now after doing something more meaningful than anything else - having a baby and being a mom. However, I worked too hard and long in my schooling and professional life to just let go of my own aspirations. I realized that the one thing I have always wanted to do is write. All of my jobs have centered around writing and I am happiest when I have written. And so, I would like to publicly (if this blog has any readers anymore) state that I will be updating here at least three times a week as a path to rediscover my personal inspiration and develop new aspirations.

Riley has begun part time school and I have time to myself. This new thing, this time to myself, is a bit mystifying. I never had so little of it until Riley came along and then I went without it for about 21 months and to have it returned to me is both miraculous and terrifying. I have this luxury of being here in Copenhagen as an ex-pat and not needing to rush back into full-time employment and hopefully I can use this time to really choose a meaningful path for myself to go down next. Wish me luck.

Happy Springtime!