One Week.

It’s October 7th. October?!? No, really. I remember it being New Years’ Eve as though it was just yesterday – sitting in Zaid’s living room with a pesky stomach bug that I was aching to fight so that I could celebrate the occasion. This year has proven to go by the FASTEST for me! Perhaps much of that has to do with how exciting the year has been... I rung it in with my brother, sister in law, niece and nephew in California; I finally saw Mumford & Sons live – in a mosh pit – at an incredible music festival; I managed to swing a Vegas trip with some of my closest girlfriends; I graduated from university; I lived in Quebec to improve my French; I visited with family in both Toronto and Germany; our family welcomed my second niece to the world; and finally, I did the overzealous idealist fourteen year-old-me proud when I made plans to move to Rwanda. I leave in a week! It’s crazy.

I’ve been having a nice time as of late. I came to stay with my grandparents again a week ago and that means being in downtown! I love the city here. Last weekend was a lot of fun. I spent all of Thursday walking around the quaint streets where my favourite shops are all lined up. On Friday my great aunt took my grandma and I out for Italian food, and I spent that night at a jazz show with my lovely cousin Ziba. The following night I went out with a group of my cousins and we danced until the wee hours of the morning at a new club called Noho – it was so much fun! 

View of the lake near my Grandparents' home.

Noho with the girls!

My mom arrived in Hamburg two days ago and it’s been such a treat to spend time with her! I’m really close with my parents and can’t really say that I’ve ever made a habit of neglecting to spend time with them; but there’s just something different about the conversations one has and emotions one feels knowing time with a loved one is limited to a few days. Needless to say, it’s been lovely and busy! We have plenty of birthday parties, family gatherings and last minute errands to run before I leave. One such errand was getting some of my vaccinations, including yellow fever and meningococcal – not fun. For fellow travellers: please avoid ever having vaccinations done in Germany, you'll pay an arm and a leg! That aside, I’ve just been really content and feel so grateful for this valuable time with my family. They definitely won’t make it easy for me to leave!

Exploring Hamburg.