The promise of a recipe to come…

After the excitement of our arrival and the subsequent hustle to get the apartment set up and Max ready for school we are now easing our way into bit more of a “normal” routine around here.

For Glen and Max Monday through Friday now feels very much like home with their days structured around school and work hours. For me it has been a bit different.

Have you ever thought, “Wow, I just wish I had a few extra hours in the day, time that I could spend doing whatever I wanted!” Hmmm, suddenly I have quite a bit of time to do just that and yet it makes me feel a bit strange.

In Vancouver, with a family, and a house and a garden and a dog and a small business and friends the hours in the day simply flew by.

Here in Miami I still have my family and so my hours from 7 am to 9 am and from 3 pm until 10 pm are pretty busy and I still have a “home” which requires cooking and cleaning and the washing of clothes and linens. And I still have my friends and family at home that I connect with every day via phone or Skype. However, for the first time in my adult life (not including vacations) I have from 9 am until 3 pm completely free. That is five whole hours to do whatever I want. Five days a week! That is crazy!

There are of course things that I could/should be doing. I could wash the windows or clean out the utility room in our apartment. I brought down the year end for Glen’s company and could start sorting receipts and highlighting business statements but I am not quite ready to jump into that just yet.

So, for the last couple of days I have been thinking about how to embrace this change. Gail, a reader of this blog, left a comment on my last post about “embracing and enjoying” the changes here. I am trying to do just that. I am trying to embrace the solitude and stillness of my days and the lack of jam-packed-busyness that I have gotten so used to.

I do have a bit of plan though. I love having a plan, it is part of my type A personality.

Just like I can’t replicate my kitchen here I also cannot replicate my life here. I am planning on allowing the days for this first little while to unfold as they may.

I am planning on exploring this amazing city on foot and bike a little bit everyday.

I am planning on learning some french. I know this must seem weird to be trying to learn french in a city where everyone speaks spanish but I already speak enough spanish to get by, from my year as an exchange student in Mexico, and I have always, always wanted to learn French.  I certainly have the time to do it.

I am planning on really learning how to use my camera. To spend some time photographing every day. I am trying to learn more about light and shadow and exposure and white balance. Moving from my all white kitchen to the big wide world may make for some somewhat wonky photos so please bear with me.

And I am planning on sharing some of the photos with you all here. Like the one above. It is not attached to a recipe but will be soon. In the next couple of days or so. I have lots of time to cook these days!

Also, I would love any feedback. I have plenty of time to read your comments.