Routinely Extraordinary

Just this morning I remembered something my boss in Calgary, Mel, told me when I was looking for a job in another country. Mel has had TONS of experience working and living abroad, and she told me the best thing about being in a new country is that EVERYDAY is interesting because you see and experience something new and different that you have never have before. I totally agree with her… the best thing about being here, or anywhere new, is that normal, daily routine things are so extraordinary, and when you actually sit back and look at your life it is so unbelievable.

Here it has become routine to live in a district that is “what Times Square is to New York” and to live in a flat with people five people, each from a different country, with different academic backgrounds, and life aspirations. On the weekends, we usually hang out with a group of people from about fifteen different countries, but who are all very smart, open, and energetic people. In just one weekend I met my new roommate, Lumi from Romania, saw Nadya and Martha return from IC in Poland, had a flatmates dinner,
went dancing with a huge group of interns, went to lunch with a lawyer and a software engineer, slept on a beach for two hours, went shopping in an amazing beautiful market and had a casual dinner on a terrace with Martha and Pablo from Colombia.

I guess it is really important on an experience abroad, or anywhere, to sit back for a minute, shake your head and realize how truly great life is!

Here are some pics of our crew from Saturday night…
http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2102046530

Pics from the beach and roommate pictures coming soon!