To Europe and Back Again

Last night, I wandered Vieux-Nice and drank wine beside the Mediterranean Sea before going to bed. Tonight, I am watching the light fade in the sky whilst comfortably sitting on my couch inside the yurt.

I am growing to realize that I live a life of stark contrasts. From our life in the middle of a field where one must carry in the day’s worth of water, to a Mediterranean vacation where one sips espressos in the market square each morning.

We spent the past two weeks in Europe, revisiting our old apartment in Vieux-Nice and witnessing the nuptials of two dear friends. While enjoying the sights, smells, and tastes of Europe I couldn’t help but reflect on how different my “other” life was in comparison.

enjoying the museum gardens

My life in the yurt consists of birds singing, minimal water, and listening to the radio. My life in France consisted of tourists, espressos, and live accordion music wafting in from the street below. The yurt boasts an outdoor toilet and a bucket to in which to wash laundry; the apartment boasted a hot shower and a washing machine. The yurt is in the middle of a field; the apartment is in the middle of an old city.

hanging laundry from the balcony

By day, in France, we visited museums, relaxed on the beach, and napped after lunch. When in the yurt, we wash and hang diapers, work in the garden, and nap after lunch. Some things apparently don’t change regardless of where we are in the world.

The apartment often smelled of fresh bread; the yurt often smells of wool. When I was hungry in France I ran to the market, a mere two-minute walk; when in the yurt, I run to the garden, a mere a two-minute walk. I wore high heels and dresses in France; I wear overalls and rubber boots at home. In Vieux-Nice, morning was heralded by the sound of street-washers, church bells, and espresso drinkers; at home, morning is welcomed by crowing roosters, and singing birds.

As one would imagine, I love my double life. I enjoyed being at the centre of Nice and able to profit from everything a city has to offer. However, I equally enjoy listening to birds sing whilst nestled in my armchair sipping tea.

a day at the beach

I relished the constant fellowship that a never-sleeping city offers.

Nonetheless, I also revel in the silence and simplicity the countryside expresses as I fall asleep in my big tent.

Each lifestyle compels me to appreciate its counterpart.