Gray skies, you make it so easy to be lazy...
As I am sinking back into a more normal routine and figuring out how to spend my time here, I am feeling lonely. I am in my house all day, mostly alone. The kids are gone from 8 in the morning until 3 or 4 in the afternoon, and I am here alone. Although, part of me really enjoys this, I also really hate it! I don't have enough to do here and I am wishing I could use the time to really do things I enjoy, like scrapbooking or sewing. Unfortunately, I can't do either, since they require money that I don't have to spend on supplies. I am limited in the things that I can do, so most days I just watch movies or tv shows on Netflix. Reading is also an option, but I find it makes me tired and I even get bored reading for long amounts of time.
I know, I shouldn't complain. I'm living in Europe for free and getting paid to help take care of kids and a house. Sounds awesome, right? Well it is, but its not like I can really go anywhere everyday, or take trips every weekend. People don't understand that I'm really not making that much money. It costs about 5 euros to take the train to and from downtown, and if I want to save money for trips, I can't exactly go places everyday. So, I am stuck inside, alone most days. I would say I have about 5-6 hours of free time during the day that I try to fill everyday. And that doesn't even include the 3-4 hours I have in the evening. Unfortunately, I live away from the city, and there aren't many places to hangout or go in my town. Life just feels very slow and boring, which I am not used to. I was a college student for 6 years, always rushing from one thing to the next. There was always class, work, homework, friends or church activities to fill my time. Now, I have so much free time, I don't know what to do with myself. For an introvert, this might sound like heaven. But for an introvert, I can tell you, it sucks and I'm lonely.
I believe that one of the reasons God brought me here, and is keeping me here is to take a break and relax after 6 years of craziness, but right now, it's hard. Adjusting to this new life is hard. Slowing down is hard...