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aryanhwyThough Wisconsin has many lakes, I never lived particularly near any of them -- not even when I was in Madison, a city bounded by three, one of which borders part of the campus. But my usual commute never took me near any of them, and only occasionally did I have seminar in the 5th floor seminar room that directly overlooked it. (One afternoon there was the most tremendous thunderstorm over the like, and slowly the seminar discussion died as we all turned and watched it slack-jawed. I've never seen colors like that before.)
Then, in Amsterdam, our apartment overlooked the Singel canal, with floor-to-ceiling windows meaning that every day for large parts of the day I was overlooking the river, with the waterfowl, the casual boats, and the every moving waves and sunlight upon them. It was really, really peaceful; I can't think of any time where I was anxious or unhappy where going at sitting on the couch and looking out the window for awhile didn't help.
Tilburg is one of the few cities in the Netherlands that has almost no water in it (at least, of the cities I've made it to with any regularity!). There were a few piddly little ones south of us, but I basically only ever saw them from the bus. There were many reasons we weren't entirely happy in Tilburg, but not having that beautiful water rippling by my window was certainly one of them.
One of the best parts of Heidelberg was my commute -- though I was unhappy that it was so far away (it wasn't that it took a long time but it was that I had to take Gwen out to nursery and then backtrack to get to my office. It was the inefficiency that bothered me: if the places of the two were swapped, so that I dropped her off first and then continued on to my office without backtracking, I wouldn't have minded going the same distance) -- was getting to bike along the Neckar every day. Whether it was sunny or foggy, raining or snowing or clear, hot or cold, it was beautiful every single day -- especially coming back home with a straight view of the castle.
So one of the things that I cherish most about Durham is that my present commute takes me over the Wear every day (and when we move, I'll STILL have to cross it -- twice! Three times while Gwen still goes to her current nursery.), because it, too, is beautiful every single day. Even if I'm running late, I'm never so late that I can't stop, pause, whip out my phone, snap a shot, smile at the beauty, and continue on. (And I always love how many other people who see me do so, also pause, and often also take a picture.)
This is what I walked home past yesterday afternoon.
I'm glad my life has led me near water.
Then, in Amsterdam, our apartment overlooked the Singel canal, with floor-to-ceiling windows meaning that every day for large parts of the day I was overlooking the river, with the waterfowl, the casual boats, and the every moving waves and sunlight upon them. It was really, really peaceful; I can't think of any time where I was anxious or unhappy where going at sitting on the couch and looking out the window for awhile didn't help.
Tilburg is one of the few cities in the Netherlands that has almost no water in it (at least, of the cities I've made it to with any regularity!). There were a few piddly little ones south of us, but I basically only ever saw them from the bus. There were many reasons we weren't entirely happy in Tilburg, but not having that beautiful water rippling by my window was certainly one of them.
One of the best parts of Heidelberg was my commute -- though I was unhappy that it was so far away (it wasn't that it took a long time but it was that I had to take Gwen out to nursery and then backtrack to get to my office. It was the inefficiency that bothered me: if the places of the two were swapped, so that I dropped her off first and then continued on to my office without backtracking, I wouldn't have minded going the same distance) -- was getting to bike along the Neckar every day. Whether it was sunny or foggy, raining or snowing or clear, hot or cold, it was beautiful every single day -- especially coming back home with a straight view of the castle.
So one of the things that I cherish most about Durham is that my present commute takes me over the Wear every day (and when we move, I'll STILL have to cross it -- twice! Three times while Gwen still goes to her current nursery.), because it, too, is beautiful every single day. Even if I'm running late, I'm never so late that I can't stop, pause, whip out my phone, snap a shot, smile at the beauty, and continue on. (And I always love how many other people who see me do so, also pause, and often also take a picture.)
This is what I walked home past yesterday afternoon.
I'm glad my life has led me near water.
