Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Simple Pleasures



Grayson and friends Malcolm, Sophie and "Aunt" Julie take in the view at OP Schnabel Park.


One of the best things about being home in Texas is the ability to get out, go hiking, and just enjoy nature. When we lived here we complained that you had to get in a car and drive to go anywhere. Now that we live in Indonesia we realize how lucky we were to have so many parks available to enjoy, and how easy those drives really were. There are certainly places to enjoy nature and the wonders of living in the tropics, but none of those places are an easy 15-minute drive from our place in Jakarta.


One of the other great pleasures for me is just driving. While David does drive on the weekends, I have not driven a car since we left Warrenton VA last August. The constant congestion combined with driving on the wrong side (to an American) of the road has left me dependent on the services of my driver Haryono. He is a great guy, the kids adore him, and he patiently puts up with me so I can't complain, BUT I MISS DRIVING! David arranged for me to have a cute little rental while I am here (see above picture) and I have had great fun just zipping from park to park (not to mention from store to store). I was worried about not having driven is so long but I haven’t had any problems except a bit of a lead foot and that’s nothing new.

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