The Perfect Day

January 28, 2024

I recently had the perfect day.

It wasn’t what you’d expect; it wasn’t anything special. In fact, I think its ordinariness is what made it stand out. That day, I felt so human.

I woke up exhausted. I spent time with God. I went on a run. I felt the brisk sun. I worked for eight hours. I laughed with my friends. I cried when I got home. I ate a warm meal. I felt extra grateful. I felt extra alone.

- My journal entry from November 18th

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This week has been great in many ways, but it’s been hard too. It’s a weird transition after the holidays, going from my warm family home to my cold and drafty single-bedroom apartment. I spent a few days unsure of what to do with myself, but I’m getting it together now. We don’t start school till late February, so I’m trying to figure out a semi-productive routine for the next couple of weeks. So far, my daily schedule is:

-          Wake up (at any hour between 4am and 10am… thanks, jetlag!)

-          Watch a few episodes of Bluey (the Australian kids show) (they’re only 7 minutes)

-          Quiet time (journaling, reading, praying, etc.)

-          Go get a cappuccino (or two) with a friend

-          Study at the library or café (there’s a volunteer-run café/bar that I’ve been to almost every day this week. Lots of international students are members there, and it’s become my friends’ and my favorite place to go)

-          Go on a run (I signed up for a half-marathon in April… we’ll see how it goes)

-          Do something with friends (dinner, movie, drinks, etc.)

-          Go to bed (at any hour between 6pm and 3am… thanks again, jetlag!)

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Every day this week has been a full day—and totally mundane.

“If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special.” -Jim Valvano

This week, I’ve laughed a lot. It’s been so fun getting to catch up with friends over cappuccinos, hot cups of tea, home-cooked dinners, and glasses of wine. I’ve thought a lot. Exams are just around the corner, so every day is spent stressing and studying. There’s also the looming thought of summer plans yet to be made. I’ve cried a lot. The bank cancelled my credit and debit cards thinking me paying tuition is fraud, and the Italian government decided to raise the bills of international students by hundreds of euros without notice. Woo!

I’m “pretty much livin’,” as my grandma once said. Each day has a series of highs and lows, but I’m thankful I get to experience them as they come. I really feel like this life I get to live is something special—not because its perfect, or because I live abroad, but because I laugh and think and cry every single day. I get to have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10). Even through ups and downs, I trust that God in control and is leading me on the right path. What a beautiful thing it is to get to live and live fully!!