A few reflections

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First a little about myself. My name is Hope, I am now 19, I come from south west England and I have been living in the Lioba Klooster for four months. These months have been filled with surprises and life changing experiences, some of which I will share with you in the following posts.
 I came here with few expectations, my life had been so full of passing exams and applying to university, that I had little time to really think about what the following ten months would involve. This may not have been clever, as in the first few days I was asked many times why I chose to come here, i didn't have a proper answer, but the truth is, it just felt right.

I am going to try and write every few weeks, about something that has happened in the last few months followed by a present thought.
Let me start with my first impressions, followed by how I feel now.

When I first arrived I was struck by the landscape, the never ending fields surrounded by water, and by all the bikes. I thought I had stepped into a stereotypical dutch dream. As I reached the monastery this dream became more beautiful. The old stone walls, the orchard laden with fruit, and the last few blooms of autumn flowers was what i first noticed of my new home. 
My next impression was of the people who would become very important to me over the next few months. The sisters and brother all greeted me with genuine interest, and welcoming greetings. I can tell you, that there is nothing that can make you feel more comforted then heartfelt smiles, and in those first few days, I really appreciated all the kindness I received from everyone i met. I now feel a part of this community, and completely at home here. I want to say thank you to everyone who has help with that.

 Of course there are challenging times, moments of boredom and feelings of anguish or loneliness but these are balanced out by the freedom and peace that can found in the natural beauty of this place. 
When ever I feel these emotions build up in me, i go for a walk or seek the company of the many special people i have got to know over the last few months. Yesterday for example i was missing someone and i decided that i wanted to share the beauty of this place with them through a few photos of the monastery and the sun setting over the sea.
Experiencing this made me feel so happy inside and i didn't want to be anywhere else. 
That the end of my first post and i hope the images make you smile as they continue to make me :)

                                                              Hope