the pace of slow...

today, as i waited for j, kai and i walked through the city - stopping to look in every window. this is what i love about life here -- the pace, the sauntering, the slowness. we didn't have to hurry - we strolled even stopped to pick up a snack to share in a small park. as we strolled the streets, i noticed...yes, there was bustle, bikes flying past, scooters whizzing by - but  underneath all of that was this wonderful sense of slowness - of old men dressed in a fine suit walking casually down the sidewalk with their dog, friends catching up on life and the world over a cafe, and people savoring the moment with a gelato. my life has changed immensely since moving overseas and it is this slow pace that resonates with me most.