Another Date Night

Trust is a beautiful thing.

When we are here in Ljubljana, I think back often to how this whole thing started with a random email I received about applying for Fulbright grants.  It was April of 2009, Rosetta had just turned two, and the twins were ten months old.  I knew nothing about the Fulbright Program, but I did some research and thought it might be a great opportunity.  So, I popped the question to Chantelle about applying for it.

I fully expected one of her patented eye-rolls, a lengthy explanation of why thinking she might agree to haul three toddlers to a country where we didn’t know anyone or speak the language was poor judgment on my part, a punch in the nose, or some combination of these.  But, without flinching, she responded, “Absolutely.  Let’s do it.”

That sort of trust is a recurring theme in our experience here.  Last night, Chantelle and I had our annual date in Ljubljana (for some reason, it seems like we have as many dates here as we do in St. Paul).  On our way home, the owner of a small wine shop invited us inside to share a glass of wine and some cheese with he and two of his friends.  Of course, we couldn’t leave without buying a bottle, but because it was after hours, he couldn’t sell it to us.  So, he handed us the bottle and sent us on our way, saying, “No worries.  Just come back tomorrow to pay.”  And, of course, we will.