first spring in the city

So this is my first spring, early summer in this city.I had been talking about emigrating to another country for weeks since warm temps seemed not to arrive in our beloved capital...! now i am so happy about t-shirt weather and sunbeams that allure me to run in the parks.
These past nine months have been one big challenge. Somehow i've gotten the impression that this life is one huge storm with a few relaxing and beautiful moments in between.. But Praise God, i'm still teaching, i'm still in the race- however, only b/c i'm convinced that i'm doing the right thing at the right time.
Once more i may learn not to get distracted by crazy painful circumstances but to trust and press on. I realized again that it is a true blessing to have older wiser friends around who widen my horizon. As a christian but also as a woman trying to figure out life in these days...
My dear colleague, who is teaching my students music on a professional level, was such an encouragement to me last friday- she has been a gospel choir leader for many years. She went through ups and downs, brilliant performances and discouraging attacks- however she always kept on doing her job. Many times she was at the verge of giving up her ministry, but she never did. She told me various stories of her choir members that had started to believe in God b/c of an encounter with her or the choir- and she would not find out until many years later. Sometimes it takes a long breath, a long time, a long season of fighting&enduring&speaking the truth until you can see some good come out.
This spring i'm finally in the process of getting to know quite a few new people, which is an encouragement to me as well. Although, while talking to a loyal girlfriend overseas, we realized that our good friends are spread all over the world nowadays, - still, i'm blessed with new friends in my area.
I'm anxious to keep my long breath and see whatz gonna happen this summer in this city!