Stefanie & Ramona

Ramona and Stefanie

It was in July that I received an email from my sweet friend, Kathrin, who I wrote about on my blog three posts back. Her daughter, Stefanie, and friend, Ramona were backpacking for three weeks across Eastern Europe. They would be staying in hostels, but she wondered if they could stay with Dennis and I when they came to Hungary, one of the ten countries they were planning to visit.

The dates coincided with non-travel days for us. Of course, we would be delighted to host them in our home. And what a delight these twenty-something Swiss women were. Ramona's husband gave his blessing to a three-week separation since he was focusing on writing his thesis. Stefanie, an adventurer at heart, was set on seeing Eastern Europe by backpack and train before she headed to the states to work with inner-city children in New York City over the fall/winter months.

Taking them around our grand city of Budapest was a joy and a gift to me. I love the twenty-something age. Perhaps it's because I see the 20's as pivotal in my own life. Choices made in the 20's often determine the trajectory of life. So, it was a breath of fresh air to hang out with Ramona and Stefanie.

A grace-filled gift of summer 2011.