You know things are bad when I don't blog for a whole week.  You know things are bad when I don't read for days in a row.  You know things are bad when I haven't opened my Twitter app in four days.

Well, honestly, things aren't THAT bad.  I'm too superstitious to say that things are ever BAD in fear that the universe would laugh at me and then make things worse.  Even after Jonathan broke his arm two days in country, I refused to say how bad things were.  Even after dealing with tiny apartment anxiety and finding out only HALF of our things would be arriving (the second half later), I refused to say things were BAD.  Even after our car got a flat tire and a dead battery. Even after my husband's laptop broke.  Even after my dog was almost eaten alive by a German Shepard (touché).  Even after all of that, I wouldn't say things were BAD.

BUT...

When the internet company told us that there were not enough available DSL ports in our village and we would likely not be able to get a permanently installed internet connection, well that's when the words "THIS IS BAD" were about to come out of my mouth.  I'm in the midst of an online degree.  I was in despair over the thought of being exiled from the blogiverse.  Without internet, we couldn't skype with our parents or call them on our Vonage phone.  The best they could do was a limited data stick that we blew through in one week.

For anyone who has ever said that technology makes you anti-social, I say bull!  The internet and my phone are what make us MORE social.  I know, I've lived without it.  I can't talk to my mom.  I can't see photos of my nieces & nephews.  I can't hear what's new in the music world.  I can't read my best friends' blogs. My kids can't video chat with their grandparents.  This whole theory of anti-social technology has been disproven, as far as I'm concerned.

So, we actually considered moving.  We spoke to the housing office, we began to look up moving trucks and new places.  My quirky apartment and amazing views had nothing on the importance of internet.  But alas, that very day we received an email from the internet company saying that they had  began construction on a new DSL line.  Basically, I'm not holding my breath.  For now, I'll deal with the data sticks as long as I know that in 2-3 weeks, I will have something more reliable.  I'm still able to do my class online, just can't watch the videos.  And look at this, I'm blogging.

So, I'm sorry that I have been absent.  I'm not going to lie to you...I shed real tears over having to cancel last week's book chat.  But don't you fret, the book chat WILL go on this week.

I'm excited about this one too.  This week is all about bookshelves.  Here's a whole site called Bookshelf Porn.  Fun, right? I'm trying to design my books' space in the new apartment so I'm scouring the web for ideas.  I thought this would be a fun little prompt.  You can share photos of your favorite bookshelves.  You can design your own, or give us a mood board of what your dream library space would include.  Have fun with it.  Pinterest is a good start.

As for the internet situation, I will keep you posted.  Even if I have to blog by way of carrier pigeon, I will keep blogging.  I thought about it today and considered what would happen if I just stopped blogging.  If I never sat down to write another post again, and honestly, it would be easy to just stop, but my life wouldn't be as fulfilling, that much is true.  Essentially, I would be less me.

Moving to another country has taught me that it is very hard to maintain the life you are used to living when you are not surrounded by the same things, people, customs, comforts as before.  It is a bit scary to feel like you're not living the same life as before.  It's hard to maintain the same habits and hobbies and feel the same way about them.  Basically, everything in your life must evolve with the change of scenery.  Therefore, my blog will have to evolve too.  It won't go away, it will just morph a little bit to fit my new life.  Book reviews and charming pictures of Jude are two things you can definitely count on.

If you read through that entire post, you should be rewarded with cuteness.