This week, we have the privilege of hearing a different perspective, from one of my dearest friends, Jennifer.  She has had the opportunity to live in Europe for several months, and is in the process of planning for an even longer term move back there. She wrote this piece on her take on how different parts of the world view the perception of time. It's really eye-opening, especially if you've never been out of the US before to experience some of what she talks about.

How the world views time and why it matters

I have looked at the clock 4 times in the past 3 minutes. Once to tell my husband he needs to leave for his hair appointment, once to calculate how many hours until my friends' airplane lands, once to see how much longer until a load of laundry is completed, and once more to remember what time it is. Though a little crazy, I don't doubt that many us do the same exact thing. We're tied to a clock, a watch, phones, day planners and calendars. From the start of our day, alarms alert us to every event - waking up, catching buses, business hours divided by meetings, dishes washed, dinner parties, papers due, and endless activities all the way through the stroke of bed time. We know exactly what time we need to leave one engagement in order to make it precisely on time to the next. And somewhere in the middle of all of life's responsibilities, we're balancing friends, significant others, children, and a tiny bit of self-care.

This is how I've lived most of my life, at least. I've heard rumors of siestas and afternoon tea. The Lord of the Rings character, Pippin, stole my heart the moment he mentioned second breakfast, elevensies, and the separation of dinner and supper; not just because I love food, but because I love the sound of rest. The way I've chained myself to time has been exhausting and time itself is beginning to exhaust.

Three years ago, my parents gifted my brother and I, along with our spouses, with a trip to Europe. We had the typical attractions on our to-see lists, but we all went with open minds to soak in the cultures of our surroundings as well. While a morning entailed touring the romantic Cochem Castle and winding through souvenir shops along the Moselle River, we ventured yet a little further, around a forgotten corner to find a quaint local pub for our lunch. European restaurants operate differently than our systems in the States. In a European setting, you commonly seat yourself without the guidance of a host. Partially filled tables are fair game for joining, despite the currently dining guests (aka new friends). Waiters and waitresses typically check your table only if you indicate you need assistance. There's no rush to top your half-full beverages or fetch your bill. Time at a pub seems to stands still. There, I observed locals exchanging news of their families and businesses; people inviting one another back to their homes for dinner that evening; an ease, a relaxation, an enjoyment of food, information, and community. Perhaps my memories have since turned to nostalgia, but I hardly remember seeing a single person ever upset in a pub. My husband and I commented during our family vacation that we enjoyed this seemingly slower paced life. 

Presently, I've returned to Europe six times, a total of six and a half months or so altogether, and have experienced eleven different countries (including some outside of Europe as well). My husband and I lived a handful of months in the Czech Republic for one of those trips, and have known once unfamiliar ways of existence. While alarms still alerted us to the dawn in these settings, our commutes to meetings and events were joined by friends. Grocery stops and cooking meals was done alongside family. Children joined in chores and celebrated at parties. At the end of our days, our wine glasses and hearts were both filled; and we were excited to start our tomorrows.

Siestas and afternoon teas are not mere myths. Time is not always a burden; nor does it cease to exist, even in the pubs. However, time has different interpretations, as engrained in a culture as language and traditions. Our western way of understanding time is called chronos, meaning chronological or sequential; we place high importance on punctuality and consistency. Kairos understanding of time, usually described as the "slower paced life," is like a river; all the responsibilities, people and entertainment flow seamlessly together. Pause and progress are conjoined.

Having experienced both chronos and kairos, I find them often seeking reconciliation but mostly butting heads in my present way of life (a personal internal struggle admittedly). It's important to have a mutual understanding between the two. One is not better than the other; both are necessary for the revolving systems of the world. Understanding and respecting the culture you find yourself surrounded by is essential in the mundane of life as well as travel. Clocks, watches, phones, planners and calendars are unavoidable. Schedule the business meetings, dentist appointments, vacation hours and guided tours; but, remember that while time may not be simply linear, it is most definitely finite. So, when time whispers its invitation to pause, I urge you to venture around a forgotten corner and into a local pub. Who knows, they might still be serving second breakfast, elevensies, dinner or supper.

*Good news! Second breakfast and elevensies are for real! They're traditionally observed in Poland, Hungary, Britain, and even in our hardworking farming communities of the States.

**To follow my time-confused daily life and nostalgia of travels, follow me on instagram @CakesMcCrumbles