Chateau de Chambord

We were sitting on the bus that  Saturday afternoon on our way to Chateau de Chambord. The excitement to have a taste of what life was like in the 16th century was evident on our faces. He was looking at his phone, pretending to concentrate upon what he was doing, but to me it seemed as though he had something to say, but he did not know how to say it. Neither did I, we were both from completely different worlds and for awhile we were lost in thoughts. Then without removing his eyes from his phone, he said quietly and very slowly, “You know, my life was without color before I came to France. It was gray and dark. I am a very lucky person, there are so many times that I could have been killed back in Iraq, but I always sensed that God was looking out for me. Now that I am here, it is nothing short of a miracle and I am beginning to see color again.” I then smile and said, “We both can agree that truly the Lord is good.” As the bus came nearer to the Chateau de Chambord, amazingly the 21st century
disappeared and the colors did change, taking us back to the 16th century.

There was dancing, singing, and knights in shining armor. The castle came to life as 6 little girls, dressed in medieval custom, came down the double-spiral stairs as they counted all 274 steps. With 440 rooms, 284 fireplaces and 84 staircases, Chambord is the perfect place to get lost on a rainy day. After five hours of exploring Chambord, I was exhausted in a good kind of way.

On our way back to the bus, it was then that I began to realize how lucky I was. The people I get to meet , the places I get to go, and the wonderful stories I get to hear, make this adventure slightly surreal. I am falling in love with life, it is something that I cannot deny. A tear fell down my cheeks as I realized where I have been and where I am today is truly nothing short of a miracle.