The Sun is Shining in Bradford

Three weeks ago I said goodbye to the people I love with the pupose of moving to an obscure place called Bradford, England to study Peace Studies. As I have been with all huge life changes, I was a bit of a mess. Thank God the transition has been made and I have, slowly but surely, begun to establish a little life for myself here in Bradford.What makes this transition so very easy are the people who grace this place... my lovely Canadian room mate who drinks coffee like its her religion and brings warmth and friendship to our little flat, my Rotarian "family" who spoil me with their affection and insist that I treat them just as I would my family at home, my charming British friend who has worked in Kosovo and Northern Ireland as a drama therapist and constantly reminds me that there is a place for us crazy art therapists in the world of Conflict Resolution, and the list goes on... Our program has a little over 100 students coming from 42 different countries. It is mysterious and beautiful to see the friendships evolving, perspectives changing, and life being shared between all these different individuals as we come together, share our views, and listen a lot. From where I sit, I can see outside my flat window. The sky can't seem to make up its mind and the rain is streaming down with sunshine peaking through the clouds. It reminds me that life is a mixture of rain and sun. This year America will spend more money on its military than the top 45 spending countries in the world combined. But there is some sun shining here in Bradford as professors and students from all places, backgrounds, and religions have come together to talk about a different way.