City gardens in Pittsburgh

I went to visit my sister who is living in downtown Pittsburgh (just about a half an hour from the town I grew up in) yesterday. My sister is serving as a FOCUS missionary for University of Pittsburgh, and living on the bustling city campus in Oakland. She just moved there a few weeks ago from a small rural Michigan College, so I get the sense that she will be learning what it means to be a contemplative in the city very much over the next few months. The area of the city that she lives in, however, is swarming with college students, rather than professionals, politicians, diplomats, and tourists, so ministry has a much different vibe than it would in D.C. All the same, I am excited to hear about her city adventures.

I enjoyed touring the area where she lives, and especially enjoyed stopping by the eclectic coffee shop and used bookstore in the university district. I am looking forward to exploring more of my native city with her. It was a particularly beautiful day, and the landscaping looked very lovely. I love finding greenery and flowers within the city, and especially liked this garden in front of the Carnegie Free Library of Pittsburgh. If you look hard enough you can see some folks reading on benches in the background. Looks like a perfect late summer afternoon activity to me!