15 February 2011

time out

I woke this morning to the sound of the sea pounding, the curtains flapping in the wind, and a row of surfboards looking across at me. How different this is from my life in Italy! No iron bars on the windows, no problems with security, a simple life far from the pollution of Europe and the struggle with living life in another language.

As I put the endless towels on the clothesline I counted more surfboards and wetsuits... at least another 6 neatly laid in a row, and that's without going into the resident surfer's room. After school the front lawn is littered with the bikes and cars linked to the surf boards, and suddenly I am immersed in yet another language I understand only partially.

I went to Auckland a couple of weeks ago, and while my time there was pressured rather than relaxing, with work to do and people to meet, I managed to walk along a beach there too. It was not the same. Give me rural New Zealand ahead of the cities any day.

Time to think.

My Italian friends say that when Kay is thinking it is dangerous for them. Friends here think that I am living "The Dream" in Italy and all want to have a little part of that dream. Perhaps it is their dream that I am living, not mine. My dream is to be near family, to paint and to write, and to make a positive difference in the world. To achieve that I need to be in at least four countries at the same time.

I keep hearing that "Life is a Journey". That might well be, but for now I have chosen to opt out, leave the path and stay at the beach for a bit, kick off the shoes and "glad rags", focus on family and Legato, (write long sentences with many co-ordinate and subordinate clauses, pondering whether to hyphenate or not) and just be me.

Today I am grateful for nephews who surf.

2 comments:

Teacake said...

> To achieve that I need to be in at least four countries at the same time.

Not so! Four countries in the same year would be nice, still difficult, but do-able. And some of the people you are thinking of do travel themselves. Four countries in two years?

If you think and plan positively, you're halfway there, but as I've said before, you need to know what you want.

Why live someone else's dream? What's your dream, specifically? Identify that, at least for yourself, and many, many potential plans (paths?) will come.

PS Great beach, awesome people :-)

PPS I have found Edward de Bono's six thinking hats useful in the past.

Sarah said...

I think 'living a dream' is not about location. It's about self acceptance, self awareness, and doing what you love to do. You can make a difference to everyone, wherever you may be.
Love you mum.
Go for a surf!