Skip to main content

Counting down.

Not long till I head off back to Kansas City now. It is starting to sink in. I’ve had friends visiting till yesterday, and so it’s seemed quite far off. But now I realize that it is less than a week till I again bring my packed bags to the airport and yet again relocate for a time. Don’t get me wrong, I am very excited about all that this new chapter entails, it’s just the process of change I find a bit unsettling, which isn’t really surprising seeing as I am un-settling from here and settling in a new place.

I was writing a list of the things I need to get done. The problem with my lists is that although they are good to have, having written something down doesn’t mean I get round to doing it quicker. It’s there, and it will get done, but I tend to get distracted by other things that pop up along the way which probably didn’t need doing at all, but which I end up doing first (I was going to write instead, but that wouldn’t be accurate). So the list is written, or at least started. I was translating my newsletter yesterday and getting it ready for send-out (another item on my list), maybe I’ll tick that item off today.

It feels good to be going, but also daunting, and although I feel a real peace, I am a bit curious of how it’ll be. I try to not to have many expectations, but we all know that even if you think you don’t have expectations, you usually have some hidden somewhere, and you only realize they were there when they aren’t met.

That’s me for today, or at least this morning.

Popular posts from this blog

Taking in the familiar and a heart connected.

Amsterdam. It still has that muggy feeling in Summer, and a constant flow of people which if you stop to think about it, it's quite amazing that there would even be space to accommodate them all. But then I guess they are not all staying. Just passing through on their way to or from somewhere. It's always good for the heart to visit somewhere that was once home. The familiarity of streets and customs makes it easier to embrace what might be new as well as the joy of being reacquainted with old friends. Friends. So many of them to be found in this city, ready with hugs and good words that are uttered when seeing someone who was away again. Friendship. A treasure that cannot be bought. Cobblestones trodden by many, including myself. Sitting on a bench. Praying. Remembering the first time I stumbled upon this area lined with windows with red lights and curtains. An area which has come to represent no longer windows, but people to me. Some still behind a window. Others who have ...
Read more

Getting to know the local culture.

Life is a strange thing. Last week went…not much happened, and then it was over. The weekend was quite calm without too many wild and exciting things happening. Except, of course, a wee outing to watch the National Championship for Veteran Ploughing. Now, like me, you might be sadly lacking an understanding of what this actually means. So I am delighted to be able to enlighten you in this respect. It’s basically (for the “farm-language-illiterate” like myself) a competition where you use old (hence the name “veteran”) tractors and ploughs, and plough up a stretch of field which is then evaluated and the one scoring the highest sum (accuracy, depth, how well the soil is turned is all given points) wins. I must admit that this information I got by eavesdropping on a conversation next to me where a man was explaining to some of my friends how it all works. So that was a fun adventure….although we only stayed for a bit. What is sort of occupying my mind at present is my upcoming travel abr...
Read more

What was your dream?- scraping the surface of the heart of Albania

“What was your dream when you were 20?” That was a question our guide asked us as we were standing outside a huge derelict cement monument in Tirana, the capital of Albania. We’d spent the day touring and hearing a lot about the history and journey of Albania, a young country with more Albanians living in other countries than in Albania itself. A country where tourism has only really been built up the past 30 years. It was eye opening to hear more of the history, and it made me realise that this country is so much more than meets the eye. A country where the beaches and tourist area of Durres Riviera was packed with tourists, mostly from the Balcan area. A country where hospitality is ingrained in the culture, and where the friendliness of the people was noticeable. After a pause to let us reflect over the question of dreams, for some thinking further back than others, our guide told us that for him it had been to own a pair of jeans. That simple fact said so much. Both of what he...
Read more