A KIND OF HUSH
December 28 2012
We’ve entered that moment, pre-departure, when the bags are packed, the many lists have been completed, doctors’ appointments done, a tooth replaced, presents wrapped and unwrapped, our Christmas celebrated with a gathering of family and friends, farewells taken, tears spent and, this afternoon, a massage for each of us. Now what?
There’s a kind of hush that seems to fall in the hours before going away, almost like flat-lining, and one feels neither here nor there. When this happens I’m ready to be there already, but this time I also feel the pull of leaving the familiarity of life lived in a place called home.
The hush is interrupted once in a while by little blips of panic. Well, flying, who loves it these days? And of course, there is snow forecast for the morrow. We’re a little bit like 2 kids right now, both wondering what on earth we are doing and wondering if we’ll get into trouble doing it. A whole year in Europe. It sounds so exciting doesn’t it? Every one we tell opens their eyes wide and tells us how great, how inspiring it is, but let’s tell the truth…who can plan a year? I keep telling everyone, well, you know, real life happens wherever you go. I don’t know if I’m trying to ease their envy or whether I’m reminding myself that really I have absolutely no idea what we’re doing.
We do seem to have a lot of ideas about what we want to do. First on the list being sleep, for days if necessary. And then we’ll discover the secrets of the house that will be our home for the first four months. We have ideas about taking walks and riding bicycles, of going to markets and cooking meals from local produce. We hope to play scrabble by the fire and visit and be visited by friends. I have the bright idea of taking the flight of stone steps two at a time, up to the top of the village, a sort of lunge-while-you-look routine to keep my recently toned thighs, toned. And reading. Lots of reading.
We talk of village we will revisit, of beginning new creative projects, separately and together, learning a bit more French that the bit we have. We’ll take the train to Paris for a few days and hopefully enjoy some lunches at our favorite restaurant in St. Remy…and while we’re there, pick-up some of those delicious chocolates.
We’re looking forward to leaving the cityscape behind and waking up to the peace and beauty of the countryside; of letting go of certain types of obligations, letting go of the calendar, letting go of ambition, just letting go and accepting that whatever happens was always out of our control.
Happy New Year to you all…we’ll keep you posted!