This whole time (Italy, France…) is a lesson for me that my life experience is entirely a reflection of what’s going on between my own ears. For instance, Americans always say “The French are arrogant and unfriendly!”, but I refused to walk around Paris with that belief and viewpoint. So I extended myself and was receptive to the friendliness that was offered and had an entirely different experience than what others might have come away with. I’m sure that if I had believed the French were arrogant, I could have found all sorts of experiences to prove that belief!
This is an example for all of life, no matter where I am or what I’m doing. My trip here a year and a half ago was an earlier, very concentrated lesson in this. I remember thinking then, “Gee, this is a reflection about living life, not just traveling in Italy.” So it has made me more flexible, more open to the unexpected, more willing to change my own thinking and see things from another angle.
I think that another purpose for my being here is to figure out what I’m really passionate about. This is a time to pause and hone my thoughts about what I really love to do, how I love to spend my time… and with whom. I’m here to figure out what I’m passionate enough about that it’ll carry me for the next 20 or 30 years.
(Right now, whittled down to simplicity, I know it has to do with writing, making images and forging connection and community.)