Bows and flows of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
~Joni Mitchell, Both Sides Now
What do the clouds look like where you are today? Are they billowy, fluffy balls of cotton? Wisps of fairy floss high in the sky? Or armed giants come to wipe out the sun and bring torrents of rain? Or … have you noticed them at all?
The clouds here today are little toddlers on the horizon, peering up at the big blue sky and not sure if they are allowed to jump onto its big bed and play. I am secretly hoping they are allowed to jump around a bit and make big nuisances of themselves, but I fear I do not get a say in the matter.
Clouds have been cropping up for me all week: in the posts of online friends, in a morning newsletter, and even actually in another post of my own. It seems that, though wispy little things they are, they are definitely trying to get my attention.
And I think the reason is this: They want me to slow down. They want me to dream a little.
So, on this fabulous Friday (which I truly hope it is in your part of the world), I am going to ask you to do one simple, easy-peasy thing for me today … if you don’t mind: Would you go outside today and look at the clouds?
You can do it from your porch, from your front door, from the back garden, from the seat of your car. And if your clouds are behaving and you’re really feeling dreamy, you can do it lying in the grass. Maybe on a blanket. Maybe with a friend.
We’ve all occasionally forgotten what it is to stop and change our perspective. It’s amazing how different things look when we’re lying flat on our backs, looking up into infinity.
Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time. ~J. Lubbock
Happy Friday, everyone!
Clouds love to shape-shift and transform themselves.
What shapes do the clouds take for you today?
In what ways would you too like to shape-shift and/or transform your life?
What did you see when you looked up into infinity?
This morning found me crying on the treadmill. Yes, sadly, on a bright, sunshiney, couldn’t-ask-for-a-better-day spring morning in Crete, I was politely boohooing my way through my cardio while Rihanna blared raucously in the background. What?! Why?
Well, as many of you know, G and I are in the midst of making a huge decision about our future: to leave or not to leave? And as hard as it is on us, as much as it is breaking our hearts, we are inching closer each day to the realization that the answer to this question is Leave.
So where will we go? G is an Aussie battler (self-proclaimed), so as we consider and weigh options (Holland has been in the balance), the one that’s tipping the scales for us is a return to Melbourne. Probably in late summer/early fall, at least in the Northern Hemisphere.
And this is why I was bawling my eyes out at the gym. This and the fact that I was also listening to Miley Cyrus on my mp3 player, and between “The Climb” and “When I Look At You,” I was in a right state. (Go ahead and judge me if you want. I have no shame when it comes to my musical tastes. They are roughly the same as those of the high school students I teach.)
Leaving Greece breaks my heart in a million places; it guts me to think of pulling up stakes. At the same time, Greece has left G and I no alternative. Like that Mr./Ms. Right who is perfect for us except for that one major thing we need, Greece has let us fall in love with her only to show us that, in the end, she cannot give us what we need and want most.
Since my morning sobfest on the treadmill, I have worked today to turn my focus elsewhere – went for lunch with two girlfriends, sat in the sun for a bit with a book, completed the necessary tasks in my online classroom, watered the garden (and harvested five new vegetables!). Things began looking up. And in the midst of Operation Turn That Frown Upside Down, I also came up with the following list, my own little things to be happy about about moving to Australia (or Oz as it is affectionately known), if we do indeed go. Maybe this mightn’t be so bad after all … .
10 Reasons Why Moving to Oz Might Not Be a Bad Thing:
1. I will finally understand yoga class again. You may think that words aren’t necessary for yoga class. After all, mostly what you’re doing is sun salutations, downward dogs, and breathing in and out a lot. And you would be right, except I struggle even in the best of times in an English-speaking class to follow all the – asanas and what they are. Imagine me in Greek class: Oxi, Kyria. Den einai “downward dog.” Einai “tree pose.” (Translation: No, Miss. It isn’t “downward dog.” It’s “tree pose.”) I default to downward dog way too much. Half my class is me with my bum stuck in the air.
2. No Language Barrier = I’m Funny Again. Maybe. Maybe I am only funny in my head and have been fooling myself for far too long. Perhaps I am not ready for this kind of revelation … .
3. Christmas Barbecue! When the rest of the world is bundling up in the woolies, we will be shedding our clothes and inhibitions and grilling meat! In the heat! This may give White Christmas a whole new meaning. Maybe it will be “pink and burnt” Christmas instead.
4. A Year of Two Summers. Plus side = swimsuits, shorts, and flip-flops twice in one year. Down side = swimsuits, shorts, and flip-flops twice in one year. That’s a whole lot of maintenance. Ladies, you know what I’m talking about.
5. Hubby Will Have a Hobby. Wahoo! Poor G has had no time to pursue his passion on the football pitch (or the basketball court either) since he’s started teaching in Greece. But – yay me! – Australian teaching hours will equal time again for hubby to play team sport, which means two – count them, TWO! – big pluses for me:
Me-time: What will I do with it, I wonder? It’s been so long since I’ve had it, I’m not sure I could pick me out in a crowd.
Hot Body for G: Because, let’s face it, I married him for his looks. As he puts it, I’m his “Number One Fan.” (He claims his tongue got turned around that one time and what he was really trying to say is that he’s MY number one fan, but I’m not sure I’m buying it.)
6. Greek Insta-Family. G is part of a big, loving Greek family, which I guess means that since I’m his wife, I kind of am, too. What will that be like, I wonder? Will there be lamb on a spit in the yard when we arrive? I can’t wait to meet everyone. Really. I know I will love them.
7. Koala Bears. They’re cute, they’re cuddly (really? are they?), and they hang out all day in the trees, high from eucalyptus leaves. What more is there to say?
8. Showers where I don’t have to preheat the water. Not too many people know that in the winter time in Greece, you have to plan your shower way in advance, usually by a good hour or so, or you’ll wind up taking a cold shower. I’m sure G will be pleased that the arrival of winter will no longer also signal the arrival of Jungle Legs for his wife, who cannot shave in mere tepid water.
9. I can go to church again. One where I understand the words and what people are saying and doing. One major drawback: God may not recognize me. He may, in fact, faint from sheer shock when I arrive.
10. Backwards-Spinning Toilet Water. I know this will weird me out forever. I may become like Gizmo the Cat who keeps flushing the toilet all day long for kicks:
What about you?
Have you ever had to make a huge move to a new place, a new country?
