Leaving my home and work for a month requires attention to so many details and plannings. Endless and exhausting. While I am evermore an organized individual, I long for time to simply sit for a moment to contemplate this journey. The greatest challenge by far has been finding the right person to house sit for my elder cat, Kitty Woo. While it seemed like a 'done deal' 10 months ago, as time got nearer one person after another fell through. A good friend who volunteered last year backed out at the last minute, leaving an opportunity to find resources where it felt like there were none. I do recommend HouseCarers.com which is a fine little operation that links homeowners to housesitters. It is up to you to do all the time consuming actions of interviewing, calling references and doing background checks. But it does have many good choices. Especially for such a premier place as Asheville, NC. Happily, with only 9 days to go, I have settled on a lovely woman recently retired from teaching who is game for the adventure. She needs a retreat base and my home is just perfect for that! She flies in next week, we meet and I turn over my keys to her!
That is allowing me to feel much more deeply the impact of what I am choosing to do. My Dream Group this last Wednesday ended in a circle of love and hugs around me, wishing me well on the trip. This sense of connection, security and love is just what I need to venture forth into a part of the world yet unknown. Being a seasoned traveler to 3rd world countries doesn't mean I don't feel trepidation as I leave. Not at all. It only means I have taken chances before, stepped off planes in lands never seen with unfamiliar currencies and languages, been on buses deep in the interior jungles of Central America as a lone white-skinned woman, caved down into the open maws of the earth. Having that secure circle of love and encouragement allows me to journey out into the mystery ... to take the risk of showing up as I am out there in unknown lands... and to return to this home base of love and support.
I think you are experiencing the magic of the unknown and assuming nothing you can then discover what you have never seen before. I hold you with care during your journeys and am excited to see who emerges in a few months and to hear your stories.
ReplyDeletewith gratitude
Daniel