I am sitting in my studio on a rainy morning in California with an order to Shelter in Place, longing for the warm Spanish sun, the wild witchy threshing floor, and the freedom to roam the Alpujaras in search of adventure.
I don’t mind the call to Shelter in Place, to protect those most vulnerable, to help slow the spread of coronavirus and give our Health Care Systems a fighting chance to move through this Pandemic with some semblance of grace.
I just canceled my July 2020 retreat on the Divine Feminine in Spain, and I am looking at canceling my travel to Europe altogether this Summer. Working as a school nurse allows me Summer’s off to travel abroad. I like to pretend I live in Europe and only return to the States to work during the school year. This reframing of thinking, allows me to fulfill a life long dream to live in Europe. This plan helps keep the dream alive until I am ready and able to make it a full-time dream.
During the financial crisis of 2007, people suggested “staycations” since no one had extra money for travel. My family and I decided to spend the summer in Italy. We pretended we lived in Italy. We spoke with Italian accents - since we didn’t know Italian. We said “Caio Bella” and “Mamma Mia” a lot. We dragged the dinning table out into the front yard and dined al fresco. We experimented with Italian cuisine. We hung an Italian flag above our house and learned which of our neighbors had Italian ancestry. We even hosted an Italian car race. The kids made Italian race-cars out of cardboard boxes, and we all raced them up and down the street.
Italian Car Race
Interestingly, “living in Italy” changed me. I was happier, I felt exotic even. I know that may seem silly, but I liked who I was as a European. I even began to dress better. I went from feeling like a tired mom of young children, to an interesting, exotic, sensual mother of two. I woke up each morning excited and had more energy. I saw the world differently. I felt I was living an adventure.
I’ve been reading the book The Art of Pilgrimage by Phil Cousineau, in preparation for my now canceled Spain Retreat. His words are poetic and thought provoking. We can even look at transforming our Shelter in Place as a pilgrimage.
“I am convinced that pilgrimage is still a bona fide metaphor for any journey with purpose of finding something that matters deeply to the traveler. With a deepening of focus, keen preparation, attention to the path below our feet, and respect for the destination at hand, it is possible to transform even the most ordinary trip into a sacred journey, a pilgrimage.” -Phil Cousineau
Perhaps, it is time for a staycation, without the in-person social contacts. I am thinking Greece might be a nice place to go. Might be time to watch Mamma Mia again. I think I have seen this movie 20 times, I love it - Of course in my fantasy I am Donna - aka Merrel Streep. Have you seen the PBS The Durrells in Corfu? That’s a great one! I want to live in their house on Corfu. My Big Fat Greek Wedding or My Life in Ruins, both are light and fun. And, one of my most favorite movies of all time, Shirley Valentine (Wall, what do you think?).
Mamma Mia here we go again…
And so, It is time to fly my Greek flag, play some greek folk music, make moussaka and greek salad, finished off with a little ouzo, and begin this next sacred pilgrimage!
χαρουμενα ΤΑΞΙΔΙΑ!
"Happy Travels"