There and back again...a depressed traveler's tale...
Bonjour, my friends! How was your summer? Mine was a journey, for sure.
The start of summer found me in a seriously depressed funk that was not made better by a trip to Maui--hard to believe, but when you are depressed, where you are at is just geography. I didn't want to write or blog. I didn't even want to get out of my pajamas.
A second trip to Maui a month later found me finishing up a bucket list goal of conquering my fear of water by becoming officially scuba diving certified (I'm now 1/2 way to my advanced certification), but no closer to being out of my funk. The beauty of Hawaii was all around me, but I was still trapped in my own head space. And, on both land and in water, I was out of my comfort zone. People were imposing themselves into my life and my decisions.. I felt like I was free falling through my life.
I had found an octopus, but not yet my direction...
Me, diving in Maui, June 2013
I did have a few epiphanies on that trip though and those were nothing short of life changing.
1. The aloha spirit is alive and well. I made some amazing friends on that second trip and the aloha spirit they shared with me, stuck with me when I came back home.
2. I realized I needed to do some serious housecleaning of relationships, friendships, and other ships, that were bringing me drama, when what I was seeking was peace. People get bored in their lives and then want every detail of yours. We don't have to give it. I learned on that trip that my privacy was something to be valued, not given away. People get unhappy in their lives and want to blame everyone but their own decisions. I learned those types of people cannot be changed, but they will drain your life energy if you spend enough time with them. Negative energy can eclipse everything; even the beauty of the most beautiful island.
3. You are never too old or too late to rewrite your story, and that rewriting your story can mean a change of plot or a change of characters, or a change of setting or a combination of all the above. You don't have to overhaul the whole book to change the ending.
So, I came back home and it took a few months, but I got my proverbial crap together. Inspiration followed. Alot of inspiration. I overhauled one blog and am so excited to be back at this one.
The Paris that I hadn't even missed the past few months was suddenly on my mind again, a lot, as was the ocean. I had my mojo back...a desire to boldly live my life, without reservation or apology, to make a few crazy changes and then anchor myself in the knowledge that I am the author of the life that I live. Those that I love were decidedly along for the ride. I was ready for the next chapter.
Me, diving in Maui, June 2013
I did have a few epiphanies on that trip though and those were nothing short of life changing.
1. The aloha spirit is alive and well. I made some amazing friends on that second trip and the aloha spirit they shared with me, stuck with me when I came back home.
2. I realized I needed to do some serious housecleaning of relationships, friendships, and other ships, that were bringing me drama, when what I was seeking was peace. People get bored in their lives and then want every detail of yours. We don't have to give it. I learned on that trip that my privacy was something to be valued, not given away. People get unhappy in their lives and want to blame everyone but their own decisions. I learned those types of people cannot be changed, but they will drain your life energy if you spend enough time with them. Negative energy can eclipse everything; even the beauty of the most beautiful island.
3. You are never too old or too late to rewrite your story, and that rewriting your story can mean a change of plot or a change of characters, or a change of setting or a combination of all the above. You don't have to overhaul the whole book to change the ending.
So, I came back home and it took a few months, but I got my proverbial crap together. Inspiration followed. Alot of inspiration. I overhauled one blog and am so excited to be back at this one.
The Paris that I hadn't even missed the past few months was suddenly on my mind again, a lot, as was the ocean. I had my mojo back...a desire to boldly live my life, without reservation or apology, to make a few crazy changes and then anchor myself in the knowledge that I am the author of the life that I live. Those that I love were decidedly along for the ride. I was ready for the next chapter.
I am so excited to be back. To be excited about writing again. To share that at the time of this writing, my plan is to relocate to Maui for a little while coming spring of 2014, and then from there, other adventures will await. In the meantime, I am planning out my next trip to my Paris, which looks like it will be happening in November. I know, I know, she is not really mine. She belongs to us all. And even though I had forgotten for a few months this past summer, I still belong to her.
Thank you for sharing all my journeys.
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Thank you for sharing all my journeys.
Subscribe to Katie's French Cafe by Email
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