While I sat through a community meeting last night, listening to updates to ‘our affairs at hand,’ my mind, like a drone, left my being and ended up hovering across the Greek islands. Has that ever happened to you…where your mind departs and takes flight to the most happiest of places. Happy weekend
When I initially started this blog, it was simply to share all things travel. However, as we all know, 2020 put an unpredictable pause on the best form of escapism mankind has ever known. Fast forward to the present, and I am happy to report that the RS&S travel series is back, not just due to popular demand, but also to keep my head in the clouds while I navigate through some challenging times. Here’s how I escape during a distressing situation: Exploring the small villages perched along the shores of the Greek islands. Discovering Ireland one castle at a time Spending hours in a Parisian cafe with breathtaking views Paying homage to Piazza Navona (Rome) for inspiring me to write my first novel Switzerland…need I say more How do you escape?
Friday could not have come fast enough this week. I don’t know if I was done with January or… just about anything else that makes us all ache for the weekend. When we can simply unwind (hopefully) and not always be accountable for the demands of a work week. Although, for some sort of balance, I did watch many episodes of Rick Steve’s Europe travels from years past. And naturally I felt the most beautiful things I wanted to share this week, was all about places I have been in Europe. Take care.
I’ve seen different folks going in and out of the neighbor’s house across the street for the past month or so. And right away I realized they are Airbnb-ing (hosting) their property. It’s not that I am stalking, but while parking my car, or doing landscape maintenance, I see different folks in and out, taxis and Ubers pulling up. A call is made in the driveway and definitely a code is shared and next thing you know, the garage door opens and these different individuals, men mostly, go inside. Days later a maid service comes in to clean up and then the family of 6 return home. Which gets me thinking, where do they go for those days while a stranger is in their home? I mean the children are of school age, all under ten going to a physical school instead of online? How does this family juggle such a lifestyle? So I decided to do a search on Airbnb and discovered there are countless homes around my block alone that host vacationers or …
While plugging away at work, perched on a semi-comfortable office chair in my remote work space at home, my mind occasionally wanders off to very specific corners of the world where I suppose my subconscious wants to be instead… Dean Village – Edinburgh, Scotland. I stumbled upon this timeless spot a mile or so from the bustling downtown area of Edinburgh. I thought I was dreaming…it was so beautifully preserved. Bougainvillea adorned white washed pathways on Santorini Island, Greece A stroll along the French Riviera This… Switzerland… all of it I can spend days walking across the greenest of pastures I’ve ever seen Where do you miss the most?
I have to say it was a tough week. Long work hours, even longer life chores or obligations and more, which kept me away from my garden. Sure I can come up with all sorts of excuses, like awful coastal weather in San Francisco this time of the year preventing me from enjoying the garden. Back to back zoom meetings, caring for my mother, the raccoon that dug up a hole and made his way to our garden, and up over the fence to the neighbor’s rooftop one morning-which scared me to death-while I sat listening in on a global presentation at five in the morning, about how much more we needed to do to reach the level of success engineered and carved in stone by our executive leadership team… I am not a fan of raccoons. But after an entire week of garden neglect, I sit at my desk by the window this morning thinking just how much I missed out on the serenity, and calmness I feel when I am out there simply …
I love the idea of lazy Sundays. Although life hardly allows for such a wonderful concept with all the errands and other responsibilities taking up too much time in our lives. But still, there is no harm in imaging being lounged on a recline, on a terrace overlooking a body of water somewhere along the coastal villages in Greece or Italy or on a hammock in a tropical destination, just to name a few. Because just maybe…the universe is paying attention…
Last night, I said goodnight to the full moon, and set my clock back and turned in. This morning, I woke up to a new month, a new time, and watched the same glistening moon against the graceful skies, slowly lapsing into another time zone. I felt sad for some strange reason. I normally feel this way at the beginning of November, knowing there is just two months to the end of a year – and what a year it has been. Not the best I must admit, but we can only hope that the future is brighter, for as long as we do our part to live peacefully, in a dignified fashion. That is the key… So for today, I want to share what I call visual therapy – in hopes to contain the amount of anxiety looming across the globe: Featured image source is the ideal life I imagine for myself
Took a 24 hour trip to Montana Friday to Saturday for business and although I was to arrive on Friday by noon – thinking I can have dinner with family, I ended up experiencing all the construction taking shape in various airports on the western side of this country, trying to get to my destination – since my original flight from San Francisco, with stopover in Seattle to Montana went south. I barely had time to wind down a minute Friday night only to fly back early Saturday morning, – meaning I had to be at the airport by 5 – so you figure the numbers. 🙂 By the time I opened the front door to my peaceful abode, I felt as if I had missed out on so much – in just the twenty-four hours I was gone. Do you ever feel that way? While walking a number of airports, with posters and signage pointing to travels around the world, I couldn’t help but feel the need to travel in the best month of …
I’ve been to Spain many a times but never to Mallorca, but only because of having to fly there- we decided to pass up on Mallorca – which of course was a big mistake, and proceed up north from Barcelona towards southern France . But no fretting about it – I am planning a future trip to Mallorca – and only Mallorca and staying right here {all image source}
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