Observation of the day

It's the last day of September! WOW! It's hard to believe we're 3/4 through 2012. Looking back, it's been quite an eventful year so far. Lots of changes, lots of new beginnings: not only for Kevin and me, but also for Phoenix and Jude. Change is good, it keeps us alert, opens us to learning new things and forces us to stretch and ultimately grow. It's not always easy though, change also brings a certain amount of fear and discomfort. But, as Jude wisely reminded me before we left "you won't regret doing it, mum, even if you hate it and come back after a year... but you'll regret not doing it." So true. I remember watching 'The Long Way Round' with Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman where they ride their motorcycles the circumference of the world from England, through eastern European countries, Russia, Mongolia, across to Alaska, tthrough some Canadian provinces, then down to New York. They had some brutal moments: riding through countries that had no roads whatsoever; getting stuck in deep mud with heavy bikes to dig out; being away from their young families for 3 months, sometimes without any connection to them. They also had some amazing moments: meeting kind people along the way who gave them shelter; who shared their food at the end of a tiring day; who helped them cross uncrossable rivers. They documented their despair as well as their triumphs. At the end of the film, Ewan McGregor talks about how the experience left a lasting impression. On looking back, it was the hard moments, the ones he, at the time, thought he would never recover from, those were the moments he wanted to go back to. Those were the moments he missed most, because they were the moments he actually did overcome and felt alive. And he also remembered that the people who seemed to have the least were the ones who gave the most. It always seems to be the little things people do for each other that is most meaningful. A great lesson in humility. A few years later, they did another trip together through Africa. I cannot say our experience has been wrought with despair and hardship, it hasn't in the least. We've been incredibly blessed so far; however, we're not immune to feeling vulnerable. Worry and homesickness do creep in (I can't begin to tell you how much I'm looking forward to Skyping my kids!!) Writing has been a wonderful pass time for me and has helped me feel more connected to our experiences here, more connected to our surroundings, but also more connected to those who are reading this blog. I'd like to thank our family members and all our friends for being so supportive in our endeavour to start this new life, so many miles away (it really is quite an adventure, far from the middle-class lifestyle we've both been used to). We do miss you all a great deal (that, right there, is the hardest part for us — without a doubt!). And to our new friends, those we don't know yet, but have stumbled upon my blog, thanks for following along, too! Our little B&B will not be the 5-star hotel some people are accustomed to. It will be simple with rustic charm and we hope all our guests will walk away with a lasting impression of all the natural beauty and what 'getting back to basics' affords the body, mind and spirit.