Back

Pausing | Day 80 of my 2023 Journal

Cecilie Conrad·Mar 21, 2023· 2 minutes

We just spent 24 hours in a village I don’t even know the name of.

It is sometimes emotionally complicated to stop. I remember someone said: “Vacation is doing something you are not usually doing.” Now we do not do vacations, but sometimes we do pause.

And it is confronting.

When we paused in the unnamed village near Bologne, the weather changed for the much better, and our van was parked right next to a piece of grass with flowers. We spend the day enjoying the sun while working a bit, answering emails, writing stuff, organizing the van, repairing stuff, and studying.

But first, we had to ask ourselves what to do when we were not busy sightseeing. The change was somewhat emotionally overwhelming. There are so many things to do in this category of “normal little things” it seems overwhelming to begin with. Nails to cut. Yoga to do. Things to fix. Books to read. Music to play.

We did enjoy our van and the simple life in and around it, accomplished 3 percent of the many little things, and went for a walk in the afternoon. The second-hand shop could have had some T-shirts we needed, but it did not, and it did not matter. The church was beautiful, the sunset alike, and the water living animal, I don’t know the name of in English, was exciting and made us smile. Any walk is a good walk.

Negotiating what to do next, cooking dinner, calling friends, and doing some more work. We feel we could use 25 days like this, but we know we can not do it.

We have to see what is around the next corner. We can not sit still. We can only pause briefly.

pausing-article

Love and light

Cecilie-Underskrift-300x133

Cecilie Conrad

# 80 of my 2023 writing challenge - Read them all here

Not all days sport Rocking things to Rant about or big themes to play Wise with Wisdom around. Some days are silent resonance boxes. So much love. So…Read more
The artist was reading out loud, while the musician created music with the movement of paper, her cello, her guitar, the silences in between, and the…Read more
To share a meal with loved ones is a beautiful thing. We have sat down many times around this table and are grateful to have these wonderful friends…Read more
When my kids were small, and I realized the craziness of mainstream (even state-supported) advice for families, me-time was a huge thing. Young paren…Read more
My husband and Storm had to fly to Barcelona to see the dentist. Early morning flight, a quick vegan, gluten-free pizza from Flax and Kale, a friend …Read more
Over the years I have learned to know my value. I have gained energy and focus. I am less chaotic. This is a great advantage of a nomadic lifestyle: …Read more
There were tears, we fell to our knees, and the relief was huge. Nova was born sound and safe. We welcome her with all that we are, all we have. Deep…Read more
One of the root problems behind climate stuff is disconnection. From each other. From love. From nature. From a humble and grateful perspective. This…Read more
On the 18th of June, I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. And so, the roller coaster started. I was diagnosed. We all panicked. The doctor to…Read more