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English canals and the barges | Day 236 of my 2023 Journal

Cecilie Conrad·Aug 24, 2023

Uhhh, we did it again. Took a day off. Maybe we are learning.

This time, we were saved by our great friend Sascha, who sees us clearly (as great friends often do) and stopped us in our tracks when we were almost accepting another invitation. It is so tempting to say “yes!!” When someone invites you and wants to show you around their neighborhood!

But Sascha said: Hey guys! You are so tired, and you said it yourself - you are tired and need a break. And then she went on and on about how great it was to walk alongside the canal looking at the barges, letting the dogs run off lead. So, that is exactly what we did. I said “thank you and no” to the pending invitations and stayed at a not-very-nice campsite simply because it was convenient. We did not even want to log into another wifi to understand where the next shower was.

So we stayed all day. It was enough. It was just a simple square of grass and some silence, a hot shower, and enough time to do a lot of yoga, have a slow lunch, and drive off for the recommended walk.

The walk was charming, especially taking the time to do it.

I associate canals with the Netherlands and maybe Belgium, so it was a lovely add-on to our English experience to see the boats. Some pretty, some very home-made, some full-time homes, some more shop than a boat. It was great. It truly was. Slow and great. Love and light

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Cecilie Conrad

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Unschooling and Parent consulting, conversations, blogposts, and podcasts on family life and learning

Hi, I'm Cecilie Conrad. I'm a trained psychologist, mother of four, radical unschooler and full-time traveller. I have lived with unschooling for over a decade and help other families find their own path – whether it is about homeschooling, unschooling, or the bigger question of how you want to live as a family.

I offer guidance, conversations and talks. I call my work grandmothering – not coaching in the traditional sense, but presence, professional insight and concrete help navigating motherhood and finding your way home to your own values.

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