Back

Embracing Winter: A Time for Peace, Planning, and Introspection | Day 16 of my 2023 Journal

Cecilie Conrad·Jan 16, 2023· 2 minutes

Peace and Planning.

We are not doing much these days. We get up. We go for runs and yoga moments, and we have coffee and breakfast, we talk, we clear, we cook, we knit, we read, we eat, we watch Dr. Who in the evenings, and we sleep. It is winter. It is silent time.

Yet - a lot is going on. We do not do much regarding long walks, cathedrals, and art museums, and we hardly make new friends. We do things slowly and let this filter of the winter vibe let what is important stand, and everything else fades.

It feels good. After five weeks in Vila Nina in Sicily, we are finally reaching the stage of:

Peace and Planning.

In our case, it is almost counter-personality to make plans.

We are very spontaneous people who like to go with our intuitions, follow our hearts, just do things and look it up on the way, and find solutions and new ways and new horizons all the time.

This long winter pause took us to a place where we could actually do some planning. It takes time. Doing the budget, looking at options, selling what needs to be sold, planning what needs to be planned, preparing for big adventures, and leaving space in the calendar for all the peace and spontaneity we also need.

We do a bit of it every day—just a bit. Organize the agenda, the plans, the paperwork, the bucket lists, the gear, the bags, the van, the Google Maps, the Wikipedia reading list, browsing through festivals to aim for in the summer and slow mountain tops to walk to between cathedrals, metropoles, and villages.

It is fun and boring and seems endless.

But it does clear the mind, leaving us fresh and strong and ready.

Ready to change the plan, get new ideas, and listen to the heart. Always write the plan with a pencil. But make sure you do actually write it.

Love and light

Cecilie-Underskrift-300x133

Cecilie Conrad

PS Photo from December when we visited the cathedral of Syracuse, as I did not take any photos yesterday. Amazingly, the old Greek temple still stands inside the Catholic Church.

Discover the tranquility of winter with our slow-living approach. Embrace peaceful routines, mindful planning, and the joy of anticipation for new ad…Read more
Embrace the harmony of organizing; my journey from a cluttered bus to a minimalist lifestyle underscores the peace found in order and letting go. Joi…Read more
Discover the serene alpaca world through my visits; their silent hums and gentle gazes offer tranquility. Thanks to Giovani for caring for these beau…Read more
Dive into my culinary adventures in Sicily, where the sun-kissed produce redefines freshness and quality. From sweet, crunchy kale in Portugal to the…Read more
We explore the rich history of cave houses turned museums, indulge in the region's exquisite produce, and soak in the stunning views from an abandone…Read more
Living a nomad life is often extremely social ad sometimes kind of lonely. But we don't really care. We love to have people around, and we love to ch…Read more
I am not a big fan of waiting. I get restless in a split second. There are so many things I want to do. Waiting can drive me crazy.  But the thing is…Read more
I have the habit of taking pictures of flowers. It seems banal, but it is not. Not in my personal life. The beauty of the flowers carries my loss. I …Read more
We walk a lot. We walk very often, short and long, with or without agenda. In our family, it has healing powers; it creates a space for open-ended co…Read more