Cecilie Conrad logo - dark
Cecilie Conrad logo - light
⌘K
Blog Podcast Unschooling Parent consultant About me
bBlog
pPodcast
uUnschooling
pParent consultant
aAbout me
Back

The silent contrast: Finding peace in quit days | Day 313 of my 2023 Journal

Cecilie Conrad·Nov 10, 2023

The silent contrast.

Some photos are great. Maybe this one will not go down in history, but it does - at least to me - very well represent the days we live here at Playa. On the rooftop terrace in the sunset, splashing in the cool water, just the five of us.

We are making peace with the facts of life here. This is not the Mexico we came to see; this is not a place where we will ever go back - yet somehow, it is the perfect frame for us as we try to find our feet, our souls, and our peace.

We lived about 15 months in the Mercedes before we flew to Cancun.

We traveled in Spain, France, and Scandinavia, back down to Holland, Belgium, France, and Spain again, then the trip over the Mediterranean to Civitavecchia, and drove to Sicily, where we had some pause in beautiful Vila Nina.

In February this year, we were on a road trip around Sicily before zigzagging all over Italy in March and (half of) April.

We lived for a month at a castle in Normandie, sleeping in the van and hanging out with many travelers, mostly Americans soon to become our new great friends.

Scandinavia again, before another road trip through Holland, Belgium, and France, before we spend six weeks in England, moving around like ants.

As a Grand Finale, we walked 270 km of the Camino de Santiago before we drove back to Catalunia to visit the grandparents, ship and let go of most of our stuff, sell the bus, and pack the backpacks.

We did, indeed, need a pause without having to plan for it.

Playa used to be a slow town by the waters, now it is a buzzing playground for gringos, and we find ourselves to be some of them.

We can laugh about it, and we can observe the little things that seem real - but we are facing our own music: We wanted to go somewhere NOT interesting so we could calm down and stay home and work on our private projects for mind and body.

We did not expect it to be this repelling, but it works.

We hide at the rooftop in the cool waters, ignoring the craziness out there.

And we are learning to appreciate it.

We needed a place where we didn’t want to go out.

And now we have it.

Perfect?

With love

Cecilie-Underskrift-300x133

Cecilie Conrad

Thank you for reading
I would love to hear from you. Listen to your thoughts and reflections - or praise :) It is often emotional to share our lives like this, and we get very happy when we get your feedback. So feel free to share a comment below 😋 

See more images on Facebook

Previous Exploring Tulum's Mayan Ruins and Cenotes | Day 314 of my 2023 Journal
Next Beyond the Destination: Discovery and Connection | Day 312 (again) of my 2023 Journal

Comments

Write a comment...
00:00 Recording...

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.

Am I the right person to help you? You can book a free discovery call, and we'll talk and figure it out.

Unschooling & Parent Consultant
Grandmothering – not coaching. Read more here

Listen to my podcasts

I share my knowledge and curiosity about family life and learning in my two podcasts.

Listen here
Listen here

Read my latest blogposts

Is It Too Much? - Note on Teens and Technology - England 2025
I see confidence, creativity, fun, self-exploration, adventures, thoughtfulness, learning journeys, and passionate commitment to connections everywhe…Read more
Beware of the Big Bad Stories - Who we Really Are - Southeast Sussex July 2025
Driving away from the most significant home education festival, possibly in Europe, the smiles will not leave our faces. “This is the presence and pr…Read more
The Power of Gatherings - The Home Educating Families Festival - England July 2025
Driving away from the most significant home education festival, possibly in Europe, the smiles will not leave our faces. “This is the presence and pr…Read more
Let's keep talking about humanity and technology - Germany July 2025
Thoughts on how to stay clear, while the devices keep coming at us with new distractions. Read more
No rules apply - Nomadic Notes - Netherlands 2025
Oh, this is so funny. I was writing a newsletter last week, opening with thoughts on how we in my country count the week numbers. I was mainly contem…Read more
A Monster is Eating our Clarity - Denmark June 2025
Thoughts on how to stay clear, while the devices keep coming at us with new distractions. Read more
Sometimes life is funky: Berlin May 2025
A funky morning of poetry, light and thoughts just outside of Berlin. Read more
Behind and Beyond the Smartphone-Free Childhood
Is the smartphone really ruining the lives of tweens and teens? Do we need to protect them by keeping them away from the tool? The movement out there…Read more
How we just LOVE life, and Live Love - Budapest April 2025
A morning reflection from Budapest on trusting life’s intensity, receiving what we need, and surrendering to the beauty hidden in challenges. Read more
Previous 1 2 3 4 5 … 48 49 50 Next
Is It Too Much? - Note on Teens and Technology - England 2025
I see confidence, creativity, fun, self-exploration, adventures, thoughtfulness, learning journeys, and passionate commitment to connections everywhe…Read more
Beware of the Big Bad Stories - Who we Really Are - Southeast Sussex July 2025
Driving away from the most significant home education festival, possibly in Europe, the smiles will not leave our faces. “This is the presence and pr…Read more
The Power of Gatherings - The Home Educating Families Festival - England July 2025
Driving away from the most significant home education festival, possibly in Europe, the smiles will not leave our faces. “This is the presence and pr…Read more
Let's keep talking about humanity and technology - Germany July 2025
Thoughts on how to stay clear, while the devices keep coming at us with new distractions. Read more
No rules apply - Nomadic Notes - Netherlands 2025
Oh, this is so funny. I was writing a newsletter last week, opening with thoughts on how we in my country count the week numbers. I was mainly contem…Read more
A Monster is Eating our Clarity - Denmark June 2025
Thoughts on how to stay clear, while the devices keep coming at us with new distractions. Read more
Sometimes life is funky: Berlin May 2025
A funky morning of poetry, light and thoughts just outside of Berlin. Read more
Behind and Beyond the Smartphone-Free Childhood
Is the smartphone really ruining the lives of tweens and teens? Do we need to protect them by keeping them away from the tool? The movement out there…Read more
How we just LOVE life, and Live Love - Budapest April 2025
A morning reflection from Budapest on trusting life’s intensity, receiving what we need, and surrendering to the beauty hidden in challenges. Read more
Previous 1 2 3 4 5 … 48 49 50 Next
See all my blogposts
Cecilie Conrad logo - dark
Cecilie Conrad logo - light
Blog
All my blogposts Unschooling 365 Days Challenge 2023
Podcast
The Ladies Fixing the World Self Directed
About me
My story - Cecilie Conrad Stay Updated: Get my Newsletter Visit my danish site CecilieConrad.dk
Consulting
Parent and unschooling support Free Discovery Call - Text me on WhatsApp Testimonials: What Others Say Prices and payment options