“I feel at this moment as if we have our entire lives before us – which, of course, is TRUE – but the journey before us is completely wide open, ready for us to create whatever we want.
What do I want?
Who do I want to be?
I want a strong marriage, and I want to be a good wife – a good life partner – to L.
I want to continue to be an artist, and a positive, inspiring example to others to live a life filled with creativity and artistic expression. I want to be a positive force in the world as an artist and a writer.”
~ May 2, 2007
Lake Garda, Italy
I wrote this on one of the first days of our honeymoon, more than four years ago. Our honeymoon came many months after our wedding, but on the heels of moving and another trip across the Atlantic just two months earlier. I was supposed to have been on a plane bound for Havana less than a month after our honeymoon ended, but chose to stay home in order to collapse in a heap of exhaustion. My body had been rebelling all year, and my intuition told me it was time to stop pressing my luck.
Every day I wake up I have my entire life before me, but on foreign soil this truth gleams a bit brighter in my consciousness. Away from home, outside of my comfort zones, and far removed from the routines I move through day to day without much thought, I am more aware of all the wondrous possibility that exists in the brilliance of a brand new day. I am more in the moment when I travel than in any other situation. Better yet – I should say I experience much longer strands of being present than under any other circumstances. I experience wonderful pockets of pure being on my home turf, but at the end of each day, they exist as a random collection of colorful beads. When I travel, I create entire garlands of sparkling presence that keep me forever linked to the places I visited and the images I soaked in. With a much-stamped passport after years of global exploration, I can easily envision a web of moments that envelops the earth, all spun from the silk of my memories.
My husband and I are headed back to Italy this fall. I went ahead and added the “2011″ to my handmade journal label since I only filled the book about halfway in 2007. We are going on a different adventure this time around – new cities, new meals, and maybe a mishap or two. As always, I’ll have my journal with me – to record the sights and sounds, to celebrate each wondrous moment.
Christine Mason Miller is a writer and artist who is pondering a trip to Iceland. In the meantime, she’s looking forward to an Italian getaway this fall.
I’m in for Iceland!
Iceland is on the top of my dream travel list. Volcanoes, Northern lights, small villages along the highway…. It is closely followed by the Bolivian Salt Plains. Mmm…
I love that you are revisiting the old journal on a new journey. I wonder how the thoughts will interact and how your eyes have changed since the last time you were there. I love how you ask the questions and how you navigate the search for answers, steeped in love.
Beautifully written. I can’t wait to start my journey in the wild open.
I just love what you wrote! I hope you have a wonderful time in Italy!
Eloquently written, have a gorgeous time in Italy!
WONDROUS! Simply gorgeous heartfelt words of intention laid out there on the page those years ago. I feel you have paved your own path Christine, and I admire that in you. Keep manifesting your dreams. xo
Iceland! Go to Iceland!
seriously… go. I think (aside from NZ – obv.) it’s my favourite place I’ve been to in the world.
(let me know if you pass thru london on your trip this year… if you time, i think we need cocktails!)