Once again i have been spending many wakeful nights this summer feeling anxious while thinking of reasons we could cancel our upcoming trip to the Balkans, and once again during the daytime i feel (mostly) sure, and somewhat excited, about returning to the now familiar land of my ancestors. In the daytime I conclude (again) that either decision is fine- if we stay home i will feel relieved to be avoiding the stress and upheaval of traveling in distant foreign countries, and if we go I will likely cope with the stresses of traveling, and most likely return safely in 6 weeks feeling tired but also nourished, inspired and grateful that we went. But whether we go or stay home there are never any guarantees of safety, good health, or another day of life.
So here i sit, 4 days before our expected departure, choosing to accept the stress and possible risks beyond my control that are part of going on a big trip. I’m always anxious about being in the car, especially in the Balkans where roads are narrow and drivers aggressive and often stupid. But i cannot control other drivers. This year i am also concerned about fires. The Balkans, like much of Europe, have been especially hot and dry this year and there have been many fires. At the moment there aren’t any fires in the places we are planning to go, although last week there was a small one literally just up the hill from a house we have rented. Luckily that fire was extinguished quickly. We will adjust our itinerary and route if necessary, but obviously i have no control over weather or fires. And I have no control over our health other than to eat well, breathe well, exercise, and rest. Jim is still suffering from chronic mild vertigo but hope fully it wont flare up while we are gone.
What helps me cope with stress and uncertainty is to acknowledge my fears and concerns and then assess whether there is any action i can take to reduce the risks, and if not then simple breathe well, relax my muscles, and focus on what i am feeling in my body. Inevitably this leads to my feeling strong Life energy swirling, pulsing and tingling inside me. letting go and relaxing into this tangible sensation i genuinely feel held, supported, guided and moved by the Reality that is this energy and that inspires my mantra, ‘wow to everything!’ Things might not go as I hope but this deep experience of Life transcends circumstances if I allow it to.
My intention is to write about our travels and share some photos as I have done during our past trips. I think the link that comes with this short preamble will allow you to access my site where you can click on individual posts as you feel led. You also should be able to comment on posts if you want to. And you can peruse old posts from the past couple trips, i think.
If things go according to plan we will be visiting many of the places and people we saw on our last trip. Seeing friends, family and hosts is truly what most motivates us to want to take this trip. We will fly in and out of Zagreb and stay at the same apartment we stayed in last year. Then we plan on going to Serbia where we will likely be for about a month visiting various people. We aren’t sure yet where we will go for the last 2 weeks of the trip- maybe Montenegro again, or maybe we will spend time in Bosnia…).
It might take me a moment to work out the best way to send the links, but hopefully after i remind myself of how to do it it will be easy. If you have any trouble seeing posts let me know. And if you don’t want to receive links to posts let me know that as well.
Thanks for your interest. Here’s to a safe healthy trip and return for me, and many moments of delight for each of you wherever you are.
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