Contemplation of a Nomadic Summer

Two little tidbits for my traveling summer arrived in my mailbox today.

"Today I drifted [in the floating studio] with Camille on the Seine at Argenteuil. The views materialized and dissolved and I was as contented as a cow in her stall." (Claude Monet, 1874)

"Don't be afraid if things seem difficult in the beginning. That's only the initial impression. The important thing is not to retreat; you have to master yourself." Olga Korbut Gymnast - Four Time Olympic Gold Medalist


I have been dragging my feet about getting things done here. I am not sure if it is my body which is not up to snuff or if it is my mind creating a spider's web of ennuie that traps my body and sucks out my energy.

It is almost as if I am refusing to face the fact that I will be away from my hermitage all summer.

I plant herbs and tomatoes I will not be here to enjoy. I tend flowers I won't see blossom. But I don't pack up my life here and clean away my presence so that the place will be ready for other tenants.

Well ... I will just have to get a new take on things, won't I?

I will have to remind myself that this is an adventure. It is a chance to see the world with new eyes.

It won't be quite as peaceful a way to travel as Monet's. My car won't simply float along so that I can enjoy new views. But I can stop along the way and picnic with Kenya ... and Wild Thing if he travels with us. I can stop when we need a break from the TransCanada, and we can follow our senses to something more interesting ... take a road less traveled ... meander a bit ...

And once I get to a destination, a whole world will open for me. I really am looking forward to a month in Wolfville and to visiting friends and family I don't see often enough.

So ... I just have to get past this initial feeling that things are just too hard ... and focus on what I am looking forward to.