Category: Why am I here?

One Small Step for a Woman

It’s funny how sometimes life seems to go full circle, well for me it does.

On a previous post about the start of our amazing Arcadia cruise I shared how the young girl seated next to me on the flight was about to embark on the Camino de Santiago.

At that time I had never heard of it but fast forward two years and all of sudden it is where a number of female friends are planning to go or are already there.

It certainly sounds like an amazing experience, but why is it something that women seem be especially drawn to?

Lack of sleep, lost toenails and chafing aside, there are plenty of places closer to home where a similar experience is offered, although not with the religious ‘undertones’ of the Camino.

Is it because we women still haven’t found what we’re looking for?
Or dare I ask is it only something that single women are seeking?

Have you been paying attention?

In the blink of an eye the end of another year is on the horizon, so before we get there it feels appropriate to reflect on 2015.

A year when same sex marriage was legalised in Ireland, and an archaic law permitting unwanted homosexual advances as a defense for murder was repealed here in Aus.

The World struck a deal on climate change, however a major corporation was caught ‘cheating’ on emission tests.

Saudi Air strikes, ISIS terrorists and refugees flooding into Europe hit the headlines, but there’s water on Mars and a new antibiotic that have been discovered so there’s still hope.

Hope for my friends seeking love that their special someone will sweep them off their feet to live happily ever after, hope that the curse of cancer can be conquered and recede from existence, and hope for another year filled with love and life.

Here’s cheers to the end of an amazing year in my World; hope you start the New Year full of love and life and inspiration, and I hope you’ll stay interested in following the stories of me.

Happy EOFY

Is it just me, or does the end of financial year ‘rush’ manifest in a
personal stocktake for anyone else?

The urge to spend is hard to overcome when there are serious bargains to be had out there, and likewise the workplace end of year need to tie off all the loose ends can mean a different type of rush for some.

The end of a Semester of study and subsequent lifting of the ‘black cloud’ of assessments and exam preparation sheds new light on whatever is over the horizon;
even if it is more of the same it feels like a new start.

As we approach the Winter Solstice my thoughts are already turning to Spring, with my head full of ideas for bringing new life into my home,
although overcoming the urge to hibernate in the meantime is my
biggest hurdle.

In the blink of an eye my children are now young adults dealing with life in their own unique way, their legacy a childhood of milestones and memories left for me to sort through.

Watching them navigate their own path leads to further reflection of my own life journey, what my personal legacy will be at the end of my time, and how life has a way of throwing obstacles in my way that were not accounted for in my last personal stocktake but will hopefully result in better planning for the next one.

A Thousand Words

Forgive me if this post is somewhat melancholy, attending a funeral has the tendency to cause me to stop and reflect on my own life journey and contemplate what there would be to show for and what would be said about me at mine.

The old adage ‘A picture tells a thousand words’ never rings more true than at a funeral, when along with personal recollections by friends and family it is the lifetime of photos that tell the story of a life.

At forty five years of age I consider myself to be halfway through my story, and it is the circle of friends and family I have acquired who love and support me unconditionally and for whom I do not hesitate to do so in return that mean more to me than anything I have achieved or purchased.

I will admit to feeling a twinge of jealousy when entering a beautiful home, and well done if you have achieved your savings goal, but if that is all there is to show at the end of a lifetime I personally feel that to be a waste of life.

It is not the photos of property portfolios and possessions, or even bank balances that bring memories flooding back, it is the people and experiences that define a life, and I think that’s what’s driving me to see and experience more of the world in my lifetime.

The home pictured above was built by my husband’s grandfather and hosted a lifetime of stories, but at the end of the day it was sold when the Carn family links to the house ended and is now the setting of a whole new family story.

Sincere apologies to anyone I may offend by expressing this sentiment, but life for me is a journey not a destination so while I am still healthy and mobile I choose to live, and anyone who’s feeling stuck on the treadmill should consider doing the same.

First Day Blues

Well I did it, got out of bed before midday even though it felt like the middle of the night, put on my work face and made it to the office on time. Granted my day wasn’t terribly productive thanks to all the emails I had to read through and two catch-up meetings I attended, but it felt good to know I was missed and my return to work is valued.

So why do I now feel so flat?

The feeling started when I pulled down my holiday itinerary from the office wall, was reinforced after being asked about my personal highlight of the seven week holiday (seriously?), and set in with vengeance after my second cup of coffee.

The amazing holiday we planned and saved for and counted down the days to is really over, so apart from reading through my journal and blog, and revisiting the amazing places and faces in my mind there is nothing else on the horizon for me apart from work, friends and family for the rest of the year.

Don’t get me wrong, I like working and love spending time with my family and friends but that doesn’t stop me scrutinising every cruise email and travel website and fantasizing about a life where I get to work while I travel.

To paraphrase a Slim Dusty song my husband plays, ‘looking forward, looking back, I’ve come a long way down the track, got a long way left to go … making sense of what I’ve seen …’

Leaning forward to see what’s coming, the anticipation and excitement of venturing into the unknown, for me that’s a happy high that’s hard to beat.

Eternal Flame

Today is officially the last day of our holiday and it’s definitely going to be the most memorable thanks to the terrible horrible very bad news we received from home.

My husband’s grandmother, the matriarch of a large extended family I feel privileged to be a part of, passed away earlier today on the other side of the world from where we are right now.

Nana was the most wonderfully loving and generous person who loved nothing more than sharing memories of her life and the achievements of her clan. She joked that every year she lived beyond 60 was a miracle yet despite the myriad of health issues it was still a shock that she so suddenly passed away so close to her next milestone birthday.

Thinking of her brings tears to my eyes, because she fully accepted myself and my children as part of her extended family from the first day we met, without judgment or assumption. Too many other people I have met on my journey have not been so unconditional with their love and the light that shone so brightly from the top of the family tree will forever be a reminder to me to do the same.

A Sacred Sojourn

A sacred destination for more than four million visitors a year, Fatima is an absolute must see for anyone planning a visit to Portugal.

A pleasant hour and a half drive from our ‘home’ in Ilhavo, we planned our visit for the 1st of May after an overnight stay in Nazare.

Pilgrims from all over the world are drawn to the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima by the apparitions of the Virgin Mary reported by three local shepherd children on the 13th of each month from May to October 1917. They arrive throughout the year, but especially in Summer and on the feast days of May 13 and October 13.

The open air Chapel of Apparitions, built on the site of the appearances, is approached by pilgrims on their knees in penance. Unfortunately the Basilica of Our Lady of Fatima was closed due to restoration work in progress on the day we visited, but we did arrive in time to see a service inside the newest church on the site, holding at least a thousand people.

A family friend of our host Maria makes the three days two nights pilgrimage from Ilhavo to Fatima in August every year, walking during the day and camping at night.

I admit to being skeptical of the blind faith in the fantasy of religion, but having been witness to the emotions and devotion of the people present on the day we visited I leave truly humbled by the experience and can only imagine how it would feel to attend on one of the feast days.

Another point of view

Arcadia is at sea today, the first of four sea days before our next stop, Aquaba. A time for rest and relaxation, along with personal reflection about our experience at our recent destinations.

After three days in the UAE we spent Easter Monday in Muscat, the capital and largest city in the Sultanate of Oman, and encountered a unique blend of Asian, African and Arabic cultures.

Fahed, our shy and gentle young tour guide, led us on a journey of discovery of the heritage of Muscat with stops ranging from the Muttrah Souk (Marketplace), the oldest in Oman,
Al Alam (Flag) Palace, the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque and the Royal Opera House, the first and only in the Arabian Gulf opened in 2012.

The rocky, mountainous landscape presented a stark contrast to what we encountered in the UAE, with the dry 35 degree heat reminiscent of what we left behind.

Fahed, wearing a traditional white dishdashah (dress) with a kunmah (cap), patiently provided us with extensive information about his homeland and was happy to answer every question thrown at him.

Bordered by UAE, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, Oman is a Muslim state with Islamic customs strictly observed, but thanks to our ability to receive answers to our questions about Islam I can honestly say I have left with a vastly different point of view from that portrayed in the media.

Just as it was in UAE, Oman is proud of what has been achieved from the wealth generated by it’s natural resources, and tourists are warmly welcomed to it’s shores.

Highly recommended is a visit to the Bait Al Zubair (House of Al Zubair) museum inside a traditional Omani townhouse which provides a unique insight into Omani culture.

Walking amidst the locals inside the Muttrah Souk, inhaling the scent of spices and frankincense also provides an authentic shopping experience.

Who am I to judge or worse still condemn Islamic customs when we have been so warmly welcomed?

Shukran (Thank you) Fahed; Ma’salama (Goodbye) Oman.

Snapshots and snippets

So it was with the best of intentions that I embarked on my journey into the world of blogging, but it seems that of the many lessons I am learning along the way, patience is key. Internet access at sea is painfully slow,and the search for decent wifi on land is all consuming, much to the disgust of my travelling companions.

So much of what I want to share is being restricted, especially the visual record of my physical journey, but instead I have to be content with sharing snapshots and snippets. Kind of appropriate given that a cruise holiday is more about getting a taste of life beyond the everyday than immersing yourself into another way of life.

Knowing that every other person sharing my current journey is literally in the same boat is pretty funny really …

Home away from home

The further I travel away from home the more I want to be in touch. Our last few days at sea have been tinged with the fear of the unknown beyond the horizon, especially last night when a heavy fog set in just before sunset and the ship’s horn was blasting intermittently to let other vessels know we were there.

This morning we arrived at the first of three stops over the Easter weekend, Abu Dhabi, and received a warm welcome, albeit with swords and guns. The ‘boys’ have raced off, literally, to Yas to visit the Ferrari museum and apparently the fastest roller coaster on the planet. Meanwhile I’m sitting in a local Starbucks, catching up on what’s been happening at home over the past few days, surrounded by fellow passengers from the cruise all studying their phones.

Of course I’m planning to explore beyond the obligatory shopping malls on an excursion later, but for now it’s comforting to be in familiar surroundings away from home.