LA ALEGRÍA DEL VIAJE
Hi All
This is my 9th attempt at writing this, let me explain.
My life is crazy, literally crazy. But it's that kind of out-of-control crazy that is not damaging, just difficult. So more of an insane rollercoaster rather than a tornado.
This has been my last three weeks:
- Cleaned up the houseboat for its owners
- Moved out of the houseboat
- Moved into a relative's place
Note: Point 3 didn't happen due to unexpected electrical work so ....
3. (Revised). Moved into a nearby motel
Funny story - we got there and I thought we were just going to take out the suitcases but I forgot I was picking up our friends (the owners of the boat) the next day with heaps of luggage so we had to fully unpack the car. We then were given two rooms that turned out to be through 9 different hallways doors. So we worked like a caterpillar all the way to the rooms by walking some stuff through one hallway, propping open the doors and then going back to the previous door to move that stuff to the next door.
4. Found out our friends missed their flight so I didn't need to empty the car
5. Moved out of the motel
6. Helped launch a new campus for our church by running the children's program
7. Moved to a friend's beach house in the south of England - this was a true blessing. There is something magical about the sea air. We instantly felt better. We would have come here the whole time skipping the motel but we couldn't because of point 6.
8. Launched a company with a friend - I'll explain more later
9. Moved again to a holiday park - this was booked 8 months ago when I started looking into nomading. Usually, 4 nights at this place is £500+, during peak times it's over £1000, but we got it for.... £59. This included accommodation, access to the fun fair, shows and a huge swimming complex. This was a lot of fun, but also difficult as I was still working.
10. Moved back to the beach house for a night
11. Moved to the relative's place for 2 nights as the electrical work was finished
12. Finally got on a plane to Singapore
This was supposed to be it. Finally, I made it to my vacation. I had a week in Singapore of being a tourist and resting, but only one of those things happened because the numbers kept coming. I had to...
13. Forced the whole family to stay awake all day to avoid jet lag - it was so hard but it worked.
12. Worked on a presentation for funding to launch a company - this is a different company to point 8 and will be explained at a later date
13. Worked on scripts for an upcoming film shoot
14. Jumped on a plane to Sydney
15. Arrived in Sydney at 7am
16. Got out of the airport by 7:50am
17. Drove to a film shoot that started at 9am
18. Filmed all-day
19. Got home at 9pm
20. Got picked up at 7:15am the next day
21. Filmed all-day
22..........
It's funny I have tried a few times to write this and every time I do there is more to add to this list. Then I get swept up in the crazy season we are in and don't finish it and then I get back and need to add more.
Well, I am cutting it there, as you can see things are crazy and I am struggling to the finish line. In fact, I can see the finish line on the horizon but I know that I am not going to comfortably race over that line, I am going to collapse on top of it. And I am here to tell you and mostly myself that that is ok.
I think we place too much value on doing things well that we shy away from doing things that are really hard.
I think I may need to write that again because that was good.
I think we place too much value on doing things well that we shy away from doing things that are really hard.
Ok, I didn't write it again, I copied and pasted it, but the effect is still the same.
I am not insane. I don't go around looking to do things the hard way. I enjoy things a lot when they are relaxing and peaceful and I would have preferred this last month to have been that way. But that is not what I signed up for. We get to choose the direction we take our lives but we don't get to choose the terrain. At the moment the terrain is difficult and tiring.
So we have made a decision. Even though the terrain is challenging it doesn't change the direction we want to go. Yes we hope for easier days but that is not the prize. We are voyagers, that have set sail in search for distant lands. Will we get there? It doesn't matter because the journey will shape us, grow us and bond us.
LA ALEGRÍA DEL VIAJE means the Joy of The Journey. This is my family's banner. They don't know this because I have just made it up but I do this kind of thing. I cannot promise them that there will not be hard times, I cannot provide a life without struggle, but I really don't want to. All I can promise is a life of adventure together as we learn to cherish the Joy of the Journey.