attraversiamo

Thankfully, this week has brought with it some much needed downtime, of which I have taken full advantage. Sunday, I FINALLY made it to see Inception -- I give it four stars -- and Monday I enjoyed my first free evening in many weeks.

Tuesday was a fantastic day, spent traveling to Pueblo West, where I savored a delicious sushi lunch with one of my favorite co-op people. On the return trip, I stopped by the outlets in Castle Rock and discovered some great "deals," including a replacement for my favorite pair of running capris, which have definitely seen their better days. As one who enjoys driving, I found myself appreciative of the time spend behind the wheel -- new scenery, minimal traffic, time to think. Although I spend adequate windshield team every day, traveling to and from work and various events, the experience is the same, day-in and day-out. Tuesday's trip provided relief from the mundane and for that, I am grateful. 

Last night was another theater evening, this time spent viewing Eat, Pray, Love. I am a big fan of the book from which the movie was adapted, so was excited to see the big-screen version of the story. And, as was the case with most movies I see after reading the book, it paled in comparison to its source. However, in this case, I still enjoyed the rendition, even if I did spend a large portion of the time criticizing the adaptation.

After the movie ended, I found myself wishing I could follow in the steps of author, Elizabeth Gilbert, -- taking a one-year hiatus from my everyday life to explore myself and the world. I'm certain I'm not the only person to feel this way, whether this follows a viewing of this movie or reading the book, but it doesn't alleviate my desire to pick up and spend a year traveling.

As the concept continued to brood, I recognized that while I may not have spent a year jet setting around foreign countries, my AmeriCorps experience provided a similar result. I packed up all of my belongings and drove across the country to a place I had only visited once, for a few days, to work for free (okay, technically we received $800/month, but that's hardly a sustainable wage).

Although I did volunteer for the year, my reasons for taking the journey were not sole altruistic. I made the decision shortly after the end of a seven-year relationship, to get away, to attempt to discover the self I had lost during those years and for some much-needed time to heal from the ending of the long and craggy relationship. And, while the scenery may have been vastly different -- Italy, India and Bali vs Delaware -- and the experience not entirely what I had hoped for, I am grateful for the opportunity, all the same. And, as I walked away from the theater last night, I found myself smiling, feeling truly indebted.

I suppose the moral of the story is to not take for granted those experiences you are able to have, regardless of if they are or are not the "dream" adventure. And, to not hold your breath for an Eat-Pray-Love opportunity to come around and "save" you. Take time each day, no matter where you are -- physically or emotionally -- to save yourself, whatever this may mean to you.

My dear friend Brenna, without whom my Delaware experience would not have been the same (or bearable, honestly).