Worldly Ties

The hardest thing about life on the move is leaving family and friends. Man, if we could only take them along. Like nomads, we could all go exploring the world together. How cool would that be!

Jeff and I come from great families -the kind that are friends. The kind you hang out with, party with, connect with. Watch each other's families grow, and feel pride. The kind of families most people would want be part of. Every day.

Funny thing is, even living in close proximity we still didn’t see each other very often. We could go for months without getting together or picking up the phone. Especially in the bitter New England winter, which kept everyone hibernating. We’d all get into our own lives - working, managing every day “stuff”, and “vegging” on weekends. We did, though, make a point of getting together for holidays and special events, which gave us an instant “family fix”. Hooking up with friends wasn’t consistent either, though admittedly, we’d see each other slightly more on weekends, and much more in the summer.

It might seem we take each other for granted, and maybe we do to a certain extent. But that makes Jeff and I no less grateful for the incredible people who've enriched our lives along the way. And here in Costa Rica, we’ve got an especially tight little community. We're naturally linked by a sense of adventure, retirement, and the close contact of a small village. In fact, our social calendar can actually get totally out of control if we want it to (which is what happened last week.) And like anywhere, you make acquaintance-friends and lifelong friends. All fill you in unique ways.

No doubt, it’s the people around you who make all the difference. And sadly, with every move away, there’s loss. But what eases that is knowing that true friendships and family relationships transcend time and space. You carry them with you in the world, and they do you. You remain unconditionally, unquestionably connected.

And now with Skype, internet and basic phone, it’s all good. Love at our fingertips.

Tell us about your relationships near and far. We'd love to hear from you!

The Waiting Place

Ah, so that's where I've been! What a perfect way for "Dr. Seuss" to have described it. Not a Slump, Lurch, or Bang-up. But this Waiting Place? It's definitely a Hang-up. At least it has one perk, though - hope. You WILL get unstuck. The universe WILL point you in the right direction. You WILL go forward. In time. The "just-right" time.

Patience is the key to the Waiting Place, and I'll admit, it's something I've got a limited supply of. There's a point at which I start chomping at the bit, trying to force all kinds of possible solutions to make that Great Change come. I get desperate for some equilibrium - antsy to know exactly where I'm going next. To be on my way.

As you might know, I've been away from the blog this past week. One reason is because our social calendar's been chock full. The other reason, though, is because we've finally hit on getting unstuck and out of the Waiting Place. The universe is talking to us. We just may be off to Great Places! We must get on our way!

It's been a long journey - probably about 10 months or so. After listing our priorities: greater financial security, cooler climate, freedom to travel, we went online. Constantly. Where do we want to live next? Finally, all research pointed to Ecuador. Then we made a plan. We'll rent this place, go down, check it out, and rent there for awhile. Enjoy the culture, the climate, the beauty. If it works, settle in. But this time, no house-buying commitment. Move on when we come to the next Waiting Place. Because yes, eventually, there will be a next one.

But why not go back to the States? Because still, all we can think of is, Oh, The Places You'll Go! We have our health, relative youth, and no kids. It's now or never. Will we go ever go back? Most likely, Indeed! It's 98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed. At the next "just-right" time.

Is the Waiting Place an issue for you? Maybe it's just me, with this innate need to jump-start my life every so often. Or maybe you're more apt to have other kinds of Hang-ups and Bang-ups. Tell us about it, or, about the Great Places YOU Go. Today is your day!

Oh The Places You'll Go

Oh, The Places You Will Go!

Do you remember that book by Dr. Seuss? It’s joyful, hopeful - all about possibilities. But too, it captures life’s ups and downs perfectly. In a matter of fact, don’t-bother-whining-cause-that’s-the-way-it-works kind of way. Now that’s reality.

I think about that book as I try to tease out life’s next adventure(s). What are the possibilities? The realities? And when I mentioned it to a friend, she suggested I begin by writing an affirmation letter to myself. What would that do, I thought. Will it help to see things, and myself, more clearly? This was a perfect task for me. I love to write when I’m “stuck.” It’s like grease to me - incredibly cathartic. Definitely worth a try.

So I sat down and wrote away. Visions of the heady, swirling illustrations of Oh The Places served as inspiration. I could see every phase of my life as an adventure in itself, every one with ups and downs. And lessons, always lessons.

Have you ever written an affirmation letter? It really does help to put things into perspective about who you’ve been, and who you are. But as my friend said, it also helps to see who you might yet be. I found myself writing with conviction - and without fear - about what I want to accomplish in the future. And it gave me insight as to how to make it happen.

Timing, I realized, makes all the difference in my life. Things come only when I’m ready, and not a second before. In the meantime, I need to lay back, be open, and pay attention. To what I really need and want. But most of all, to what’s going on around me. The world reveals its answers subtly, pointing me in the right direction. I just can’t push it. It’ll come.

Though this wasn’t a completely new revelation, it was definitely a timely affirmation. It clarified what I need to do right now - accept this stage of transition, or better said, of transformation. I also realized that I actually paid attention this week to one of those subtle hints. A woman I know, talking about a totally different topic, said, “You've got to speak it into existence." That's it, I thought. I have it down in writing - now maybe it's time to speak it into reality.

Once again, have you ever written a letter of affirmation to yourself? Give it a shot - it could be interesting.

Beauty Gone Awry

The last blog got me thinking. If we ~ as grown women who have come into our own ~ battle with the pressures of youth, beauty and the modern way ~ can you imagine what young girls and women are dealing with?

Be yourself. Be happy with who you are. The only opinion that matters is your own. And- don't judge a book by its cover.

I'd venture to guess that most parents still continue to instill these values in their daughters. About respect for yourself; respect for others. About what matters. Inside.

By the time kids hit their tweens, it's no secret that parents have less and less influence over what and how they think. Their friends and the media take over, forces as strong as any. And what are they saying? You'd better be pretty. Skinny. Hot. Big breasted. Unique differences or imperfections need not apply.

Teens have always been hard on each other. But now, just by going online, they have the power to ruin another's reputation, and tragically, sometimes even a life. And they do. All because someone deemed them physically unworthy. No wonder the pressures on kids have risen exponentially.

As adults who have actually lived through times when life wasn't consistently tainted by images of sex, violence and empty values, we have the vantage point of perspective. But what do kids have, especially if they didn't have solid parents to teach them about their own strengths and inner beauty? They most likely seek physical perfection, and erroneously with that, their self worth. Think about it - even plastic surgery is readily available to the masses. And sadly, many young girls are embracing it.

So here I stand, looking back in that mirror, and seeing my foolishness pretty clearly. Yes, I'll always be proud and want to look and feel my best. But I'm on the natural plan. Inside and outside. And, what I do, I'll do only for me.

Wake Up Call

They’ve probably been there for some time now. Changes so gradual, so slight, they were easy to deny.

But today when I looked in the mirror they stared back at me, taunting my sense of vanity ~ and reality. Is this really me? My eyes - different in a way I can’t even name. The furrowed lines - those that used to pop up on demand helping to express my Pandora’s Box of emotions - are now embedded permanently, leaving subtle, muddy shadows. My God, I thought. I’m really not thirty-five anymore.

My guess is that I’ve probably been in denial for awhile. In my head, my age ranges anywhere from 35 and 45. Clearly there’s a disconnect here. BUT! My inside screams. I'm still the same person. I feel the same; see life in the same way I always have - as huge buffet with so many tantalizing options to explore. I pretty much behave the same way, too. Optimistic, friendly, serious, responsible, crazy - whatever. I even dare to think of myself as kind of “cool” for my age (though I may definitely be off on that one).

Gotta wonder, though. If I’ve been so delusional about the physical changes taking place, is the rest of me aging that much without my seeing it, too? I can see it coming now. Sweater on in 80 degree weather, elevator music in the background, yatty-yah...

Okay, maybe I need to rethink this. Let's say I'm not completely delusional - just more resistant about this aging thing than I thought I’d be. Seriously, I don’t mind being 50.
It's definitely got its benefits - less stress, no pressure to prove oneself, a healthy sense of self. But now that my physical looks have caught up, I wonder where it's going to take me.

On the Vanity Scale, I’m probably a 6 or 7. Looking good is important, but it’s never been a critical focus. But now I've hit the inevitable truth. So, how resistant am I? How much will it really mean to look as young as I feel? I hear the voice calling now. Get out the extra dose of creams and lotions, kid. You're in for a ride.

How old do YOU feel inside? Is there any kind of a disconnect between your age, your looks, and how young you really feel? Or, as coined on Dr. Phil lately, Am I The Only One?

Young Souls, Old Souls

It was our very first conversation. Tears sprang to his eyes. Transported back, the memory clearly overwhelmed him.

“I was alone, perched up top in a church tower, looking down on Saint Marco’s Square in Venice. I started to weep and didn’t know why. And then it hit me. I’d been there before ~ in another life. I felt it to my core. This place was a significant piece of my past. It was almost painful.”

I don’t think I’ve ever had a past-life memory as vivid, though I do believe I’ve lived before. For instance, I've always had a strong affinity for Hispanic and Italian cultures. Not Asian. Not German. Not Indian. I swear I have a latin soul. But why? Is that who I’ve been in the past?

We talked more, blown away at sharing the same beliefs a lot of people would consider illogical - even insane. But it seems to us that, if we do have more than one, each life is meant to teach us specific lessons. And finally, when our “young souls” have learned all things meaningful about our existence, we reach the highest level of wisdom and understanding. That's when we become “old souls”.

I have no idea which life I’m in now, though I definitely hope I’m on my way to becoming an old soul. There have been several in my life who have taught and touched me deeply. Seems like a state well-worth aspiring to.

Do old souls and young souls really exist? What are your beliefs about the possibility of past lives? Looking forward to hearing from you!