Time for Change

 Change is afoot, in more ways than one.

I have been in Devon for just under 3 weeks. Tomorrow I am leaving for a short trip to Cornwall. I am going to the town of Penzance – for no reason other than Gilbert and Sullivan's comic operetta, The Pirates of Penzance. Not to see it – but because of the show I knew the name. (I had to go somewhere!) I will only have a day and a half there, so I asked GPT to make me up an itinerary that focuses on art galleries I can walk to.

I am looking forward to a change of scenery. Devon has been certainly scenic with its moss covered trees and windswept rocky beaches, redrock cliffs and windy roads – though it is not a place I would recommend you visit in the winter.

Driving has been stressful, and the mud and water is everywhere. This morning, one of the cats came into my room at 5 a.m. and walked across my chest with muddy paws! This entire house is covered in dried mud. I have attempted to keep it clean, but it is impossible with a cat door. The three cats come and go as they please, dragging in the mud, and they are allowed on all surfaces – so everything is covered in dirt.

I have found it difficult to get used to cats being allowed on countertops. It grosses me out. However, one of the challenges of pet sitting is adhering to the owner's rules and routines. 

Another challenge for me has been being in one place for a long time. Three weeks in a small hamlet is just too long. Within the first week I had visited all the highlights, and after that, it has been a whole lot of either driving on dangerous roads to see more of the same (quaint villages, cliffs and waves, and rolling hills with sheep) or sitting at home brainlessly scrolling through Facebook reels under an electric blanket.

I decided to travel with just one carry on piece of luggage as I knew I would be travelling from place to place on trains, but as a result, I was not able to bring my book writing materials…and without a writing project, I have been bored.

Boredom is an issue for me. Last year I was bored because it was so hot in Bali, I could not seem to do anything, and this year, it is the opposite. I am freezing cold all the time. I wake up in the morning and the first thing I do is put on my Peruvian wool hat. My hair has not seen the light of day in over a month! I was chatting with the village handyman the other day, and he said, “heating these old houses is like trying to heat the outside.”

Before I left Canada, I bought a Canadian National Trust membership with which I could enter most of the historic National Trust sites here for free. I thought that would keep me busy. Unbeknownst to me however was the fact that all the sites are closed in January and most of February! So, the main thing I had planned on doing while here, I have been unable to do, contributing to my discontent. All I can think about is all the things I have to do at home! Start my seeds, spread my mulch, paint my garage…

Isn’t that life? We always want what we do not have. In the summer when I am soooo busy, all I want is a day to do nothing. And now I have nothing to do and all I want is to do some chores. I have tried to practice being in the moment and allow my body to just rest. Being lazy is hard for me - but this winter I have perfected the art. I know I could have kept myself busier…trying new recipes, reading some good books, taking some Spanish lessons or online courses. I am not sure why I cannot seem to motivate myself to do these things. Motivation is not usually a problem for me. 

I would analyze this, except I cannot find the motivation to think that hard.

All of this to say, I have decided to stay home next winter. I will go away for a week or two to mushroom forage near Mount Baker, WA, in the fall, and then I will start planning a big Christmas party, and put up a beautiful Christmas twig. I will take a short trip or two to the Caribbean to warm up in January or February, and then I will start my veggy plants early, paint the garage, install a heater, and spend my time making herbal concoctions. I will cook good food and host dinner parties, go snow shoeing and hiking, and read books by the fire.

Is it possible that my travelling days are over? 

Maybe it is time to shift the focus of my Two Star Retirement Blog from travelling to that which seems to fulfill me more these days: growing food and making medicine, hospitality and home, friends and family.

Sounds like a nice change, doesn't it?