Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Geographic Therapy

If you've read here for any amount of time, you know my love of what I dub "geographic therapy," meaning that when you need to figure something out it's ideal to go away to do it.

I'm feeling a major need for some geographic therapy. This whole little deal about preparing to die - just in case - leaves me with a deep need to process it all. Unfortunately, the world doesn't like to even acknowledge such things, much less allow one enough quiet time to process it.

Tickets to Europe are getting cheap - as low as $200 to some places from NY, about $400-$500 from cities near me. But, the exchange rate for the dollar sucks. It's about 1.29 to a Euro. It has been worse, but that's not nearly as nice as when it was roughly equal. It would be even better if we could have the dollar actually worth more. That, of course, seems like an impossible pipe dream at this point.

I could so use a nice get away - an opportunity to go somewhere different and soak up some atmosphere. Walking the streets of Paris in the early morning, gathering fresh pastry and exchanging pleasantries with workers (as much as my limited French allows), would do me so much good. Standing in the Vatican museums, looking at timeless art, would feed my soul right now. A little jaunt into the developing world would get my blood circulating. An opportunity just to sit at a cafe, surrounded by language I don't understand, almost anywhere, would give me a little peace. Why? I don't know why. It just does.

But, alas, there are medical bills arriving every day... and still the same amount of money coming in, which doesn't stretch far enough even to cover them, much less a trip abroad, or even around the corner. Perhaps the dawn will bring me a miracle - I seem to be seeking a lot of those lately - that makes it all possible.

For now I'll head to bed and just dream of such things... nitey night.
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2 comments:

Sharon said...

When I need to get away and process things I go to a nearby place in Nature and lie on a blanket on the ground, or prop my back against a friendly tree, or sit on a rock or a fallen log. I exchange pleasantries with birds and squirrels (as much as my limited use of their languages will allow). I soak up the timeless, classic beauty and art of our beautiful Mother Earth. If I will be staying awhile, I bring a bottle of water and a sandwich (the taste of which is enhanced in direct proportion to the exertion it took to get to a good spot). This is the perfect time of year to be taking this kind of mini-vacation, and there are many lovely secluded spots nearby.
Bills are just stressors, Patsy. When I react with stress it costs sixty seconds of happiness for each minute I indulge. If I so choose, I can skip that step and respond by making a plan and then executing it.
Even without trips to Europe, we can live well, and enjoy a lives filled with beauty and abundance. Your blog is a great manual to doing just that!

:)______ Sharon

Patsy Terrell said...

Nature is one of the best places to "reset my compass." But I also need some "new and different" in my life and travel to far away places is the best way I've found so far to do that. I guess I want it all. :)