[crickets]
Anyone still out there? I’ve been a bit AWOL this summer, online and in-person. But it’s been good for me.
Yesterday, I heard this interview on CBC’s the Current with Dianne Whelan about her solo trek across the Trans Canada Trail—by bike, canoe, snowshoe, and foot. The journey took 500 days, and she made a documentary film about it. Her turns of phrase during the interview really resonated with me. Especially the following snippets:
checking out to check in
solitude reveals what a mirror cannot
step outside of your life—walk away from relationships, bills, the news, and money, spend some time with yourself.
strip away labels and layers
our journey is shaped by what we carry
While I’m not doing anything as extreme as Dianne, I have enjoyed ‘checking out’ a little this summer. I’ve pared down my obligations and taken life as it comes.
When I went to the Off Topic Publishing Retreat in Ontario’s Muskoka region, I didn’t have to cook or clean for a full week. I didn’t have to worry about anyone else’s needs or priorities. No little annoying life stuff piled up and ate away at my days. I just got to write and connect with other writers as much or as little as I wanted. I also got to dive off a beautiful dock as many times as I wanted (Thanks Andy!).
Next week, I’ll do more of the same at my favorite place in the world: our family cottage on the South Shore of Nova Scotia! There will be writing, reading, beaching, and not much else.
I look forward to more life by the seat of my pants. It doesn’t come naturally to me. I’m not the best at it. But practice makes perfect and I’m getting better—and it’s paying dividends!
Hope you’ve had a chance to slow down this summer too <3
Comments