There’s been a lot of busy-ness of late. We went to Italy for the back half of November, ultimately decided to cancel our return flight, and instead took the train back from Naples to Paris.

Our time was limited, so we could only squeeze in a single overnight stop in Como, Italy. I worried that I might be bored silly cooped up in a train for hours, but I loved it. Besides, we got a taste of Como—a place I probably would never have squeezed into our agenda.

No sooner did we return to Paris, when we set off to Strasbourg to see the Christmas markets and to catch up with friends. Strasbourg in December is madness, but the lunch was perfect.

Shortly afterwards, we flew home. Spent a week in Charlottesville. Celebrated Christmas in Philadelphia. And then drove from Philly to Austin. 

We had a blast, but collectively it was a lot.

Or maybe we were exhausted by the virus which caught up with us around the time we crossed the border from Pennsylvania into Maryland. We soldiered on to Austin over the course of four days. Once in Austin, we quarantined at the airport Residence Inn, and I ordered Uber eats for the first time in my life.

Now, we are in Oaxaca, Mexico for the month of January. It’s a month of enforced rejuvenation. We eat healthfully, bask in the warmth of unwavering sunshine, and walk for miles each day in the oxygen deprivation of a mile-high city. (Oh Colorado, I do miss you.)

With each passing day, we feel better and stronger.

As I inspect my life—and particularly in the context of my age—I vacillate between I do too much. And I don’t do nearly enough. In my mind, slowing down is a death spiral. And it hasn’t gone unnoticed that after walking very little for a month, getting back into our groove has been challenging.

The reality is that I’m a sloth by nature, and hence to combat this I deliberately structure our lives around the need to walk. In Paris it’s easy. In Charlottesville, we stay about a mile from my favorite coffee shop. I walk there every morning without question.

In Oaxaca, we are about a 15-minute walk to the centro border. Every morning and evening we head into town, speed-walking up and down the rolling hills. In the heat of mid day, we rest. These equal parts rest and exploration has been the perfect antidote.

As I look ahead to chart the next year, I’m reflecting on the past few months. Keeping a balance of rest, movement, and exploration is important to me. Yet I will concede, the last few months have been unbalanced—and unnecessarily exhausting.

In the spirit of analyzing everything, I’ve thought about the last two months and maybe learned a few things. Time will tell.

• Two and a half weeks in Italy: Great idea. We adore Italy. But with all the travel we had ahead of us, it was bad timing. 

• Train from Naples to Paris: Game changer. Not sure we’ll fly within Europe again. But next time, we need more days. This time, we had a commitment in Paris that we couldn’t move. 

• Strasbourg: Strike Christmas markets. They combine two of my least favorite activities: shopping and eating while standing. That said, we will always travel for lunch with friends.

• Christmas with family: Hectic, crazy, not to be missed.

• Driving to Austin: From now on, we will fly. Although I do love planning quirky road trip stops. (Will I ever forget the Tupelo hardware store where Elvis bought his first guitar?)

• Uber eats: What a rush! When the little green box climbed onto the little Uber car and headed our way, I looked up from my phone and told Pat that I might never cook again.

• Oaxaca, Mexico for January: One of my better ideas. I’m considering what role this enforced January detox should play in our future. 

For years, I’ve written a New Year’s treatise, but not this year. Don’t misunderstand me, self-flagellation is in my DNA. Yet, I’m not translating that into goals or a theme. Rather this year, I’m taking a pause. For once, I’m going to try to let life come to me.

Granted, we have a lot to figure out, but it can wait. For now, I’m fostering contentedness. Come January 31st, we’ll leave revitalized. Then, let the pondering begin.

Until then, it’s siesta time.

…

I’ll leave you with my favorite Christmas triptych—as well as a smart packing tip.

When I travel, I worry about the versatility of my shoes. Clearly, I’ve just never found that one perfect pair.

Categories: Ruminations

Tags: Expat life, nomadic retirement, Oaxaca