Creative Meanderings

When we first arrived in Italy some people recommended this thermal spa hotel in Viterbo, which is only an hour drive away. Since M and I had not really had much of a break together, I decided to book us in here for a night.

It was such a great idea – good job me!

We arrived in the late afternoon, got to our suite and then headed out to these pools (pic is a view from our room). They were indeed warm and felt therapeutic to body and soul. We had a nice dinner and caught up with each other without distractions of the pups, phones, TV, etc. The next day, we had a hammam and massage, which was very relaxing and calming.

It was a much needed moment to reconnect since my fall. So much of our focus has been on my ankle or scheduling life around physiotherapy, and so on. Therefore, it felt good to be just together without worry about all those other things.

We felt we would go back again for a day spa since it is so close, but we might not need to pay to spend the night as it is close enough to drive there and back. Anyway, it was a lovely little getaway.

Then, since I had been given the green light to drive and to go away, I decided it was my turn for a solo trip. I hit the road on Saturday morning and made the drive to France.

It wasn’t too bad with the ankle. I didn’t really need to stop more than twice, which is my normal amount anyway. I listened to my audiobook, podcasts, and enjoyed the beautiful weather for a long drive. I felt as if I was returning to myself again.

So, I’ll be here for another day and then heading back on Wednesday. It has been a great time spent for myself with friends and putting small personal touches to the apartment.

And, with that, I close with a smile and now it’s off to bed!

~T 🔥🐉♋️

Well, another month is beginning. With almost ten weeks of life on hold, I am looking forward to returning to a more regular and familiar routine. Although I have managed to mostly maintain my positive attitude and patience with myself, M and the slower pattern of the days, I am eager to pick up the pace little by little.

Last Friday, I went to a new mindfulness group session that was conducted in mostly Italian. I had asked about joining a group almost a year ago, but when one started I couldn’t attend due to scheduling, etc. So, I was pretty excited to go and also to test out my Italian skills. It turned out to be an amazing time on many levels. One satisfying part was to realize my Italian listening is pretty good given I’ve only studied on DuoLingo. Another was to join a group where I could meditate in a peaceful energetic space – unlike at home most of the time. The best part was getting a reminder that baby steps are good. With small steps, I can assure my stability and assess the ground. If I move too fast, my feet and ankle are weaker plus I cannot fully sense what is underneath me to keep me safely on my feet.

So, while I am making really good progress with the ankle and will be hopefully returning to basic yoga soon, I still need to remember to take a pause, smell the new spring flowers, enjoy the rainstorms, and take those baby steps.

Happy May and to the month ahead!

~T 🔥🐉♋️