I started this blog to share some of the thoughts I have along the journey of life. I love to travel and spend time with my family and friends. A good meal, breaking bread with those I love, gives my life meaning. So does travel. I adore dreaming of sites to visit, not just to check them off on a list. Rather, I consider myself a student of life, traveling as an explorer, to open my mind to all the possibilities the world holds in store for me and for others. I love to travel to discover how different the world is in terms of climate, cultures, politics, terrain, economy, etc. but also to discover how SIMILAR the people are. Despite language barriers, much can be communicated with a smile or gestures. Language is simply a means to communicate, yet there are so very many other ways to communicate. Once when I was in French-speaking Canada, I realized that my 7th grade French class didn’t teach me the word for “straw”. However, when I thought about it, I was able to communicate to the very French-speaking waiter in a very French-speaking restaurant about my need for a “cylinder through which to drink” in my limited French vocabulary. Travel challenges the mind and soul, stretching us to problem solve and form conclusions about all that we experience. THAT is the type of travel I enjoy best. “All’s well that ends well”, as they say………….”Life is Good” as well.
The Dutch have it right. They actually have a word for doing nothing or being idle. The word is “Niksen.” In America, many have been conditioned to be super productive for all waking moments, or else we feel lazy. We even have a phrase that lauds the merits of multi-tasking, the colloquial phrase, to “kill two words with one stone.” But the Dutch know that there is a certain beauty of “doing nothing”, but with purpose, from time to time in order to reduce one’s stress level. Some gaze out the window while simply “being.” You can let your mind wander. It lets us dial down the noise in our lives while allowing everything to “be” around us without being an active participant in whatever is happening. Lying on your back in the grass watching the clouds roll by? That’s Niksen. Watching the waves crash upon the beach? That’s Niksen. Sitting on the couch and staring out the window on a rainy day? That’s Niksen. Laying on a bed looking at the ceiling? That’s Niksen. Sitting on a park bench watching the world go by? THAT’S Niksen.
While self-isolating because of corona, try a little Niksen; it’s good for the soul. In fact, the Dutch often use the phrase “lekker Niksen,” which means something like “deliciously nothing.” You might feel less stress from the corona situation if you dial it down, switch it off, and do nothing for a little while today if you can. You might even feel more productive, happier, and energized afterwards. You might even have the energy to clean that closet, you know the one that you have been putting off the WHOLE time you have been self-isolating, after all.
Life is good; the virus won’t live forever, and we won’t be living like
While we are at war with Corona, we stand united knowing that we will eventually win the war together. There are so many beautiful things happening right around us at the same time this virus takes its toll on our health, our family, our homes, our communities, our nations, and our world. But there is a glimmer of light, a bright spot on a dark dark day…..
Oh say can you see….how our community comes together to help those who need help?
Oh say can you see………how wonderful it is to have extra time with our families while self-isolating?
Oh say can you see…..how we have learned we really can do with less stuff?
Oh say can you see…..how we now have more time to tackle those projects we put off like refinishing some furniture?
Using Annie Sloane Chalk paint by mail order from “Purple Painted Lady” in NY to go from “drab” to fab” in the garage
Oh say can you see……how most of the time we really have all that we need in our homes already?
Oh say can you see…….how spending time with a good old fashioned board game with those we love really beats the computer any day?
“Teen Traveler”, my daughter, pulled this game off her shelf. We bought it last year not having a clue how ironic with would be to play THIS year.
Oh say can you see…..how resourceful we can be when we really put our minds to it?
Oh say can you see…..how much better dinner time is with a home-cooked meal shared with those you love at the dinner table at the same time?
Oh say can you see……how exciting the thrill of a scavenger hunt to find toilet paper at the store is when shared with your child?
Oh say can you see……..how you can calm your child’s fears if you model calm behavior yourself?
“Oh, say can you see by the dawn’s early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?…..”
-“The Star Spangled Banner”, The United States of America National Anthem, by Francis Scott Key
Life is good; find the bright spot in the dark day today………
Cabin Fever. Wanderlust. Tough to be inside. Spring Break today, ” Teen Traveler” and I decided to venture out of the house to where we could maintain an appropriate “social distance” from others to protect ourselves from Covid-19. Living in Florida, we decided we would find a remote beach area where there were few people present. We searched for the perfect “Cast Aside Covid Cove” with a song in our hearts and our usual spirit of adventure.
Turtle Sculptures were originally auctioned off and placed in Vero Beach by Turtle Trax to raise awareness for mental health. There are over thirty turtle sculptures similar to this one in Vero Beach.
We traveled to Vero Beach, FL, where we found WAY too many people in the parking lots and on the beach for us to maintain our “social distance”, but we enjoyed our day trip to this magical place that is dotted with sea turtle sculptures in so many places. Vero Beach wasn’t as isolated a spot as we wanted, so we decided to drive further south until we found some hidden beach access somewhere else.
Local Beach access on A1A in St. Lucie County. Blink and you’ll miss it…..
I wanted to share this day with “Teen Traveler” to show her how we prepare for Corona to come knocking on our door. We think. We come up with a plan. We prepare. We have FUN! A day spent all alone with “Teen Traveler” where we went on a road trip, we laughed, we talked, we laughed some more, we listened to music from our respective generations, and we laughed some more was just what we needed.
“Teen Traveler” the mermaid
There were few people on the beach, but there was a red flag waving in the breeze. Native Floridians know this means to stay out of the water for some peril or another. One red flag means that the surf is high or there are dangerous currents or both. So, we decided to go into the water only up to our knees, but the surf was so high the waves hit our waists as they came rolling in toward shore. The water was cool at first (for the Native Floridians in the crowd), but we adjusted okay.
“Teen Traveler’s” Life Through a Lens………..
Being with my daughter reminded me of a song by Sia……….
“… I’ve been waiting for a magic moment But maybe there are magic moments Could it be a magic moment now? I’ve been waiting for a magic moment But maybe there are magic moments Baby it’s a magic moment nowBut darling it’s a magical, magical life, life, life Oh honey, it’s a magical, magical life, life, life And baby it’s a magical, magical life, life, life When you can find magic in every day, night, night, night….”
“Teen Traveler” contemplating…….serious one moment…………. ….then making “sand angels” in the sand instead of the snow the next minute…………..
We had a great day and we are already thinking of where we might take a day trip next week. Clear kayak on a Florida spring? Fly a kite at another beach? One thing is for certain. On Earth we have ONLY these five minutes. Time to go out to make a memory, as there is beauty everywhere.
Keukenhof Gardens, the largest flower garden in the world, located in Lisse, Netherlands (South Holland)
As I transition from “social distancing” to self-isolation in our home, I am reminded of an old song that says, “For every drop of rain that falls, a flower grows.” I am reminded of all the good things that are happening in the world right now, despite our current precarious world situation, that are still positive.
The smile of a stranger at the market from an appropriate social distance combined with eyes that meet and show a shared understanding (before I self-isolated), the sense of community in my neighborhood where people are looking out for each other and some folks have offered to get groceries and supplies for the elderly or at-risk neighbors, the gift of extra time together with my family, sharing a laugh as we remember to have fun while we prepare for this coronavirus to come knocking at our door. Having the luxury of extra time with board games while “Teen Traveler” is home from school and watching any pandemic movie we can will be fun memories to reflect upon years from now. Today we will find a remote stretch of beach where there are no visitors so we can feel the sand between our toes and the wind in our hair. This situation is serious, but we still can live while we are living with the situation.
There are many other other things that are that that “flower growing” despite the “rain” in this health crisis. Dolphins have returned to the canals in Venice because the water is cleaner and clearer right now with less traffic. The air is cleaner as emissions have fallen as China’s coal use drops. Many companies are changing policies and procedures to make working from home a possibility, which can help families who are normally juggling the needs of their children while needing to work. Supply chains are working overtime to help meet the needs of the country. We have begun to investigate what self-reliance means personally and as a country, giving some thought to how we can manage on many levels when things go awry. We all have developed an “attitude of gratitude” when we find a supply of toilet paper, any toilet paper, any brand, in the market.
I am reminded of the beauty of Keukenhof Gardens in the Netherlands while I think “for every drop of rain that falls, a flower grows.” The garden will not open tomorrow as planned, yet I can’t help think of all the beautiful flowers that continue to grow, despite our global turmoil. I had always wanted to see the tulips growing in fields as a bucket list item, so last year we traveled there. Another bucket list item crossed off my list.
Tulip farm near Keukenhof
Keukenhof Gardens normally is open in the spring for the about eight weeks from mid-March to mid-May. Originally the gardens were part of Countess Jacoba van Beieren’ s (Jacqueline of Bavaria, 1401-1436) kitchen gardens at Teylingen Castle. In 1949, plans were made by some prominent bulb growers to use that space to grow bulbs, and in 1950 the gardens were opened to the public.
At Keukenhoff, one can take a forty-five minute quiet electric boat ride through the region where you can learn a little bit more of the area. Unfortunately this boat is NOT wheel-chair accessible. Fees range from 4.50- 9. Euros (about $4.82 USD for children -$9.63 USD for adults) at the time of this writing. Children under three are free of charge. The park does, however, offer complimentary electric wheelchairs to guest to enjoy the gardens, though.
Keukenhoff is NORMALLY open from 8:00 AM to 7:30 PM but is temporarily closed now because of Covid-19. There are multiple places to eat within the park, and the park allows dogs on leashes.
A pop of color in a boxBreathtakingly sturdy and enduring windmill on the property reminds me of our resolute human will while battling cornonaDaffodils mingle among tulips and hyacinths in harmonyWish for quick resolution of the Coronavirus and its effects Hyacinths and crocusesThese tulips were not dyed but grow this colorBreathtaking displays of exhibition tulips grow everywhere
Coping with the Corona situation is difficult for everyone, but taking a moment in your heart and mind to visit other places where beauty endures and life goes on might be just what you need. Armchair travel is always good for the soul, as it gives us something for which to look forward some day. The flower bulbs remind us that life goes on, year after year, even after a period in which everything appears to have stopped and is dormant.
“I believe for every drop of rain that falls A flower grows I believe that somewhere in the darkest night A candle glows I believe for everyone who goes astray someone will come To show the way I believe, I believeI believe above a storm the smallest prayer Can still be heard I believe that someone in the great somewhere Hears every wordEvery time I hear a new born baby cry Or touch a leaf or see the sky Then I know why I believeEvery time I hear a new born baby cry Or touch a leaf or see the sky Then I know why I believe”
-Written by Roger Whittaker and sung by Mahalia Jackson
TODAY is a good day to have a good day. Spring has sprung. Go out and live; carpe diem, friends…………..
Carpe Diem with Caye 