FULL MOON RISING OVER PHILOPAPPOU HILL, ATHENS
I'm back, with memories of a month well-spent in England, Wales and Greece. It's been difficult readjusting to my own culture, the climate, the pace of life here which is so different, especially from my other life in Greece. I can't say I've felt happy about being back, even unhappier when I found out that the classes I was supposed to teach during July (for which I'd cut my trip to Greece short!) had been cancelled. Looking on the good side of this is, it gives me more time to get back at my serious writing (finish Shadow!) and allows me a bit of time to do other things during the week, such as accept invitations from friends to go to one of the Gulf Islands on a camping trip.
It's been a busy time since I returned as well. There were friends' birthday celebrations, Greek Summer Festival and the Jazz Festival events to attend. This week things are slowing down. And it's raining! (what else is new here on the wet coast! (They keep telling me how warm it was while I was away -- yeah -- a heat wave. Well, I left Greece in 35 C temperatures and have not been amused to find it well below the 20's here since I got back. So much for Coastal 'heat waves'.) Went to the beach yesterday -- too cold to swim in the sea and to chilly to hang out at poolside trying to replentish my tan which is quickly fading. Oh, grumble, grumble!
It's been a busy time since I returned as well. There were friends' birthday celebrations, Greek Summer Festival and the Jazz Festival events to attend. This week things are slowing down. And it's raining! (what else is new here on the wet coast! (They keep telling me how warm it was while I was away -- yeah -- a heat wave. Well, I left Greece in 35 C temperatures and have not been amused to find it well below the 20's here since I got back. So much for Coastal 'heat waves'.) Went to the beach yesterday -- too cold to swim in the sea and to chilly to hang out at poolside trying to replentish my tan which is quickly fading. Oh, grumble, grumble!
TWILIGHT OVER THE AEGEAN, NAXOS
Anyway, you will soon see what I left behind me, (as I intend to catch up on the travel blogs I did not have time to post while on the road being a tour guide for my sister and niece). I have many photos too, and if you happen to be on Facebook you might view a few of my albums. Or you'll get glimpses of them here.
Now here's an interesting thing about 'returning'...my mind is chock full of ideas, memories (old and new) and thoughts about things in general. And just like your good old computer, your memory tends to get far too full. So you have to clean it out and start fresh, or at least clear out the space for new thoughts and ideas.
I have a lot of writing to do now. Especially I have to pick up the threads of Shadow where I left off and resume the work on the last few chapters. I've also been thinking a bit about my other novel which I wish to return to work on once Shadow is done. Besides that, I have been mind-boggled by stuff here -- You always notice more clearly what's going on when you've been away for awhile, and frankly I just can't stand some things I see going on here. I want to be back in my Greek space. My whole life changes the minute I arrive there and then I go into culture shock when I return.
Well, the other evening I attended an excellent concert at the Jazz Festival: Hugh Fraser quintet and Chucho Valdez quartet. (I saw them both play in Havana a few years ago so I'm a fan.) As I sat there alone in my seat and let the music wash over my, I found my mind become completely absorbed and carried away. Thoughts kept spinning by, everything from scenes of Shadow to current events to long ago traumatic memories. But they were going by quickly, as if my brain was 'purging' all the unnecessary thoughts much like you clean out your computer memory. Afterwards, when the conert was finished (and it was a fantastic concert!) I felt somewhat more relaxed and renewed. I realized I had to clear out the clutter of my mind before I could settle down to serious writing again.
Yesterday I headed for the park and beach. I took time to walk around through the flower gardens and then went for my swim in the pool. It was too chilly to sit around 'tanning' so I took my picnic lunch to a table by the beach and sat quietly perusing all the notes I'd made for the next chapter of Shadow before I'd left on my trip. Then I walked the sea wall and ended up at another park looking for friends at the out-door jazz festival events. No luck. So I came home and had a quiet evening: a ride in my friend's BMW - top down, cool! -- icecream on the Drive -- and then home again to sort through my new thoughts and ideas, look at my photos and recall the happy memories of my holidays.
Today, it's time to start writing again. So I have begun by writing this blog. And next I'll start on the travel blogs. And then I will begin the next chapter of Shadow. My summer of writing is beginning with a clean slate. I'm not going to let anything interupt it.
Now here's an interesting thing about 'returning'...my mind is chock full of ideas, memories (old and new) and thoughts about things in general. And just like your good old computer, your memory tends to get far too full. So you have to clean it out and start fresh, or at least clear out the space for new thoughts and ideas.
I have a lot of writing to do now. Especially I have to pick up the threads of Shadow where I left off and resume the work on the last few chapters. I've also been thinking a bit about my other novel which I wish to return to work on once Shadow is done. Besides that, I have been mind-boggled by stuff here -- You always notice more clearly what's going on when you've been away for awhile, and frankly I just can't stand some things I see going on here. I want to be back in my Greek space. My whole life changes the minute I arrive there and then I go into culture shock when I return.
Well, the other evening I attended an excellent concert at the Jazz Festival: Hugh Fraser quintet and Chucho Valdez quartet. (I saw them both play in Havana a few years ago so I'm a fan.) As I sat there alone in my seat and let the music wash over my, I found my mind become completely absorbed and carried away. Thoughts kept spinning by, everything from scenes of Shadow to current events to long ago traumatic memories. But they were going by quickly, as if my brain was 'purging' all the unnecessary thoughts much like you clean out your computer memory. Afterwards, when the conert was finished (and it was a fantastic concert!) I felt somewhat more relaxed and renewed. I realized I had to clear out the clutter of my mind before I could settle down to serious writing again.
Yesterday I headed for the park and beach. I took time to walk around through the flower gardens and then went for my swim in the pool. It was too chilly to sit around 'tanning' so I took my picnic lunch to a table by the beach and sat quietly perusing all the notes I'd made for the next chapter of Shadow before I'd left on my trip. Then I walked the sea wall and ended up at another park looking for friends at the out-door jazz festival events. No luck. So I came home and had a quiet evening: a ride in my friend's BMW - top down, cool! -- icecream on the Drive -- and then home again to sort through my new thoughts and ideas, look at my photos and recall the happy memories of my holidays.
Today, it's time to start writing again. So I have begun by writing this blog. And next I'll start on the travel blogs. And then I will begin the next chapter of Shadow. My summer of writing is beginning with a clean slate. I'm not going to let anything interupt it.
SANTORINI SUNSET
1 comment:
Welcome back! Those pictures look amazing! So beautiful. I can't wait to see more. :)
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