The best view comes after the hardest climb, and to reach the peak, one has to cross many tiny foothills. –Bhawna Dehariya
August’s Muse: Inspired by The Mesa
Out of the Shadows, Paul and Gibby Find Some Cows. Photo by Wendy Stieg
But wait is what I must do. What do you do when you are waiting for something? Do you allow the longing for whatever it is to take over your life? In my case, yes, you do. But I would like to temper that a little. So back to what I am feeling drawn toward for August. I really want to make progress in my writing and continue building my blog. I want to set my travel keepsake planner up on Etsy and give that a go. I want to slow down enough that I can recognize the special moments that are all around me. I am filled with inspiration as I think about different avenues for my own creativity.
How do you intentionally build your future, instead of rushing? I explore this idea in I Don’t Want to Escape My Life. I Want to Build a Better One.
The Road to The Mesa. Photo by Wendy Stieg
Could a muse be a man? Because Paul is my muse. For example, we found our way to the Grand Mesa yesterday. Paul: “We are going to hike the Mesa.” Wendy: “Which mesa?” Paul. “I already told you THE Mesa.” Thus starting a little heated discussion on what it meant when you said THE Mesa around here. Well, I have come to learn that THE Mesa is The Grand Mesa, which is the largest mesa in the world. Mesa means "table" in Spanish. In geography, a mesa is an elevated, flat-topped landform. This one is around 500 square miles. It also has over 300 lakes. Paul, Gibby, and I hiked a small trail around Ward Lake, just off the highway. We must go back. Somehow that wacky start to the day inspired me to spend the rest of the day in awe of nature.
As we hiked past Ward Lake, past the fishermen, past the cars and into the forest, my mind drifted away from the trail. I found myself thinking about my writing, my blog, and how to turn the work I already love into a business that can support the life I want to live.
Gibby found another lake to rate. Read his latest blog post here. Photo by Wendy Stieg
What I found as I was hiking in this lush, beautiful area, pretty much in the middle of a huge desert surrounding it, was thinking about where I wanted things to go, creative-wise. I found myself getting inspired. What could we think about for this next couple of months? What do we want to do? I find myself wanting to hurry up and make reservations for Europe. But I have to rein it in because we are still getting our footing. That metaphor is true about many areas of our lives currently. I am not good at reining myself in and especially not good at being patient once I really want something.
If you're curious about why I started building this blog in the first place, I wrote more about it in Building Best of Both Worlds.
And of course, I am looking at airfare. I have created a way to capture how to figure out your best trip but it is much more than that. I want to articulate why you go on a trip in the first place. That is whether it is a short trip, like an overnight to Zenzen Gardens and glamping with your chocolate lab and your husband, or a huge trip chasing a European bike race. We will do both, and more of it. But like a lot of people, we need three things to make that happen: 1. Money 2. Time 3. A Decision.
Sometimes time goes so slowly I want to scream and other times I turn around and it’s August and not January anymore. Whew! Time seriously does fly and for me, slowing down is not just a good idea but an absolute necessity. Paul started a new job, I continue looking for a job and continue to write. To create. And to seek work that aligns with who I am now. A few days ago I caught myself halfway through a teaching application before realizing I was moving toward security instead of purpose. I don’t want to be a teacher anymore. That is NOT the direction I want to go. The direction I want to go is to rely on myself, be my own boss and create the life I have always dreamed of. I also know this is possible.
Wildflowers and bees. Photo by Wendy Stieg
We are still planning the trip to Catalonia, so north eastern Spain and southern France. We will follow some bike races, but this year it has been a lot. The best time for us now is going to be April/May. I will continue watching airfare, and I wanted to do some research on guest houses in that area. I have a rough outline for my itinerary. I realize that sometimes you plan a trip and life does get in the way a bit, and you have to adjust. But it is not circumstances that kill your dreams; it is you. You may not yet have the time or the money, but you can make a decision.
Why do I keep dreaming about Europe? Where Does the Wanderlust Even Come From? might give some clues.
For now, I am inspired to keep writing about what I am passionate about. We have a few projects around the house we are working on. Paul is working. I am too but I am still not making any money. Yet. But just give me time, and I will catch up with my inspirations, and let’s just see what happens! In the meantime, we have made a decision: the trip is STILL on, and our goal is to purchase the airfare about five to six months out. Spending time on the world’s largest mesa, THE Mesa, cleared my head enough to make me realize that we can still have the dream, and we are heading toward it.
So what is next? The Next There explores that question.
Panoramic shot of the valley below the Grand Mesa. Photo by Wendy Stieg
Just take your time—the wave comes. Let the other guys go; catch another one. —Duke Kahanamoku
July’s Muse: The Right Time
There is a small story I love, one that has held different meanings for me over the years. It was said that in ancient times, Hawaiian fishermen would not always go fishing at the same time every day. Nor would they necessarily fish every day. From a Western perspective, this might seem lazy. In fact, Hawaiians were often thought of as lazy because they did some things differently.
For Hawaiian fishermen, it was more about it being the right time. Not just every time. Even the concept of time was different. It wasn't simply about what the clock said. The tides, the ocean swells, and the weather all played a part in deciding whether it was the right time to fish. Their work followed the conditions around them rather than forcing the conditions to follow a schedule. I think about this story because I am realizing that our hope to travel to Europe in December will have to change.
Hawaiian fisherman. Photo by Joel Feld
We are still inspired to travel to Spain, to go to the area north of Barcelona, to see France, to be near the Mediterranean. I have never been to the Mediterranean Ocean, and have always wanted to go. But for us, it’s just not the right time to go fishing. We just moved. I am still looking for a job. And last week, Paul broke his wrist while riding his mountain bike. We got lucky and were able to get in for surgery on Wednesday of this week. When Paul started talking about how now we will have to wait to find a different time to travel, at first I did what I always do, and went straight to disappointment.
But maybe that is just something I do because I haven’t allowed myself the time I need to think this through. I realize that timing matters. It’s funny, my Hawaiian fishermen story has meant different things to me at different times of my life. When I first heard it, I remember thinking, “Oh! Yes! I should be like the Hawaiian fishermen! I should be better about timing!” Then years later, I wondered, how do you even be like the Hawaiian fishermen? If you really want to do something, why do you have to wait? How do you even do that?
Street in Andalusia, Spain. Photo by Wendy Stieg
Now I get it. Are we postponing a trip, or merely finding a better time to go? What does finding a different time to go do for the trip? I know with 100% certainty and clarity that our plan to travel in December will not work. Instead of December, we will find a time in the spring. There is time. Paul needs to heal. I need to find a job.
This realization comes on top of another realization. We had bought tickets to Missoula because we wanted to spend time with friends and see Widespread Panic, who are playing at the Kettle House in Bonner, MT. We love the Kettle House, it is one of our favorite venues. The people we were going to see are some of our favorite people. We could really use that time to blow off some steam. But that, too, means it is not the time to fish.
Ironically, several of the people we were going to see music with are in fact, professional fly fishermen. I find that kind of irony to be something that consistently shows up in my life, and you just can’t make that up! For now, fishing will just have to happen at a different time. For us, the tides and the waves are off, but like everything in life, just stick around a little longer, enjoy what is happening now, and the conditions will be right. The right time will make itself known. For me, this is the best kind of inspiration!
Costa Brava, Spain. Photo by Jametlend Reskp