May the blessings of light be upon you, light without and light within. And in all your comings and goings, may you ever have a kindly greeting from them you meet along the road. - traditional Irish blessing My first solo trip in decades (which I promise to explore more in these pages once I start to really process the experiences) has been so many things, but it has not been lonely. The first half was filled with rekindling friendships from 30 years ago, communing with family in the only real “hometown” I have and even spending 36 blissful hours with my best Dublin girlfriends on the Florida coast. It was the second half that had me concerned. Not long ago, too much time on my own would trigger some of my worst habits or lead to some very dark places. Finally getting time to yourself doesn’t mean you know how to use it for good. So, when I boarded the plane from Fort Lauderdale to St Louis, the longest stretch of my trip without a fixed itinerary or personal contacts, there was a bit of apprehension mixed in with the anticipation.
Beautiful description, Jennifer! I am with you: it's the chicken AND the egg. It's all good people flow. Can't wait to read more!