Are you there God?

Learning about the Gospel of Matthew is not probably one of the things I must admit were on my to do list this year. I did have “be open” on there though, so I guess you could say I am checking that box. I am currently in a community in the south of France called Taize – a place that was established by Brother Roger as somewhere people could come to deepen their knowledge and faith. Yes, Christian faith. You may be asking what on earth am I doing here? And there has been points where I have asked myself the same thing, but it really is about keeping an open mind and an open heart. And well, some of this bible stuff is not all too bad.

I came here on the recommendation of a friend. I had a week spare unexpectedly and was looking for somewhere I could focus on my own practice (meditation) and also spend some time away from the city with the space to think. I have been on the road 6 months, and it seems like a good point to be reflecting on a few things and thinking about where to next. So the small place in the south of France sounded ideal. Well, maybe not small, I believe this is a quiet week with only 3000 people but typically there is up to 5000. Mainly young people (under 30’s, being over 30 you are officially classed as an adult, I guess I have to say ok) the place is alive from morning til night with people from all over the world. Interestingly it is a similar schedule to the ashram I stayed at earlier in the year so I am down with the routine of morning prayers, meal times etc. I am quite enjoying the prayer times as they are mainly done in song – sounds weird, but imagine 3000 people singing in French or Latin (they vary the hymns and languages) and it is really quite moving. One woman said to me yesterday,” I am not that kind of person, but I found myself in tears this morning” and she is right. It really is that beautiful.

On the one hand I enjoy the space and peace of the place, but on the other I have to admit the bible introductions and discussions are stretching my resistance. Thankfully I am in a small group of open minded people who embrace diversity of belief, so don’t mind I don’t own my own bible or regularly attend church. Like the rest of my trip though, things happen, call them co-incidence or synchronicity or the universe at play, or maybe it is God, but I find I meet the right people at the right time. In our small group discussions, we got on to the topic of meditation. Two of my Polish friends shared how they attend a weekly meditation group and how it supports their faith. Then a Dutch pastoral lay worker also shared, he attends a balance class each week – dancing, yoga and meditation (interestingly the teachers of his group are influenced by Osho....not sure he knows much about Osho!) and how he has learnt the benefit of working with his chakra’s and the need for him to ground himself. Now for you none religious types, he is from the traditional church, talking about energy he admits stretches his boundaries but be can’t deny how he feels. The difference it makes to work with his body and how it has changed him.  So it made me realise, you can find kindred spirits anywhere in the world. Even in a Christian camp in the south of France. 

They say God works in mysterious ways, and I must say I am still not sure what I make of some of teachings of the bible, nor is it really something I think I want to post on here. (Save it for a face to face conversation and a good bottle of red) But the one thing that perhaps has resonated the most is something that one of the Brother’s shared during a bible introduction - that we often do not take risks in our lives as we are bound by fear. Fear of many things, the unknown, what may or may not happen, but most importantly, we are afraid of losing control. He even admitted that often the church is guilty of this and imagine what the opportunities could be if we could simply take a risk. So, whilst I may not get all of the teachings of Matthew, I do like the message of looking at our fears, and taking risks. And God, if you are out there, help me to live a life without fear as it is pretty damn empowering when you do. Amen.

Eat, Pray, Love

Many people asked me last year if I was influence by Elizabeth Gilbert’s novel, “Eat, Pray, Love”. Was I seeking my own version? My initial response was no, I am not Elizabeth Gilbert. First of all I have no book deal paying for the adventure (although it would be incredibly helpful if I did) and second of all, I did not feel the need to “find myself”. Although on reflection, I was really wanting to experience something different, I was craving change and I had thought that was with my outside world but if I am honest, maybe it was partly internal as well.  I didn’t find myself on the bathroom floor in despair over my life, but I did feel that I wanted change. My life was great, but I wanted more. I wanted to stretch my personal boundaries, let go of the things I thought were important (good job, nice apartment, great car, shoes, clothes – the list is endless) and see what was really important to me? I can safely say that so far, my trip has been everything and more. I have learnt so much and am continuing to do so. So I guess in a way, and I hate to admit it, I am doing a “Eat, Pray, Love” of sorts. Love or hate the story (there appears to be two distinct camps), what you can’t deny is that Elizabeth really does immerse herself in her surroundings and has the luxury of experiencing some pretty amazing things.

The eating started in Poland

Like Elizabeth, Europe is the “Eat” part of my adventure. I am currently living around the corner from some of the most amazing food markets I think I have ever seen. Fresh pasta, a wonderful fromagerie, bakeries that make your eyes water and a beautiful wine store make my French experience exactly as you would expect. De – licious.  I am spoilt for choice and really did not know where to begin.....and with the luxury of an apartment I can easily purchase my own food and prepare yummy meals. I am in heaven. But Europe has really been a gastronomic affair from the beginning. It started in Poland where daily we would snack on fresh bread, cheeses and beautiful berries – I don’t think I have ever bought a kilogram of strawberries and devoured them in a day (I had help). Sweden was the same, fresh fish on the bbq, new potatoes and lots of dill. The Swedes put it on everything. I even ate herring and can honestly say I enjoyed it! I am loving the variety of fresh food, and the simplicity in which it can be prepared and then of course enjoyed. An appropriately matched vino doesn’t go astray and of course the good company certainly helps, but I am certainly eating my way around Europe. Like Elizabeth, I am little concerned I may need to up size my pants, or maybe opt for the elastic waist band for awhile as I am sure after 8 weeks of this my jeans that were a little loose will be quite snug. Initially I was concerned, but have decided to embrace it, enjoy and maybe even go for a run to combat the extra intact of calories – or maybe I can run tomorrow, I need to go and get some fresh croissants right now. Better still, I can run to the bakery! Bliss. It is all about balance and enjoying the moment, so for now, I am going to embrace the fact I am in Paris, eat that extra piece of cheese and drink another glass of Rose, hell, I had enough Alcohol Free Days (AFD) in the first 6 months, surely there is a stock piling system. And I will do it with the biggest grin on my face and I can simply undo the top button of my jeans. 

and continued in Sweden.....

 PS The likeness is to the “Eat” section of the novel....I will keep you posted on the Pray and Love parts :)

Killed with kindness

I am sitting sipping a Rose with ice, nibbling on some crusty bread and foie gras, listening to the sounds of Paris and it is one of those moments I need to pinch myself to really comprehend where I am. Countless times I find myself taking my adventure for granted, so it is times like this, where everything is seemingly normal, that I often stop and have a moment, wow, I am in....(fill in the blank) It is so easy when “normal” does not exist like it used to, to get caught up and not appreciate the truly wonderful moments that I have each day. How cool, I am in Paris. I have had a busy month in Europe, whilst it has been very different from my India/Nepal adventures (see my last post “Alice in Wonderland”), it has been filled with many amazing moments and even more amazing people.

As I write to you now, this is my view :)

When I decided to come to Europe, it was purely to see friends. I was not really motivated by traveling in Europe and visiting places, more so visiting people that are special to me and that I had not seen in awhile. A mixture of IKEA colleagues and girls I had got to know through my yoga training are dotted around Europe, so I planned a rough agenda based on where they were located. My first stop after London was Poland where I had 2 weeks with the beautiful Ulla –  at the end of my time there Ulla said to me “I can’t believe you are going, there are still so many things for us to do!” and she was so right. Maybe it wasn’t the things we did, but the conversations, the time we spent discussing life and yoga and life....and yoga....that 2 weeks disappeared. From the town of Poznan in Poland we managed to occupy the days with yoga classes, a kayaking and camping trip (cut short by the weather) and some lovely time with Ulla’s mum and sister. Even with a language barrier, it reminded me of hanging out with my mum and sister – girls are the same everywhere.

Ulla and I on our kayaking/camping adventure

From Poland I then made my way to sunny Sweden. Having worked for IKEA for so long, and having had the pleasure of visiting in the cooler months, I was looking forward to experiencing a true Swedish summer and the main festival for the year “Midsummer”. I was lucky enough to be invited to the archipelago out of Stockholm to join a midsummer and birthday celebration. The crisp blue of the water, the countless Swedish flags and the typical red houses did not disappoint. As we ate herring, drank schnapps and sang Swedish folk songs, I realised why the Swedes celebrate this time of year. The light is truly magical, I have no other words. Whilst the sun rising at 3.30am and setting at close to midnight takes a bit of getting used to, the light is something that adds a magical feeling to an already pretty beautiful place. The hospitality of my hosts Britt and Dag was incredibly kind and I felt very lucky to join in on Dag’s 70^th birthday celebrations. From Stockholm I headed south to Gothenberg where I met up with a yoga friend Tara – her partner Toby is Swedish and they are spending summer in Sweden with their gorgeous little boy Phoenix. Again, incredible hospitality, company and times in another summer house by the sea before I headed south to Helsingborg.

Amazing people and always amazing food - fresh strawberry ice cream in Gothenberg

It was in Helsingborg I caught up with my IKEA colleagues, which was so much fun. In ways it felt like I had never left, even visiting the IKEA main office.  I still am an “IKEA person” at heart and have met some amazing people through the company. Not just colleagues, but true and very dear friends. It was wonderful to experience “Life at Home” in Sweden as they all welcomed me into their lives for a day or even more. I was beginning to feel overwhelmed with people’s kindness and generosity.  My last few days were spent with Johan and Marie, where I really felt part of the family. We celebrated their sons 20^th birthday, walked the foreshore, had a lovely dinner with like minded people and managed to have some amazing conversations about the world, life after IKEA and following your dreams (I feel like a bit of case in point in this situation)  It was with some sadness that I said my farewells with promises of returning as it really was so wonderful. And now I find myself in Paris, where my lovely friend Lucie is loaning me her apartment. 

Johan and Marie

I have learnt, you don’t need to travel to the East to see beauty in people, it is everywhere. You just have to look at those around you, I have been blessed to be surrounded by kind, warm and incredibly giving people. I only hope I can return the favour one day. Val has offered a room in Horsham should any of you want to visit in the near future, I can’t guarantee the shore line of Sweden or the views of Paris, but I can assure you the hospitality will be as warm and the food pretty good too.