January 1st, 2015

I really like the first day of the year. The other two days I also like are March 21st, beginning of Spring (and my wedding!) and August 19, my birth day.
It's all about beginnings, coming alive, starting again, hoping.

So today is the day to reach out to you all to

wish you an exciting year if you want to make it so

 

and to begin writing again here after too many months of silence. It's been an interesting 8++ months, bad and good, filled with fears and happiness. Just life stuff that has been useful to bring me where I am today: happy!


When I started this blog my intention was to bring you on some of my travel adventures and discoveries. I wanted to share the emotions that this land can unexpectedly bring out. I also happen to get carried away by memories and feel the urge to write them down. 
Today you have to allow me to change somewhat because I feel I have to tell you something about where I am as Patrizia 

and not as a traveler.

Ready?
BACKGROUND
We are living in a complicated world that at times feels on the brink of explosion, or, better, implosion. This makes a lot of us feel unsettled, angry, powerless, revengeful, hopeless, lost. I did actually feel exactly that way.

On a more personal level, at the end of a very unusual time for me when I felt extremely uncomfortable both with myself and with the whole world, near and far, followed by another period where the world seemed to smile to me and tell me how much love was all around me, I had to stop and ponder.

Santa Fe offers the best atmosphere for this sort of meditating mode in which one can surrender without fear to be ridiculed or laughed at. So, I'm lucky! I recommend to consider coming here if you need to change gear!

PROCESS
Some key points I reached through my thoughts:

• I am a very lucky person despite the many challenges I hade to live through
• I was able to change my life by choice which opened several doors for me that I could decide to walk through or not. I did.
• I experienced new ways of going through life and I began living by choices rather than by habits.

Despite the enormous number of negative and often horrendous things around me and us all, finally my view on the world changed from "to destroy" to "there is something...well kind of...maybe...good at the end of the tunnel".

• But it was up to me to see the light rather than the dark side of everything, the beautiful human beings rather than the criminals and crooks. It is hard to do this, often too hard, but there is hope.

RESULTS

• In short, I chose to be happy which represent the beginning for being a better person. If you are happy you are more available, you listen to other ideas with an open mind, you want to join other people to do things together, things you believe in and they too. Think about it and tell me if you agree.
  

• I also realized that it's a question of time. If one wants to open up to the world, be available for others, learn from others, read, meet new people, be active in the community, well he or she must make sure to free up some time! And not be dead tired at the end of the day. Without time and good spirit one can't experience anything beyond the personal life routine. Hence...I had to stop working. This was a huge decision for me, a workaholic with 50+ years of 24x7, and 10-15 hours of actual working time a day.

At the same time I decided to quit smoking. Excruciating experience... and it's not over!!!

HUMAN FACTORS (indecision)
I stopped working and I didn't, I cancelled some contracts to then find new ones. This went on for a while until I felt stupid! At this point my only choice was to listen, as I always do when I'm lost, to my guts  It is amazing how quickly it kicks in to help you! Once you have a goal or an idea, your gut instinct begins to lead in the direction one needs to go in order to accomplish the task he or she has set out to complete.

EXTERNAL HELP
Don't be shy, I was telling myself, reach out to people around you, your friends, they may say a word that hits your imagination, or your heart, that prompts a reaction and BANG you see clear in front of you! I felt drawn to conversations with people I would not normally speak with. It's been a great experience.

WHERE I AM TODAY
This may sound all too easy but I can't tell you the step by step process I went through because it wouldn't be that interesting for you! I can tell you the conclusion of my search: I don't stop but I change the focus.

In a nutshell, Seven Directions will be a travel consulting company with........No, I can't continue, so sorry! I must make sure I know what exactly my business will change into and what my new adventure partners' final dreams are. I'm sure about mine!

The first day of the year is coming to an end.  I did what I planned to do including a walk on an unusually empty Canyon Road and through Patrick Smith Park breathing deep the crisp and pure air.

A good first day. I am happy.