"Ciao" to Italy and "Bok" to Croatia!!

Fossombrone (only 20 minutes from here)!!

I had hoped to have more pictures to post after some  sight-seeing this weekend (checking out places nearby), but a little stomach bug caught up with me, so I've decided it's better to rest up for the next leg of my "big adventure" (and not take any chances RE: the whole "public toilet/squatty potty" issue)!! Oh well, I guess this is the life of the nanny (since Raquel is also sick and I'm sure we've shared many a germ or two over the last few weeks)!! 

The Fortress of Senigallia on the Adriatic Sea!!

I've posted a few pictures of what I had PLANNED on seeing so you can imagine where I would have been today (instead of enjoying the sunshine and fresh air wrapped in a blanket in my jammies with a cup of tea)!! I didn't even want coffee this morning so you KNOW I'm not up-to-par!! (And forgive me in advance for the philosophical meanderings of this post....not enough coffee or energy to move me out of my right brain!!) I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities for me to sight-see and take pictures, but with an 11-hour overnight ferry ride on the horizon I figured I better rest up and be 100% for the journey!! 

Why YES!! That IS the sea peeking through the door!!

As I mentioned in my last post, time has simultaneously flown and crawled, and I can't believe it's almost time to say "Ciao" to Italy and "Zdravo" to Croatia!! I will be catching the ferry on Tuesday and am looking forward to staying a MONTH in a picturesque seafront apartment in Hvar (one of the many beautiful islands of Croatia)!! When I saw that it normally rents out for $80 per night (but is only $15 per night if I rent it for a WHOLE MONTH), I just HAD to take it!! After all, I have Paul Puckett's DNA and just COULDN'T turn down a bargain like that, right?!?!  

My new place in Croatia....steps from the sea!!

I'm looking forward to exploring that part of Croatia (saving some sight-seeing for when Pam joins me in a month)!! I have no idea what to expect which is quite exciting to me because it means a whole NEW set of adventures!! I came across this great quote the other day.... "When we set out in search of adventure what we really discover is ourselves" (by Karen McCann). Of course I'm ALWAYS up for reading more from like-minded travelers, so I read both her books (on Kindle for free if you have their monthly subscription....check them out!!) 

The Port of Hvar!!

She also wrote (and I'm paraphrasing)... Adventures are all about going BEYOND THE BOUNDARIES OF ORDINARY LIFE, sometimes in ways that aren't entirely comfortable. These uncomfortable times provide the contrast that makes the rest of the adventure so sweet. They are by their very nature unpredictable, often arriving unexpectedly and involving lots of dizzying detours and course corrections. (I love that reminder that when our "best-laid-plans" change, it doesn't mean that plan was a MISTAKE, the journey just needed a bit of course correction!!)

As I read her words and thought of my own travel choices the last couple of years, I realized part of the reason I chose Italy is because I wanted to have experiences that would really STRETCH me! I could have chosen a Spanish-speaking country and made it easier to communicate, but I wanted to be taken out of my comfort zone to feel more....ALIVE!! I'm reminded of a quote by Joseph Campbell in The Power of Myth: “People say that what we’re all seeking is a meaning for life. I don’t think that’s what we’re really seeking. I think that what we’re seeking is an experience of BEING ALIVE, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonances with our own innermost being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive.” 

YES!!!! That is exactly what I haven't been able to put my finger on when people ask me why I've chosen this "nomadic" lifestyle of traveling, pet/house-sitting, Workaway-ing and infusing my world with new people and experiences!! Like weight lifters who push themselves to lift a BIT MORE weight or runners who go that extra mile, I've realized that I like to push myself just a BIT further with each new adventure!! Of course choosing to visit the Balkans (Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia) for the next few months might be like adding 50 extra pounds to a weightlifter or 10 extra miles to a runner, but I'm excited to see if I can do it!! AND, of course, I've read all I could get my hands on about the war in the 90s and the history of that area since the Greeks....a LOT more complicated than what most of us remember from the news in their recent history! 

As any athlete knows (or so I've been told), the trick is to find the right balance for GROWTH without pushing so far beyond my comfort level that I "strain a muscle" and can't continue "working out" and growing (and end up catatonic and rocking myself looking out at the sea in Croatia)!! Choosing Workaway over house-sitting was a BIG stretch for me! As a "gregarious introvert" I'm at constant odds with myself. I LOVE people (chatting with them, learning all about their lives, etc.), but actually LIVING with people 24/7 has stretched me beyond my expectations! I've lived with people before, but this took "sharing space" to a whole new level (some really high levels and some that dipped a bit low)!! 

It taught me that even at 55 (which some would say is definitely "grown up" but doesn't always FEEL that way inside), I still have lots to learn about setting boundaries and expressing my needs honestly. As someone who doesn't want to "impose" on people, I've certainly chosen a direct path to growth by choosing Workaway and living with strangers! BUT, I've certainly gotten more and more clear very quickly!! (Okay.... I just have to ask....did everyone else figure this out in their 20s and 30s by getting married and/or having children?!?! If so, then better late than never, I guess!!)

I've begun to think of my Workaway experiences in Italy as a chocolate cake (and YES, I am using a food analogy....then again, I AM in Italy so I probably could've used a wine analogy)!! The first family I stayed with is represented by the first layer of the cake. It looked beautiful from a distance and I cut into it with great excitement and anticipation (mouth watering and fully ready to savor every crumb), but it turned out this layer was a bit dry and dense. Not necessarily a BAD taste, just not my preferred type of cake... and a little disappointing because my expectations were so high (after all, I had anticipated tasting this cake for months)!!

But THEN in the middle of my cake, I was unexpectedly surprised by this delicious, creamy, DELIGHTFUL layer of filling that made me feel this "cake experience" could be recovered (a wonderful course correction on my journey)!! It was light, fluffy, rich, and layered with depths of flavors that I couldn't identify but fell in love with from the moment I tasted it!! Like most sweet, creamy frostings, however, there just wasn't enough of this wonderful delight (which leaves me hoping for more in the future)!!

Last but not least, there was the final layer of rich, sweet chocolate cake below the creamy filling. It was good, but not quite as light as the delectable filling still lingering on my taste buds. It had high quality ingredients and complicated, delicious flavors, but the cook was kinda busy working and taking care of babies....so I only got little nibbles and crumbs every once in awhile. In the end, though, the cook made up for those tiny nibbles with a slathering of good intentions and kindness and a big piece of cake just before my departure (and LOTS of coffee and milk in which I could dip the cake)!! :)

(In case anyone missed the metaphor, the chocolate cake symbolizes emotional connection....rich, deep, creamy, meaningful conversations and connections which are essential for feeling ALIVE!!)

I've realized (yet again) how important it is to be aware of the role my expectations play on my perception of "the journey" (both in life, as well as in traveling)!! I am reminded once again to meet each new experience with an open, curious mind and not a lot of preconceived ideas if I want to fully embrace the nuances of each new experience! As soon as I THINK I know what the experience will look/feel/taste like, I lose a bit of the ESSENCE of the unexpected nature of travel, adventure and LIFE!!

As I move onto the next leg of my journey (switching from chocolate cake to Zagorski Štrukli), I can't wait to see what unique and different "flavors" I will taste and experience (both literally and metaphorically)!! As always, I'll keep you posted (hopefully with a bit more "zest" since I won't be expending all my energy on taking care of babies and will only have to ponder which side of the terrace has the best view if the sea)!! Sending my love to all of you....and thanks for always listening!!