A New Decade

April 9, 2020

It all started this past summer when I realized that this feeling of uneasiness and unhappiness was simply due to a lack of joy and purpose. Further self-reflection led me to conclude that I took for granted the sense of joy that I always carried within. I took for granted that, without intention and purpose, this state of being would always remain available to be tapped into whenever desired. I had what regular folks call an Epiphany and what Oprah calls an Ah! HA! Moment.

And now, what? What do you do when the light bulb goes off and you want to bring about change in your life? Well, you start with a plan. And so, I made a list of all the little and big things that excite and bring me joy. Traveling was right there at the top, and I had not traveled for fun since my trip to Cuba in the summer of 2018. The idea of a trip to a foreign land was taking hold and as the weeks passed, it went from good idea to a firm concept and ultimately “a must do” to jump start joy in my life.

It also made sense since a new decade was about to start, and I wanted this trip to be significant in meaning. What about setting sail far away on my own? A trip around the Holidays soon after Christmas? A self-discovery trip that would find me in prayers and reflection in Lourdes, on the first day of the new decade? That sounded really good, but do you go to Europe for just 3 days? What about spending the 3 days before the New Year, in one of the most fun cities in Europe? London, here I come! And while there, why not plan for more fun during the New Year’s celebration and go to the theater for a rendition of the Tina Turner musical? There, I would experience first-hand the triumphs of a woman who achieved her greatest success and fame as an artist in her forties and while at it, met a man 16 years younger who would turn her world upside down and make all her dreams come true? Talk about joy, uplift and purpose? And talk about an amazing show and evening!

I went ahead and purchased my ticket to fly to London and spend one week in Europe, and let’s, for the sake of it, return home through Paris since I was going to be in France anyway. A week later, however, I had another epiphany and decided to extend my stay another week to, as the saying goes, “do me”. I settled on the island of Mallorca in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Spain where I rented an apartment for a week’s stay. While there, I combed through the island, learned its history, sampled its food, visited its churches and even dreamed for a quick moment of moving there. The feast day of the Kings found me in Mallorca where it is celebrated with parades, dancing and drinking in the squares of the Old Town. Mallorca is magnificent!

And of course, Paris. I can walk through Paris an entire day, week, month, year, take in the City, its sights, life, culture and never tire of it. Through the entire trip, I made it a point to visit sacred places and participate in services and masses everywhere I went: London, Lourdes, Toulouse, Mallorca, and Paris.

I returned home re-invigorated. I had no idea that I would need it so much! I had no idea the surprises 2020 had in store for us.

Regine

To be followed…..