Armchair Travels
Have you ever had a real crazy idea that you made happen? I was married under a tree and arrived at the community hall for our wedding in our horse and cart. I look at this wedding photo and I can still feel our horse’s warm snuffly breath and feel his velvety nose, the cool tang of spring sunshine and the excitement as we staged our own marriage celebration.
That was nearly forty years ago and those memories are as strong as ever. We sold up our possessions, quit our jobs and then left the city to travel around country Victoria for six months. We were looking for our 'perfect' block of land to live on and build a mud brick house.
My leaving work present was a super lightweight portable typewriter, which I still have. I thought I would write freelance stories along the way and send them off to magazines. That never did happen. However I kept a handwritten journal and painted some small landscapes of our travels.
Even at that time I was a bit conflicted. I really wanted to be an artist but never knew where to start. My art teacher in high school told me I would never be an artist so I didn’t apply to art school. Instead I did a writing course and became a journalist. That is where I met my future husband. A collision with destiny.
We can look back on those times with regret at lost opportunities or with amazement at what life brings us. How our seemingly random choices led us on paths, often circuitous, which gave us unique skills and experiences to draw from today.
Now when we are in social lockdown it is important to cherish those experiences and to document this special time we have been given. It will never come again, just like I will never travel in a horse and cart again.
As creatives, it is our calling to bear witness, to not only the events that happen around us, but also to our feelings. When we can’t travel anywhere we can travel in our memories and travel within. These are the greatest adventures of the pandemic lock down. To really appreciate who we are, what has led us to being where we are right now and to create new memories of this time with ourselves
For when we remember who we are, we gain understanding of why we are here and who we touch with our love and light. I believe that we are here at this time, right now in the world’s evolution, for a purpose. The adventure is partaking in this journey together, spreading kindness and support wherever we can. Being honest with ourselves as we navigate these new routes together.
If you would like to document your memories in a safe space, I’d like to invite you to join in my 5-day Armchair Travel creative challenge. It’s free, it’s online, and I’m hosting it in my Cool Creatives Facebook group. It’s a chance for us to share our adventures past and present, and perhaps even start to imagine our itineraries of the future. Register your interest here and I look forward to taking this journey with you.
