The Journey

April 29, 2009 · by Joanna Paterson · in

She sighed.

The list of things to do didn’t seem to be getting any smaller, and the deadline for departure was drawing ever near.   Sometimes she wondered if the time, effort and energy it takes to pack up and organise for a few weeks away was worth the benefit of going.

And yet…

As the start of the journey drew closer, the less important her list became.  The more her mind started to travel, moving slowly at first through the getting ready to begin, the boat, the car, the bus to the airport.

Then onwards, inexorably, deeper into the journey.

Her imagination took  her, effortlessly, without lists, and sighing, and packing, off to the exploration of an old southern city, arriving in the middle of the night, finding her way to the small hotel…

optimistic view by sy parrish on Flickr

Then waking, on May morning, to the sights and sounds of the Festival of Sant’ Efisio in Cagliari, before taking the train north…

Travelling further again, in her mind, to where her words might go when she was away.

Where her writing might go with the words and stories of other people working their way round about her.

With the time, and space, and chance to breathe more deeply into words that might play, and dance, or delve into darker places.

Words of memory, hopes and regret.  Words of wonder and possibility.  Words that wanted to work their way into fragments of poems, lines that were already flitting around her head, waiting for the chance to land.

She smiled, and put away her list of things to do.  The busyness would wait.

It was time now for the journey.

~ ~ ~

This short piece was inspired by the journey I’m just about to take, heading off to Sardinia for the writing retreat.

My packing and preparations have included getting this blog all ready and ship shape for you when I’m away.  I’m delighted to tell you that there are six guest posts lined up for the next couple of weeks, on the themes of audacity, tenacity and community.

A huge thanks goes to Lillie Ammann, Alex Fayle, Robert Hruzek, Brad Shorr, –Deb, and Karen Swim for coming up with such interesting and complementary takes on these writing themes, and agreeing to host the conversations here when I’m away.

I’ll have some wireless access when I’m in Sardinia, but not much time, so I might pop in to see how you’re doing, but won’t have time to chat.

Plenty of photos, videos and stories to share when I’m back, I promise.

Ciao!

Joanna

Photo Credit: Optimistic View by Sy Parrish on Flickr

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]