Athens

7/4/17
I helped an old lady cross the street with all her groceries. She wouldn't stop talking to me and I had no clue what she was saying. I really wished I could have understood.
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A man tried to point me in the direction of the acropolis. "Nje (no)...park," I begged of him. I seriously don't belong in the big city. Let's hope couch surfing meet-ups save this.

8/4/17
Wine is an experience like a journey. You need to use all your senses to enjoy it. You look first at it's colour and the way it shines in the light. Next you experience the scent through your nose, enjoying smells of fruits and flowers. Then you sip a small amount and allow the taste to caress your tongue. Next you inhale through your mouth over the top of the wine to see if you tongue can feel it. We should experience all of life this way.

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Spent the last hour comparing women to wine. Completely complicated, sometimes confusing, but totally worth it.
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Tonight over dinner I discussed a famous Greek poem about a journey. I got to the end of the discussion and only then did I realize that I was talking about one of my favourite poems of all time.

9/4/17
I am crazy head-over-heels in love with life, but still something is missing. I nearly had a panic attack on top the acropolis as I realized how close I was to having it. I think about how happy I would be if I had made a different decision. I don't want to be angry at myself.

Excerpts from book "Married to Bhutan" by Linda Leaming, which have something to do with precisely what I am feeling today:

page 140- "I recommend two things for anybody interested in finding out more about what they really are, what they are made of, what they can endure, and how far humor will take them: running away, and hiding out."
page 143- " I think of the choices I've made in my life. For me, there is a big difference between choosing and deciding; choosing means we take the initiative--we learn about options, think of alternatives, and then pick one-- and I prefer it. Deciding means someone has already made the choices for us....It is more passive. These aren't the traditional dictionary definitions of choosing and deciding I'm using, but I make the distinction because in the world, so many things seem to be decided for us. We don't really believe we have much choice. But we do.

If we choose to follow our dreams and desires, then other things, good or bad, fall into place. I discovered this in Bhutan. In its remotest corners, with so many layers stripped away, I find my inside self is the same as my outside self."

10/4/17
People seem to think I'm brave for living this life, and yet everyday I travel I meet people far more fearless than I am. They travel in ways that make my life seem average and normal, and they take chances I would never dream of taking. Like moving to Athen after a 2 week holiday  because you met the man you may love. And they are still married 24 years later. CRAZY!

More excerpts from book "Married to Bhutan" by Linda Leaming that magically have to do with what I'm feeling today:

page 157
"Since we're all trying to be happy, and since I've studied happiness in depth for some time, I feel qualified to make some observations:

There will probably be some physical pain and some form of renunciation on the road to happiness.  No, I'm not advocating masochism, But once you take the road to happiness--the road less traveled, or the open road, or whatever you envision as you route to bliss--you have to be ready to face some discomfort. Ironically, this will make you happier. Try to avoid associating happiness with comfort."

page 179
"Sometimes we have to go the physical distance, to struggle with real mountains, to help bring us further along on our mental or spiritual journey."

15/4/17
I just realized that the sun sets everywhere, and that each place has a different view and a significance of its own. Mind Blown.
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I love you Eastern Europe, but I think I need a break.