France-ing

My Spanish speaking good friend, who just cut her hair from waist-length to indecently short, marked 2014 as her and her partner's target to drop everything (career, family, etc) and move to France then tour the world (her partner is fluent in French). This, after her dad just survived a major illness.

Another good looking lez friend of mine from NY who also happens to sport short hair, has a butch couple friend who just got married and will similarly drop everything and travel the world next year.

Yesterday, I had snacks at Mary Grace in Greenbelt with a used-to-be-lez friend who just came back from guess where, France!

While all economic planners are saying the shift of power is moving from West to East, the seat of happiness and exploration is definitely in Europe.

My seat of happiness remains to be in the middle of my chest.

Make no mistake about it, I also long to travel the world, specially Europe. As a kid I've always said that Italy is my dream country. But after having journeyed life not geographically, but in the experience sense, I realized that what I do want really is to travel the paths of my heart as it intersects with the flow of other people's heart.

I'd like to take things slower, absorb things and not just scan them. I don't like to just dip or tiptoe. I want to immerse. I'd like to take gardening, paint more, take photos, get lost in reading, experiment without fear, talk to people with interest and curiosity, share, teach. Write what's filling my senses. Traveling can be part of that, but not required. I'd want time for myself, not bounded by the 8-5 range and deadlines. I want to be free. And I want to be fearless.