Missing my mountains
At the end of March and after spending three months in Florida with the intention of starting a new life there, I packed up the car and drove 25 hours north to Newport, Rhode Island.
Quarantining in the “Ocean State” has been better than I thought and a noteworthy pattern is emerging. Life has slowed down and I find myself doing more of the following: sleeping, journaling, enjoying quiet moments, exercising, reading, puzzles, cooking, reading, and playing the piano. This pace is reminiscent of my years in the Swiss Alps.
Thanks to technology, I am getting more of the other things I’ve always wanted, but without having to travel somewhere: connection with friends and family, top notch karate classes, webinars and online classes, clients who are willing to be coached online, book club meetings, and support groups.
It’s all so great, that now, I feel I could move home, to the mountains.
A song keeps playing in my head. It’s a song I used to sing and play on the piano for my Swiss grandfather called “Von Meinem Bergen muss ich scheiden” or “From My Mountains Must I Separate.” Here are the first two stanzas (translated):
"From my mountains, must I separate
Where it’s all so lovely and beautiful.
Can’t stay in the homeland,
Must move far away.How scared I am,
And it hurts me in the soul
But one thought still remains
That I will see you again soon.…”