Oh my gosh Beth, so looking forward to this 🥰 I had such a difficult year workwise and this is coming to an end, so it will be great to be able to concentrate more on what I want and what makes me happy.
I have a hunch that what I need and what I want this summer might differ a bit.
I really need to tend to my health, cook at home, do different kind of movements. But all I want is to not have to cook, and pretty much do nothing.
Part of me want to use my five week vacation time in the most productive way possible, the other part is whispering about eating out, watching crime series on my laptop.
All this is a sign that the first part of the year has worn me out completely. Batteries need recharging. 13th of July sounds lovely!
Absolutely love reading your writing, Beth. It makes me pause, lets me breathe. I realize I naturally slow down with your ponderings and stories. Thank you 💕 And with that, I’m excited to soak in these questions this week. I’m going to give myself time and space to write about what I’d like summer to look like, what I need, as I journal in the backyard as my morning ritual the next few days.
I want to figure out a new way of living that embodies the right balance of activity, sociability and creativity. To catch up with. my body and figure out what it is able to do. To sit down and write without guilt. To tend my garden, and my relationships. To keep exploring, in whatever way is right for me just now. And keep learning, always.
So many lovely opportunities offered, Beth! Thank you. This summer I'm hoping to get a little respite from my IBD, so that I have a little more freedom. I would love to be able to get to the beach... But if that doesn't happen I'll just continue to write, and hopefully be able to publish another poetry book before too long.
I love the plans for our SoulStack community and am grateful for the invitation, or reminder, to be intentional. What kind of summer do I want/need? Great food of thought on this Scottish rainstorm June afternoon 🩵
Summer time is often about resetting expectations and laying the foundation for another year of challenge and success that comes with overcoming. I'm a middle school teacher and my body clock revolves around two specific time periods: either when I'm in school or when I'm released back into the wild on break.
This summer is different though. We're diplomats overseas and got caught up in a rich man's scheme to rebuild government. Everything we've worked to build- the understanding of foreign cultures, the connections with global teens, the docking of our global nomad boat- all that was canceled.
Today we throw whatever detritus we haven't packed yet into the few suitcases we're allowed to haul to the airport. Most of our belongings are supposedly on a transport ship bobbing its way across the Atlantic so the leftover collections feel more like the dregs at the bottom of a coffee pot than anything we could possibly need. We should really just leave everything in the couch cushions for the next person to find.
The only thing we must carry is our wild African cat, saved off the streets of Dakar. She's vexed by the mountains of boxes, squawking pleas to not be left behind. It's a feline's way of saying "man overboard!" and begging for a life raft. Don't worry, dear Ruby, everyone goes, including you.
So, what is my recipe for starting over? I guess it's returning home to a place I haven't lived in twenty years, renting a house for the first time in over a decade, buying vehicles overseas and hoping that the seller was honest with us. There's no comfort to be found, nor will there be until our belongings finally arrive on their international journey. Then it'll feel like we're finally settled.
The jostling rollercoaster of the last few months needs to end. My kids look forward to making some new friends. My wife will be looking for a new job, in a new field, in a new version of herself. And me? I'll just be teaching middle school come August, something reliable and something familiar. The one who needs that quiet serenity of post-move settling is...the cat.
I’m looking forward to a summer that is a deep exhale. It has been a busy year with a lot of challenges and changes. The lovely offerings through this group sound like they will be a great remedy. Thank you, Beth.
What kind of summer do I want? That's a very good question! I would like my various chronic illnesses to let up a little so I can really get stuck into some writing! I would also love a summer free of anxiety! I am really looking forward to all the lovely Soul Circle things! Fingers crossed I'm able to dive right in! Thanks so much Beth for the marvellous work you're doing here!
Really looking forward to the retreat! I’m also looking forward to not teaching this Summer. It will start to calm down next month then August is when I can retreat to focus on my PhD and own growth as a student. I’m just hoping I get enough done by August to be accepted onto year 2!
✨🐳
Oh my gosh Beth, so looking forward to this 🥰 I had such a difficult year workwise and this is coming to an end, so it will be great to be able to concentrate more on what I want and what makes me happy.
I have a hunch that what I need and what I want this summer might differ a bit.
I really need to tend to my health, cook at home, do different kind of movements. But all I want is to not have to cook, and pretty much do nothing.
Part of me want to use my five week vacation time in the most productive way possible, the other part is whispering about eating out, watching crime series on my laptop.
All this is a sign that the first part of the year has worn me out completely. Batteries need recharging. 13th of July sounds lovely!
Absolutely love reading your writing, Beth. It makes me pause, lets me breathe. I realize I naturally slow down with your ponderings and stories. Thank you 💕 And with that, I’m excited to soak in these questions this week. I’m going to give myself time and space to write about what I’d like summer to look like, what I need, as I journal in the backyard as my morning ritual the next few days.
I want to figure out a new way of living that embodies the right balance of activity, sociability and creativity. To catch up with. my body and figure out what it is able to do. To sit down and write without guilt. To tend my garden, and my relationships. To keep exploring, in whatever way is right for me just now. And keep learning, always.
A summer of writing. A few months with fewer challenges. Seaside. Woods. Walking.
Time to savour being "retired".
More (yes 'more'!) time with friends.
Less horror and inhumanity for sure, though I am not holding out much hope beyond my tiny world.
So many lovely opportunities offered, Beth! Thank you. This summer I'm hoping to get a little respite from my IBD, so that I have a little more freedom. I would love to be able to get to the beach... But if that doesn't happen I'll just continue to write, and hopefully be able to publish another poetry book before too long.
I love the plans for our SoulStack community and am grateful for the invitation, or reminder, to be intentional. What kind of summer do I want/need? Great food of thought on this Scottish rainstorm June afternoon 🩵
I always feel like an ‘artiste’ too, when I put on my dungarees! 😂
Summer time is often about resetting expectations and laying the foundation for another year of challenge and success that comes with overcoming. I'm a middle school teacher and my body clock revolves around two specific time periods: either when I'm in school or when I'm released back into the wild on break.
This summer is different though. We're diplomats overseas and got caught up in a rich man's scheme to rebuild government. Everything we've worked to build- the understanding of foreign cultures, the connections with global teens, the docking of our global nomad boat- all that was canceled.
Today we throw whatever detritus we haven't packed yet into the few suitcases we're allowed to haul to the airport. Most of our belongings are supposedly on a transport ship bobbing its way across the Atlantic so the leftover collections feel more like the dregs at the bottom of a coffee pot than anything we could possibly need. We should really just leave everything in the couch cushions for the next person to find.
The only thing we must carry is our wild African cat, saved off the streets of Dakar. She's vexed by the mountains of boxes, squawking pleas to not be left behind. It's a feline's way of saying "man overboard!" and begging for a life raft. Don't worry, dear Ruby, everyone goes, including you.
So, what is my recipe for starting over? I guess it's returning home to a place I haven't lived in twenty years, renting a house for the first time in over a decade, buying vehicles overseas and hoping that the seller was honest with us. There's no comfort to be found, nor will there be until our belongings finally arrive on their international journey. Then it'll feel like we're finally settled.
The jostling rollercoaster of the last few months needs to end. My kids look forward to making some new friends. My wife will be looking for a new job, in a new field, in a new version of herself. And me? I'll just be teaching middle school come August, something reliable and something familiar. The one who needs that quiet serenity of post-move settling is...the cat.
OH WOW! Such goodness coming our way! Excited to be a part of the magick! i'll see you (and everyone SOOON!)
I’m looking forward to a summer that is a deep exhale. It has been a busy year with a lot of challenges and changes. The lovely offerings through this group sound like they will be a great remedy. Thank you, Beth.
Wow this all sounds incredible. Thank you for your generosity, Beth.
If the weather allows it, we will be spending large parts of the summer on the water beneath the stars. Looking forward to the SALT+SKY retreat then!
What kind of summer do I want? That's a very good question! I would like my various chronic illnesses to let up a little so I can really get stuck into some writing! I would also love a summer free of anxiety! I am really looking forward to all the lovely Soul Circle things! Fingers crossed I'm able to dive right in! Thanks so much Beth for the marvellous work you're doing here!
Really looking forward to the retreat! I’m also looking forward to not teaching this Summer. It will start to calm down next month then August is when I can retreat to focus on my PhD and own growth as a student. I’m just hoping I get enough done by August to be accepted onto year 2!