Hello everyone!
I hope you are all well and enjoying summer. I have been home in Bethlehem the last several weeks, which has been quite the change. Although, no matter where I am in the world, I like being in one place. For me, being grounded in one location with a routine is always preferred over inconsistent schedules and lots of moving around. I prefer long trips over short stays any day!
But, being back in the US has brought up something interesting. OK, maybe a lot more than one thing has come up, but we won’t get in to that, ha. Often, I hear, welcome home and although I have been on the move a lot the last few years, I always heard that and thought…yes, this is home. But, this time around, as I heard it, I thought, well, I have two homes now. More than ever, I feel torn between places. Coming “home” felt like leaving another “home.” I always miss Italy after spending weeks there, but this feels a lot different because I was not on the move; I was grounded and I did have that consistent schedule that I crave. So more than ever, my heart is in two places. I love being here in Bethlehem because this is where I am from, but I love being in Italy because it represents more of who I have become. I dream of the day Josh can work remotely and we can be together more when I travel. Being separated from him is definitely the hardest part. Sigh!!
Currently, my new obstacle is figuring out how I can spend more time there without overextending my allotted permitted time. I am currently working on my citizenship process, but in the meantime, I am on the search for Italian loopholes, haha. I can laugh about it here, but it has been quite time consuming and stressful. With the combination of prepping our Italian house to rent (keep your eyes peeled for more details soon) and working in Europe, my allotted days got used up quicker than I thought. Despite my desire to not have a crazy life, I somehow continue to put myself in these crazy situations. Well, fingers crossed that I figure out a solution.
In the meantime, knowing that we cannot control everything (despite my efforts, ha) my new mantra is…
It will work out, the way it is meant to work out.
I hope this helps you overcome, or at least cope with, an obstacle this summer. I know we all have them.
Sending love and positive energy today and always!
xo Laurel