It’s just a little above 20 degrees in the sun, the leaves of the Puglian Olive tree I lean against are dancing in the fall breeze. Autumn in South Italy is stunning. Crystalis Water & empty, white-sanded beaches – still I must admit it’s been getting harder for me to feel rooted without the support of my own physical home. We have decided once again to erase stability and turn our points of security into question marks – Will we find a suitable home in Puglia? Come across a lovely school for my son? Grow our roots here? Or is there a completely different place waiting for us to arrive?
The pandemic had prompted us to temporarily move to Corfu, which has been nothing but a blessing. When the world returned to its normal speed, however, it was time to think about the future of our family again. In terms of language, Greece isn’t the easiest place to migrate to. Especially considering that we have a wonderful boy now, who we are slowly guiding to find his place on this earth. Italy brings many opportunities; a language we already understand, family close by and myriad alternative schooling options.
In many ways, my lineage has been living and thriving without roots for many decades now. In the 1950s, my grandparents left Germany and decided to live an unconventional life, constantly on the move. My mother grew up in north africa and partly so did I. Like the birds move with the season, our family learned to love the excitement and flexibility that comes with being a world citizen. Home was a place inside. And still, something within me craves to wave goodbye to this timeline and fulfill my wish to fully arrive and root at a land we can call our own.
The past weeks have been chaotic on many levels. Driving from one house to the other, playing with different options, and changing my mind on a daily basis. We are doing our best to make it fun: including family trips around and about & visiting interesting places such as a beautiful Ashram in the area. It’s a time to embrace the fabric of the unknown. And I am grateful for all the practice I have done over the years to cultivate a sense of safety & belonging inside my body.
I would lie if I said that I wasn’t challenged. But here I am again, leaning against that Olive Tree, feeling its deep roots breathing below me, and reminding myself that there is an unshakeable stability at the ground of my being. Even if on some days it is hard to access it at all, I know it is always there waiting for us to relax and sink just a little deeper.
May we all find home within our own hearts and find inspiration from the shapes, colors, and cycles of Fall
❤️