I have been back from my trip for 5 weeks now and have reflected on how I have grown since getting on a plane May 19.
I spent my last day in Paris walking around the city, visiting the Louvre for the final time and packing up my things. I did make it to the Catacombes
and it was a unique experience. Apparently there are catacombes like this all over Europe, so it isn’t so unique to Europeans. When I returned to London I had the better part of a day to explore as well. I bought souvenirs, walked the city, visited the Tate Modern and had one of the best days of the whole trip. Walking around London on my last day I felt connected to the earth, to spirit, to the source of all life. I felt strong and powerful. I knew I could do anything I wanted, it was now just a matter of deciding what that is. I was tired and missed my family, so I wasn’t sad to come home. What made me sad was not knowing when I would be back.
After being alone for four weeks, especially the last 11 days as I couldn’t speak French and did not do a lot of talking, I was overwhelmed being surround by friends and family. My new-found space and freedom was replaced with things to do. I reverted back into old habits like watching television, not meditating and looking at Facebook way too much. I checked out more books than I had time to read from the library. I over committed my schedule, leaving no time for rest and relaxation.
The awareness I gained during my trip made me aware that this hectic pace did not feel good. Now I am more careful with my time. This is my time to build my life the way I want it. To incorporate all that I learned during my travels. I still get excited at the thought of going somewhere and have become much more clear about the things I want to do and don’t want to do. I’m excited to see how my life unfolds in the coming months, and for new travels on the horizon! This weekend I am participating in Give Camp Cleveland (http://clevelandgivecamp.org). I have never done anything like this before, as I have always been too busy to commit a whole weekend to working for free. I am excited about what I will learn there and who I will meet!
Also, I also put up ALL my pictures on Flickr. They can be accessed from my home page at http://www.shannonwhalen.com by clicking on the Photos link, or directly here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/7588367@N07/sets/