We woke up this morning to a vista of white and gray. Woolly fog. Melting snow. And the patter of rain. And more rain.
I’m in a tiny town on the coast of Maine so there isn’t much to do today. There are no museums to wander in. No shopping or window gazing along technicolor city streets. No yoga studio to pop into for a sweaty session. Our plans for a hike through the woods have been scuttled. We could drive 30 minutes or an hour to the next two larger towns. But we’ll probably end up staying put.
Usually I’d find this situation pretty depressing. But I’m trying a new approach for 2014. I wrote about it recently. My three words for 2014 are Write, Honesty and Ship. As I explained, I was going to use Embrace as my second word and tell you that I am eagerly embracing change. That I am happily embracing the prospect of living in a small, isolated village on the coast of Maine. That I am willing to give up the buzz of city life to embrace small town living.
But that wouldn’t be honest. I am not clear yet whether I can do that.
What I can do is savor the absolute quiet of today, the opportunity for writing and for reading. I just started The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton, the 830-page 2013 Man Booker Prize winner. I need some uninterrupted time to get into this behemoth and see how much I like it. We will probably take a walk despite the rain. We have dinner plans with some local friends (who split their time between DC and Maine).
The truth is that I am having trouble living up to the tagline for this blog, hungering for change and embracing uncertainty. I love the idea of those words. Whether I can truly adopt them remains to be seen. In the meantime, I can take today for what it is: a pause and a space for quiet reflection. Time with Sam and with friends. Time to write. And the chance to notice the cawing of seagulls and the beauty of this wintry coast.
Your post really resonates with this mama in a completely different stage of life. Same weather, though. Happy New Year!
Thanks EG. The prospect of a rainy day indoors with small children is even more daunting. I’ve been there. xo
Loved your post. I contemplate moving to LIttle Compton, Rhode Island for a year, a sort of gap year. Not the same as coastal Maine, but still rural. But I worry if my innate restlessness would still follow me there. It’s easy to appease here in Washington, but would I find myself driving to Providence and Boston for a frequent fix? And is it really true that, “No matter where you go, there you are.”
Hi Louisa! The answer to that one is yes and no. The only thing I am clear on at this point is that I am in transition and I don’t have any final answers. Trying to learn to be OK with that.
No museums? What about the Crotch Island granite museum? Or is it closed in the winter?
Hope the sun comes out tomorrow.
Andy, don’t make me list what restaurants and museum(s) are closed here in the winter. That would be a long list. But it’s the same amazing coastal beauty as in the summer. xo