A solo trip, A book and A couple of wines.......

This journey called Life is the most uncertain, unpredictable, and unexplainable thing that I have come across in the last so many years....yet it is also the most beautiful! 

It is a gift, wrapped beautifully and with a card that says 'Best wishes Always, Love'.

So let me begin by saying 'Cheers - to Life'.

Florence was always on the bucket list. 
However, by the time the proper planning started, Covid19 was there. That and more, changed my life so much that the whole bucket vanished for a few years. Told you, how unpredictable it is !!

This year, thankfully the bucket resurfaced and with it the list. 

But there was a twist in the story - my heart wanted to go solo, my mind did not have the faith, and my entire being conspired with different excuses (mostly fair ones) to listen to my mind. 

The vulnerability meter was tipping on the higher side, the fear factor was dominating and the mind was therefore, winning....

I have done many solo trips in the past - but this time, it was different.

 A solo trip is what I need - A solo trip is what I need ..

I kept on saying this to myself and to my close ones, for weeks, and months. But the mind was always ready with an excuse for not doing it.

A- junior came to my rescue. 

"Mom, the last time I checked, in order to make a trip, you need to buy a ticket and book a hotel" 

[I know where he got that from, A-senior must be smiling proudly]

The next moment I was typing 'www.booking.com' - the rest is history of last weekend.

😀

The other thing that really influenced me a lot recently is the speech delivered by Theodore Roosevelt. It became popular as the "Man in the Arena".

A friend motivated me with this speech, a couple of months ago - the more I read it, the better it gets, the more thankful I feel.

The phrase "Daring greatly" resonates every time.

 

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither knows victory nor defeat.”

I dared greatly.

Not easy. I stumbled.... but,  I enjoyed it...and here I am writing the story of my Florence trip while ticking it off proudly on my bucket list.

😊

My love for reading had totally died in the last 3 years- could not focus on more than a page at a time. Quite frustrating but that's how it was.

However, just before leaving the house, I picked up a book for my trip. I knew I would not be able to proceed further than page 8, maybe 9......but still.......

This was a gift from a friend earlier this year. 

As I opened the book at the airport - there it was again. 

"The Man in the Arena" (read 'The (wo)Man at the Airport😊)...I finished 80 pages at the airport itself and the rest in Florence - a sense of achievement! 

Read the book if you can...

Vulnerability is not a weakness. Feel the emotions and do not be afraid to connect when you are vulnerable. This is when you are the most authentic.

😍

......okok, I know.....all this is good, but the title of the post also has 'a couple of wines' in it....

Patience my dear friends! here they come.....

This is Tuscany - home of good wine. A short trip from Florence took me to the Chianti wine region- where the landscape, the Sangiovese grapes, the happy farmers, and their beautiful language served some wines which were totally Mamma Mia - out of the world!!

I definitely 'dared greatly' once again 😀

Life is the most beautiful gift we have - and a couple of good Chianti wines just make it worth living.

The trip came to an end. I was ready to come back home. 

 

Reflections, reflections, and more reflections - not always easy (even with the Chianti wines).

But the bottom line is ...

Dare greatly - Live, Love, and Lead .....if you don't, you will never know!

I am also ready to plan my next solo trip.

ps: I totally forgot to mention that David is really handsome - absolutely stunning!

😊