Sometimes the curiosities of the night and weird places my dreams carry me linger on after waking. I suppose that happens to everyone now and again. This morning I woke up even earlier than usual and couldn’t settle down again to rest. We all carry things from long ago inside us, even if we choose not to think about them, seemingly forget them or try our darnedest to move on. But that’s fine, it’s the way it is. I’ve never been one to focus much on the past—in its good or bad moments—but I think the very nature of being an expat means you have left things behind. Family, friendships, experiences, possibilities. Of course, those are very often replaced by new family, new friends, new experiences and a new world of possibilities. But there is a piece, sometimes large pieces, of your life left behind when you move to another country.
I padded across the bedroom floor in the dark and heard my husband stirring. I hoped I hadn’t woken him up, but I sensed he was awake, too. Toulouse stretched in that satisfying way only cats can stretch in the morning and followed me out of the room. I went into the adjacent bedroom and opened the windows. The sky was ablaze with a rose-tinted sunrise over Ravello. In that moment, the sadness of the night’s dreams floated away. It was another day in the place I love most in the world.
Wherever you are at right now or whatever things from the past might be weighing you down, there are always new possibilities ahead. Maybe it’s a rose-tinted way of looking at the world, but it makes me smile and look forward to all the adventures ahead!
I always enjoy your posts but this one felt especially special and beautiful in how real your morning experience came across. I dream of moving abroad but the very subject of your post, what we leave behind, has held me back. Thanks for a special post, only wish your posts were longer! =)
Thanks so much for your comment, Tiffany! It really means a lot, especially since this was a different sort of blog post for me. I am happy you enjoyed it! I have some longer posts coming up soon. 😉
Beautiful! Remembering to see things through a rose tinted world is just right. Thank you!
Hey Laura, I love that idea look at things in a Rose tinted way, your photo is beautiful. I took a similar photo I wasn’t up at Scala early enough to get that stunning sunrise, it was 19th October, my birthday. Took the bus up to Scala and walked down past the beautiful ruins of Basilica of Sant Eustachio, wow how the colours still remain so vivid on the stonework. I winded down through the oh so pretty streets down many steps past the old houses kept so beautifully clean and well preserved to Pontone, then on down to Amalfi, rested with Lemon cake and coffee in the square, it was bustling by the Cathedral I sat and people watched for a time, took a great shot looking up above the Cathedral high above to Torre delle Ziro.