The topic, signs, has been following me since I departed for Bordeaux, France, on September 7. It became the theme of the whole trip in various ways, and it stayed that way afterward. I walked at my own pace, in my own flow, and saw small signs that stood out and confirmed my thoughts. As I walked in the flow, I heard my inner voice more clearly with each passing day. The signs reinforced the messages and the routes to take.
The Magic of Signs
This is when pure magic happens in my daily life: when I see, listen, and follow the signs. A boat arrives for me to board the moment I reach the boarding point; a person shows up and gives me an answer; and an impulse takes me to a store I don’t know about, where I find the perfect bag I’ve been looking for. I didn’t know what brand to look for or what the design was, but I knew it when I saw it. This was it. And if you’re curious about the store, it was Cabaia, a new brand to me.
The Papeterie
One day I randomly went into what I thought was a shop for books and papers. I found two beautiful notebooks at a great price, and when I went to pay, I overheard that the man in front of me asked for a “papeterie.” Then I remembered that in France, that’s what the shops are called when you want paper, pens, and office supplies. I listened to the cashier giving the man directions to the closest “papeterie,” then paid for my notebooks and followed them myself. Sure enough, a couple of blocks away was an amazing, small “papeterie,” and there I found the notebooks that I’ve been searching for for some months, Clairefontaine! And of course, the colors- blue and green- and the numbers, two of each, that I wanted.
Alchemy
And it kept on happening all day long, every day. As some of you know, I love specialty coffee. Bordeaux has several specialty coffee shops. My favorite is L’Alchimiste, but for some reason another name kept popping up that I had to visit: MOKO café. The night before I was to go there, a post popped up in the Bordeaux group on Facebook saying MOKO had been selected that day as the best coffee shop in France! And I went, and it was superb!
In The Flow
The last night of the trip, I got sick; my stomach didn’t agree with the last French cheeses I had had for dinner. In the morning, I decided to go to the airport early and wait, and skip looking for the French books I wanted to buy. Well, of course I found them at the airport at a very good price. And I found out later in the afternoon that about 30 minutes after I passed through the city center with the tram, they closed it off due to the memorial for the two firefighters who were lost in the forest fires earlier in the summer. So I’m very happy I listened and left early. And of course, when departing for the airport, the tram arrived just as I entered the platform.
Signs Adding Up
Arriving back in Sweden, it continued, first in the south, at my apartment, and then in the north, in Jukkasjärvi. Some signs are easier to follow than others. Signs that I want to see, that fill me with joy and make me smile, and signs that I know that I should pay attention to and act on, but are, in different ways, more difficult to follow. One of these topics I finally acted on, after many months of debating with myself and with a sorrow in my heart, was deciding to leave my position at ICEHOTEL. I love working at ICEHOTEL, my colleagues, the guests, and Jukkasjärvi per se, but I have to leave. My time here is over, and as in any relationship or situation, I know by heart what I have to do. I’m done, and it’s time to move on.
Everything Is Temporary
The signs have been many, preparing me to leave, but I’ve been clinging on because I love it so much here. It’s been temporary; I’ve known it all along, commuting between my apartment in Sölvesborg and staff housing here in Jukkasjärvi. Now it’s time to say goodbye and move on. And to say hello to the new that will arrive when I leave the space for it. It’s scary and exciting at the same time.
Benefits By Age
With age, time is slipping away quickly, and there is so much I want to do while I still can. Life is short and fragile, and as I’ve always done, I focus on following my gut and heart and taking action to live a life beverino. That is, a life I enjoy, and that changes along the path of life.
Trust
Trust your gut, follow your heart, and let your brain serve you as you take action. Even if it scares you, when you know in your heart that it’s the right decision, it will work out for the best. Maybe it doesn’t seem so in the short run, but I know from experience that in the long run it always does. This knowledge is one good thing among many about getting older.
Love and hugs,
/Cathrin
