How to feel a little calmer while life has some challenges.

Our recent trip to Spain was a major step in our quest to find some "normality" again.   As someone who hasn't even been to a large supermarket for two years, nor been on a train, it was a big leap.  But it felt good to not only dream of relaxing in the warmth of Spanish sunshine, but to actually go!  It made such a refreshing change from just "getting through" these difficult times to remembering how to travel again.  Now back at home with a terrible cough and virus (not Covid according to numerous lateral flow tests), I am still basking in memories of Spain... My second week was spent in Nerja, a pretty low-rise town overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.  One of my dreams during the pandemic was to be able to sit outside eating salty chips in the Spanish sunshine again.  Somehow this represented normality and a sense of ease and well-being returning.  With a warmer climate, Nerja is blessed with more outdoor eating that you could wish for and to my joy, these ter

On Easter Saturday (2022) I arrived at the gates of Cortijo Romero in Southern Spain and was greeted by Lelly, the host for the week.  "How was your journey?" she asked kindly.  My answer to this was, "fine, everything had run surprisingly smoothly".  My EasyJet flight wasn't cancelled; there were no long queues at security as shown in the media;  I managed to breath comfortably through my FFP2 face mask for the entire journey (phew) and my digital NHS Covid Pass was accepted.  Having not left England for well over two years, there was definitely more effort needed to remember how to navigate travel again.  An element of uncertainty lingered in the background while making these plans to visit Cortijo Romero, but I accepted this as part of the "new normal" that we are supposedly adjusting to.  And, miraculously, each step of the plan fell into place until I was finally here, in one of the most peaceful and healing places that I know. As I walked around