Landmarks give us direction. I have been lucky enough to live my life using Table Mountain as my compass. It is hard to get too lost in Cape Town - when in doubt, I can look up and see where I am in relation to the mountain's benevolent shadow, and I can breathe out. I know where I am.
It is slightly more difficult here in south London. It requires a lot more effort for me to determine which direction is north, and where (temporary) home is.
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| Andrew talking to our neighbour |
It is slightly out of my comfort zone. Looking out of the bedroom window on the third floor, I can see horses grazing in the fields, and a wood beyond. If I look up a bit more, I can also see the Shard, and that grounds me and gives me a sense of place.
We are living in someone else's home for December and January, and they in ours. This house swap has been months in the planning. It is an incredible opportunity to experience a different way of doing things for a bit. London is on our doorstep ( a 30 minute train ride) and beloved family are close by. We can have lunch with our son during his lunch hour.
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| On our way to lunch... |
We can celebrate his turning 30 in Cambridge. Our daughter has been to visit her cousin in Oxford. We are making the most of creating special memories. But we are also just living ordinary lives. Andrew is working online. We are catching up on sleep. Sorting out the usual monthly admin. Watching TV. There is less need to rush around using every precious minute like on previous visits because we have the luxury of time.
I have ambled through both the Tate, and the Tate Modern art galleries, soaking up the visual beauty. We have been to Borough market a couple of time, and drank in the hustle and bustle and smells of the wonderful foods on offer. And I have achieved a tick on a bucket list item (more about that in another blog.)
Getting around on public transport is not something I do at home. The trains and buses here are efficient and close by. The London underground however, confuses me direction wise. That is where I fear getting lost the most. There is absolutely no landmark in a tunnel to tell you where north is, or if you are going the right direction. Thank goodness for apps that make me feel less disorientated.
Doing things differently is both exhilarating and challenging. My sense of (self) direction has shifted this past year or so. My landmarks have changed, and sometimes I gaze up and wonder where I am in my life. Sometimes I get tunnel vision, and wonder if I am going the right direction. There are two options that I can see - either create new landmarks to be my Table Mountain, or just get on the tube and see what direction it takes me, knowing I can get off at the next station if I want (so to speak.) I haven't decided which option to take yet, or if I can combine the two.
In the meantime, happy travelling - at home or abroad- to you - and thank you for your company on the journey.
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| En route to The Tate. Cold and wet |
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| Borough market on a quiet day! |
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| London is beautiful at night. It is dark by 4.30pm. That takes quite a bit of getting used to!! |
