Shhhhhhh.........everyone has secret places that are unique and special to them even when traveling ! A few years ago I was lucky to find a wonderful little island in a country of islands that is very dear to my heart. I took the leap of faith and rented a traditional village house for six weeks, solo, in a place where I knew no one at all. I have a deep and abiding affinity for the culture and have been many times to other places but not to this island. I now come every year and it has become my private retreat in so many ways which is very precious to me.
This very special place has elements that I was specifically looking for - a small, traditional village on a traditional island which is not inundated by mass tourism and still off the beaten track, a place where the people live their daily lives as they have for generations, a beautiful sea , virtually no air or light pollution ( how precious to see the stars twinkling in an indigo sky as they should ) healthy, simple food, safe, and genuinely friendly people.
I found the place that is right for me. A village that has no vehicles and which requires a fairly strenuous walk to reach, donkeys braying and sheep bells tinkling, and the chanting of priests in the morning from the numerous churches dotted around, church bells ringing the hours, fig trees rustling their leaves outside my window......
I believe that we should honor those secret places within our souls and in our lives wherever they may be found. For me, just being here solo during these precious weeks once a year is as much an inner journey as an outer one.
I wish everyone the power of experiencing their very own secret place wherever it may be found !
Caveat - My family and friends know where I am in this big, wide, wonderful world of ours ! Shhhhhhh......... its a secret !
Carpe Diem - * Sabrina
