Everything slips into a liminal space, and there is a loss of security and safety. We are jostled around, and must work extra hard to focus and keep all the moving parts going in the right direction.
It’s also painful to say goodbye, and there is nervousness when we return the home to the homeowner, praying they’ll be happy with the condition we’ve left it in.
While still coaching, editing articles, preparing for the Australia type conference, and attending webinars, I also have to tie up all kinds of loose ends, pack, and get on the road. It’s anxiety-inducing.
Worst of all, somebody might not want you to go! That can make matters extremely hard. A cat kidnaping nearly ensued because I hated leaving Terry behind…
Nevertheless, we still made time for some deliciation despite all of the stressors. For instance, on our way out of town we decided to revisit Stratford-upon-Avon and take in more Shakespeare country. And these were exactly the kind of fellows I hoped to find there:
We also encountered this guy. GUESS who it is!
Whoever he is, I guess he was born here:
For a Midwestern girl with a BFA in Theatre Arts it’s a bit heady to be walking around the stomping grounds of THE leading theatrical superstar.
From Stratford-upon-Avon we hightailed it down to Somerset in order to stay with our wonderful friends who took us in during The Big Lockdown. Plus we had a reunion with two of my favorite furry beasts in the world: Fox and Cookie. (I’ll let you figure out which is which.)
They are so adorable that they make my heart sing… but I confess that I feel age overtaking both of them. (I wonder if they feel age overtaking me too.) Cookie crawled into my lap right away when I sat down, and she’s been trying to hold me down ever since, even finding creative ways to sleep on top of me at night. (She’s quite different from the skinny, skittish, standoffish cat she was when I first met her at the start of lockdown.)
She looms beside me in the morning, impatiently waiting for me to wake up and make eye contact so she can race into my lap, flip over, and get a long, luxurious tummy rub. She seems to live for that bit of ecstasy, which I’m amenable to giving her.
While we were tooling around Somerset running errands, I insisted on trying the water buffalo ice cream I heard about the last time we were in the area, and Robin helped me track some down:
Oh heavens it was so good! If you ever get the chance to try water buffalo ice cream, let me advise you to take it.
In a few days we are off on our next adventure. We are beyond excited! On Wednesday we board a plane and head for CYPRUS for three months where we will be caring for two elderly cats. The weather in Cyprus is a lot like Southern California, so it will feel like being home again. It will be great to shed the winter coat and don lightweight clothes.
Even though we’re in transit, I’ve re-tooled my career coaching package to be more effective on a Zoom platform. I’m hearing a lot of panic about what they’re calling “The Great Resignation.” People seem to be taking stock of their careers and aligning more deliberately with their life purpose. The pandemic has been a wake-up call for massive numbers of individuals of all ages who aren’t willing to submit to the status quo anymore, and hope to break free and do something that speaks to their hearts—much as Robin and I have been doing for the past few years.
My career coaching offer consists of three “card sorts” where we “deal cards” onto a table and sort them according to career values, motivated skills, and occupational interests. It’s fast and fun, and a thrilling way to kick off a career search.
If you’re interested, the link to the details on my website is https://www.vjvphd.com/career-coaching-card-sorts
Please tell your friends, or anybody you know who is participating in The Great Resignation.
My next missive should be coming to you directly from Cyprus—I look forward to connecting with you then!
Ciao for now,
-Dr. Vicky Jo
PS: It’s not too late to register for the Australia APT Conference. The link to do so follows (and I daresay the pricetag is brilliant):