Anniversary

The five-year anniversary of my blog came and went last month!

I started this journey way back on Thursday the 26th March 2020, when we were still living in London, and my dream was to move to Italy.

My first ever blog post...

That’s what it was too: A dream. If’n you’d asked me back in March 2020 why I started up my blog, I couldn’t really tell you. Okay, I knew I wanted a change. A drastic one at that.
I’d had enough of the to-me pointless roundabout of work: Of keeping corporates happy; of massaging egos; and the endless repetition of doing the same old same old … year in and year out!
So, change was needed, and I found it entirely therapeutic then (and still now) to put my thoughts down on (figurative) paper. Therefore, what you’re reading now is the result of five years of (semi-)therapy!
Ha!
Looking back to that five year younger me, I recall (and re-read) that back in the day my ‘mission’ was trying to persuade the then-sceptical Alice that moving to Italy (specifically Sicily) would be a grand idea. And an entirely ‘doable’ one at that!
One of the key lessons learned was that hard facts were needed: Not appeals to the romance and adventure of the thing; nor alluding to the fact that we weren’t like those who may’ve lamented about the rapidly-approaching Brexit ... but weren’t prepared to do anything about it.
F’sure that 61-year-old me must’ve been persuasive: ‘Cause here we are!

Cold Feet?

I don’t like using the term ‘expat’ (much preferring ‘immigrant’), but I’ll use it for simplicity’s sake.
Anyways, an expat couple we’re acquainted with have recently been seen about the city again. I type ‘again’ because they’re spending more and more time back in the UK now. I don’t have any problem with that, of course, it’s their life and they’ve made their intentions very clear to us: They’re selling up and leaving Modica to return ‘home’.

Couple of things here: Good luck trying to sell in this market; and are you entirely sure that’s what you want to do?
I say this because, when we’ve bumped into them recently (three times now), he’s rather pointedly asked me at least five times questions along the lines of: “So you still like it here?” and “Are you staying in Modica then?”
Now I ask myself a question in response: “Why’s he asking such loaded questions?” And, I’ve decided, rightly or wrongly maybe, that the answer has to be he’s unsure of himself. Of this rather momentous decision.
Otherwise, why ask me such questions?
I’ve been making decisions for both myself and on my family’s behalf for decades now. Naturally! And I’ve always tried to base them firmly around facts … rather than (only) emotion. To me, the facts are here that while Modica is f’sure more chaotic and bureaucratic than the UK, the living’s still way better and easier here.
I ain’t movin’ … and that’s a fact!

Busy As...

I’ve said it before and, because this is my blog, I’m sayin’ it again: You gotta keep busy!

Not for me!

That’s one life lesson I’ve learned repeatedly since I’ve retired. I mean: Do something. Hobby, interest, whatever. Just do … something!
It’s uber-important to me, and should be to you who’re now in the Autumn of your working years.
Actually, scratch that. It’s important to everyone really, no matter your age or circumstances.
One of my ‘truisms’ has always been: “Work to live, not live to work...”. And f’sure it’s one I’ve tried to live my life by over the years.
So, I made a conscious decision when I retired to do those things that needed doing, given I would now have the time to properly dedicate to them. Regardless, and of course, many I was already trying to keep up with, even when working full time.
Things like researching the family tree, reading those books I’d always put off reading, doing more writing (this blog being a part of that decision), working on all those old (physical) photos we had lying about the place and (finally) trying to grow something that wouldn’t die on me...
Amongst much else. All the important stuff, as you can see! Now the question here is: “Is any of this of any actual use?”
Like, will it matter to my children? Or even to theirs? Perhaps yes or maybe not.
What’s important is it matters to you … so just get on with it!

More Soon...