Italian Sojourn

Why, retreat, and the plan

Please to report I’ve successful installed myself in the Italian countryside.

5 long weeks here. And, crucially, out of London.

What a joy.

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Why?

Why? You might be wondering. And what’s wrong with London?

Valid questions.

London is wonderful city. Especially in the summer. And full of the people I love.

But I get a sense, especially recently, of playing catch up in London. Days bouncing from one thing to the next. Filling every available slot in the diary.

And from that, it’s time for a break

Because, I find, life happens in seasons.

We have the times to charge ahead, where anything’s possible. And the times to… not. When perhaps we need to step back and regroup.

As much as I’d like to be in the former right now, I’m in the latter.

I am occupied both with mending from a recent illness, and navigating the-not-insignificant task of running Unplugged. Fine. Both these can be achieved.

But can they be achieved on top of the busyness and socialising that comes with life in London? Not as far as I can tell.

Relocating out here gives me space.

Whilst I’ll be working, my diary is drastically simplified. My last weeks in London were filled with coffees, drinks, and non-stop events.

And now? I have one social plan in these 5 weeks: Meeting with a friend in the area.

Beyond that the lamentable state of my Italian completely inoculates me from other plans emerging. I can speak, perhaps, five words, three of which mean hello. Hardly a recipe for glittering conversation.

And you know what? I’m delighted. Many hours of solitude lie ahead.

Retreat

A few dear friends, concerned for my wellbeing, have worried whether I’ll be lonely out here. Not a chance.

You see for me this is a retreat. The solitude in itself is the gift.

I do consider myself a sociable chap. Although you might not think it from this newsletter. There are many people in my life who I love spending time with. But for me it’s also important to retreat.

There are two types of retreat:

On one hand we can retreat to withdraw from the world. To escape it.

And on the other we retreat to come back better. To engage more fully.

For me it’s the latter.

I retreat to come back better; to be better for those in my life. I’ve got by during the first half of this year but that’s about it. I can be so much more.

So that’s my plan. A month of quiet, contemplation, and healing; followed by a better version of myself returning to London.

The Plan

What do I actually plan to do out here you might be wondering. Well, not a lot…

I have some work to be getting on with, of course, and a rather extensive healing regime.

And then all that’s left is:

Pootling up and down the surrounding hills.

Long evenings reading.

As many morning sea swims as I can muster.

Weekends roaming the nearby mountains.

Weekends in the Sibillini Mountains

And many, many hours alone with my thoughts.

I feel I’ve missed that. There’s a depth of thinking that I just haven’t reached in the frantic recent months. The kind only really possible on a long, aimless walk.

So there you have it. My next month. I can’t promise many excitements, but I’m sure it’ll be enlightening if nothing else.

Andiamo. 🇮🇹

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(👆*make that six words!)

+ big thank you to Sandy & Cloudagh for letting me house sit.

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What I’ve Been Reading 📚

Gorbachev by William Tuchman

After Lenin, and the start of the Soviet Union, I felt I was missing the end. The world has no-one to thank for that more than Mikhail Gorbachev. A wonderful book on a remarkable chap.

You are Here by David Nicholls

I do love a good David Nicholls book. Not life changing but certainly enjoyable. An easy read.

Ulysses by James Joyce (in progress)

Gosh. Not an easy read at all. Joyce was quite a character, clearly. This one will take some work…

This is book one in a new book club with Hec A.

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A Final Thought 💡

“That perfect tranquillity of life, which is nowhere to be found but in retreat, a faithful friend and a good library.”

- Aphra Behn