The new year weekend was spent in the Hunter Valley with friends amongst green meadows and rain. We stayed a few nights in a little cottage on a vineyard, surrounded by gentle hills and pastures. It was nice to wake up to the sound of light rain tapping on the roof, the murmur of voices in the living room, the sizzle of mushrooms and eggs on a pan. Ah, the simple life. Wine (just a bit for me thanks...wait, stop, that's too much), DVDs, a good read, good food and boardgames. I forgot where I worked, the bills I paid, the chores that were waiting. Everything was suspended that weekend. I could spend the rest of my life here with these friends, in this little Garden of Eden, I thought as I laid my head to sleep.
For me, 2010 didn't begin with an explosion of colour and lights and loud music. It started hours after the fireworks had finished, on a morning of overcast skies and a sore throat. The new year doesn't start until reality kicks in, after the partying, and you're picking up the pieces and think: What has happened to this year? Where did it all go? I have done nothing, but this year will be different. Is it ever?
New Year's resolutions? I have too many. I'm not vain enough to list them all here. A friend did say this to me however. She said you need to chase your dreams. If you put effort into what you hope to achieve, then something will come out of it. Even if others don't approve, when they see how dedicated you are to your cause, eventually they will support you, because they love you and ultimately want you to be happy. And isn't that what life is all about?
I know what she told me has been said to me before, in so many different ways. But there was so much conviction, so much belief in her voice that I smiled and nodded in agreement, as we continued on our long journey home.
The new year weekend was spent in the Hunter Valley with friends amongst green meadows and rain. We stayed a few nights in a little cottage on a vineyard, surrounded by gentle hills and pastures. It was nice to wake up to the sound of light rain tapping on the roof, the murmur of voices in the living room, the sizzle of mushrooms and eggs on a pan. Ah, the simple life. Wine (just a bit for me thanks...wait, stop, that's too much), DVDs, a good read, good food and boardgames. I forgot where I worked, the bills I paid, the chores that were waiting. Everything was suspended that weekend. I could spend the rest of my life here with these friends, in this little Garden of Eden, I thought as I laid my head to sleep.