New Year Rest-Solutions

This is my first blog (even though I have secretly had this blog for a fair few months now) ready to start the brand spanking new year. There is something so fresh about the new year, it is like a blank page, a blank canvas, the year is still unwritten. We all get pretty tired of resolutions, impossible ideals we set ourselves, and if we are honest, which I am going to safely assume we all are, then we will not be too scared to admit that we never keep our new year resolutions, apart from the resolution we will 'give up giving up' or the resolution to 'make no resolutions'. Those kind of resolutions may aswell be written on cling film for how clearly we see through them or how easily they fold in on themselves or break. Instead of making a resolution this year I want you to make a rest-solution... some kind of solution to rest a little, I am not saying become a lazy, good for nothing lay about, I mean put time aside and truly rest. Take the burden off those shoulders, release some of that stress, be anxious for nothing and slow down a little. Take some time to just 'be'.

As an English teacher I have had the fortunate position of being able to travel a little aswell as fund some extra curricular travel, friends of mine reading this will identify with not knowing where I am most of the time! As fun as this travel is and as exciting and interesting as it can be it can be a little unnerving not knowing where you are going to be, whether the place will have internet access, laundry facilities, a shop open past 2pm, running water etc... and this can cause some anxiety add to that, not knowing who you will work with, whether the students will speak more than three words of English or whether the contact teachers will supply coffee or bring in homemade cakes and you, my friend, have a recipe for stress. After working under these conditions for a few months it is fair to say I actually need a rest, I do have weekends free but they are spent travelling somewhere I can stay for cheap and somewhere that may have a laundry facility. I have decided to forego the magical mystery tour that is teaching English in Austria and opt for a rest, a rest from work travelling (workelling, if you will) a rest from eating copious amounts of ham, cheese and bread/ Schnitzel and a rest from the no vegetable ban that seems to have been imposed on most Austrian restaurants. I have decided to stay at home. This doesn't mean lounging around on the sofa for hours on end catching up on Coronation street (well only on a Saturday) or watching reruns on G.O.L.D. No sirree this is not an advocation of laziness, rather a 'stop and smell the roses' piece of advice.

Earlier this year mum and I visited New York, on a pilgrimage to the much visited Magnolia Bakery of Sex and the city fame, I trekked my poor mother up and down Bleeker street (mainly because I felt to turn right off a side street, to discover that had I turned left we were 5 minutes away) Mum, happily looking at the scenery was fine walking up the long street that is Bleeker, however she was not content to walk at my unnecessarily hasty pace, she urged me to slow the heck down and just enjoy it, look at the houses, observe. So I did and I realised all the interesting things I would have missed maintaining my blinkered 'must get to Magnolia lest their be a rush on cupcakes' pace.
Which made me think: how many of us race around, tunnel visioned, toward a certain goal? I urge you, no order you, to rest a little, slow down, smell the roses, the coffee, the cupcakes and just BE.

I am making rest-solutions. Are you?

May I suggest you take a tip from my cat, Lily (the Lilmeister), seen taking a rest from mouse chasing. (photo top right)