Þingvellir National Park in Iceland
I have 24 unfinished draft blog posts going back to 2013. Some of these are just simple scribbles, notes of topics that I wanted to share or explore further. A few are semi-outlined. None are anywhere near complete.
I sit here in the dark, trying to type quietly, and upload 400+ images from our travels while my husband and dog rest. My jet-lagged son talks from his bed beginning at 3:00 AM after stumbling face first into sleep at 5:30 PM the evening before. I answer the urge to write and share in this space by scrolling through those 24 drafts, none of them appealing to me in this moment of silence.
I’m in that in-between place between vacation and “real life.” My brain isn’t yet prepared to tackle the work projects that wait for me. I’m not ready to process the images, mental or physical, that I’ve gathered on this journey. My body is using its energy to transition into the rhythm of day and night. My hands, eyes, and brain aren’t yet coordinated enough to work together to create the painting I imagine, so I use this time to practice rather than start.
Nathaniel in Reykjavík, Iceland
My son stirs and gathers toys. Like me, he has trouble going back to sleep once truly woken. I promise him we can go upstairs as soon as I finish writing, even though it isn’t 5:00 AM. You can’t “make” someone sleep…or paint…or work. We will honor our natural rhythms and find our way back to time.