October is nearly gone, which means I am well behind schedule, not even a week left. At the beginning of the month, I always feel confident with having plenty of time to think, to let ideas cook away, to phase in my writing. The reality, though, is that life gets on the way, time flies and inspiration needs to find its own way. Over the last nine months I have managed to reach my deadline, so let’s assume I will do the same this month (fingers and toes crossed). Another dull, cold, wet, windy and miserable evening, again. Autumn vibes seem to be tainted by some sort of winter notes, the summer spirit is far well gone. Now that the clocks have been moved forward, we are on an inevitable path to the lands of Samhain, where the darkness reigns. However, I am sure that with the blink of an eye we will be celebrating the winter solstice which will lead us to the Imbolc festivities. In the meantime, my cupán tae is ready, candle flickering away as usual, blanket over my knees. All aligned here for me to start writing, for thoughts to come together, for my inspiration to go wild.
“Eat, Pray, Love”, both the book by Elizabeth Gilbert (published in 2006) and the film starred by Julia Roberts (released in 2010) caught my soul a long time ago. I guess many of you out there, have somehow been captivated by Liz’s adventures. It is a fascinating journey, with plenty of laughter, lots of hardships, and of course, many pieces of advice. I have had in mind writing a blog based on my own experiences, probably since last year. Once I knew we had a trip to Italy booked for October this year, it was clear that “Pray, Love, Eat” would definitely feature in my 2024 blog posts plan! It is going to be my own version, as my life has brought me through slightly different paths. It will bring a new approach, since the course of my existence diverted from the initial story. It will be written from an unalike angle, from my singularity.
PRAY. I did not travel to India to pray or learn how to master the art of mediation. I simply moved to Ireland so I could make my dream come true. I had not planned to embark on a journey of self-discovery, self-awareness, or self-reflection, it just seemed to happen without any notice given. Starting from zero in a different country, being far away from family and friends, having left my comfort zone; being left with my own company as my only companion. I had plenty of time to listen to my inner self, to find out who I was and what I wanted, to embrace my uniqueness. It took me nearly two years for myself and my soul to find peace. Endless days of solitude, endless hours of silence, endless moments of forgiveness. To my surprise, the Emerald Isle healed my soul. I wandered along busy streets embracing loneliness; I got lost and ended up in outstanding hidden corners; I learned to be mostly happy in my own skin. Not only had I rediscovered me and my internal being but many hidden corners of this amazing island call Éire, home to me. I do not think I was aware at that time that I was at a “Pray” stage. I do realise now, looking backwards.
“Endless days of solitude, endless hours of silence, endless moments of forgiveness…”
LOVE. I did not travel to Bali to find love, probably too humid, too hot and far too many mosquitoes to my taste. I simply went on fifty dates. Hilarious, isn’t it? It would have been better for me to go to Bali, wouldn’t it? I would only have had to put up with heat and bugs! Instead, I presented myself to a nightmare of dates, which ended up going from bad to worse. I already have a blog on my dating adventures (https://jayceemoon.com/2022/08/01/fifty-shades-of-dates/) so no need for me to go deeper in this topic. As Elizabeth Gilbert said in her book “People think a soulmate is your perfect fit, and that’s what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back”. On my 51st date, it was actually not a date just a chance to have a nice day out in Bloom, I unexpectedly met my soulmate.
EAT. I did travel to Italy! I simply got tickets to Sicily, as part of my special birthday celebrations. It has been ages since my last trip to Rome, more than twenty years. As my “Pray” and “Love” stages were covered, the next move seemed inevitable: il Bel Paese (the beautiful country) or lo Stivale (the boot) was awaiting me. As much as Ireland caught my soul, Italy has always had a special place in my heart: it is an amazing country, full of life, packed with culture and loaded with delicious food. It is not just about pasta and pizza, it is about sweet treats, ice-creams, vegetables, fish, sea food, rice, coffee and much more. We landed late on a Saturday evening in Palermo airport, and once we had left the suitcases at our accommodation, we headed off to have something to eat. Il mercato del Capo was right at our doorstep. I do not think words can express in full the very first impression as we walked into the main area of the street market: we were left speechless for a minute. And then, a volcano of sensations took over! It was so overwhelming: the smells, the colours, the displays, the variety, the chatter, the laughter, the madness and the chaos. We ate, we did, that is for sure. What else can one do while in Italy? Pizzas taste different, always dressed with fresh basil leaves. Pasta has so many different shapes. Caponata, delicious recipe with aubergines, olives, capers and more. Arancini, a ball of creamy risotto, breaded and deep-fried, yummy. Ice-cream, probably the best I had ever relished. Cannoli with ricotta cheese, pistachio, or chocolate. Nutella, that guilty pleasure one forgets about it as it is not good for the diet. But as they say, if you travel to Sicily the only thing you can leave behind is your diet! And of course, a cafe macchiato, cappuccino or whatever you may fancy, sitting on a square while enjoying the “dolce far niente” (sweetness of doing nothing.)
“if you travel to Sicily the only thing you can leave behind is your diet…”
Pray, love, eat: my own approach. Not intentionally planned, not fully aware of it, not as glamorous as Julia Roberts. Just simply me.
Jay Cee Moon ©
Jaycee Moon 