#Sabbatical and #freshstart so far

I would like to give a little insight into the sabbatical year, which didn't just fall from heaven.

We are constantly asked at the campsites how it is possible that we can be on the road for a whole year. The answer is simple, because when we applied for the whole thing, there were no restrictions on teachers or in the public sector. We applied in 2016 and from then on we will earn less, even the pension will shrink, BUT IT'S WORTH IT!

Now I can enjoy it, now I'm healthy and still fit enough for a trip like this. Christian and I immediately agreed that we didn't want to spend the year at home, but instead wanted to gain lots of new experiences and impressions. Just the idea at the time that we could do Europe outside of the season was gigantic.

Some people find our idea really strange, but it doesn't bother me anymore. Why shouldn't I do what I like? I'm old enough now!

I currently don't know where I'll be in 3 weeks, that's a luxury that I'm only now becoming more and more aware of. We can do whatever we want and how. It's refreshingly different from the hamster wheel of work etc. because we are, well almost, free from everything.

When I write #newstart, I mean, among other things, recharging batteries, getting rid of old ballast and much more.

Christian and I have jobs that don't seem particularly strenuous at first glance, but that's deceptive. I still have a few construction sites from my past that I can now slowly work through, which is a real gift.

Shortly before the holiday everyone has less energy, it's all just stress, there are a lot of things that sometimes make me hectic and very unbalanced.

I've slowly started to eliminate things from my day that are OK for others, I don't want to dictate to anyone here. I only drink tea, I don't have coffee anymore. This is difficult for me because I was a real coffee junkie, but my body has always shown me that this is not good for me. The second was wine, which I like to drink, but which has been giving me a headache for a while now, even after just one glass.

I'm taking a hopefully healthier path, I now have time for myself, I'm using it now too, I call it ME TIME or quality time, which isn't meant to degrade my husband, but to show that I need to work on myself. It starts with me giving my day a structure and also keeping track of what's going well and what's not going so well. If I see for myself what makes me nervous or annoyed, I can hopefully change my behavior. The following may seem esoteric in parts, but I have discovered that I have to find peace within myself so that I can react more calmly to the outside world, so that I can choose my words in such a way that the other person does not interpret my statements as an attack. I come from a family that has ZERO tolerance for frustration. The family members like to shoot verbal poison darts, and they even prefer to be ridden on everything multiple times so that the person being insulted feels as small as a worm. Unfortunately, I was socialized that way, envy was a constant part of conversations.

BUT I DON'T WANT THIS ANYMORE! I'm now trying to change my basic attitude, to transform myself. I heard something about a Cherokee story during a guided meditation that I want to share here. We can all make decisions every day and change our path, everyone has to be aware of that.

The grandfather, a chief, wants to give his grandson a lesson on his way to manhood, so he points to his chest and says: "Two wolves live in me, they are like day and night. One wolf is stingy, envious, argues likes, wants confrontation, doesn't even trust himself, causes suffering, hatred, war and bad mood. The second wolf is empathy, trust, joy, happiness and peace." The young grandson looked at his grandfather with fascination, then thought. "Which wolf wins?" He then asked curiously. His grandfather smiled, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "The wolf I feed always wins!"

I would rather feed the second wolf, because the first one has long since become rotten.

Yoga and meditation are my tools, which not only my therapist recommended to me. Yes, I've been to therapy and if I get back on my hamster wheel of self-doubt, depression and much more, I'll go back to therapy. It helped me, I give a lot to the person who gently took me by the hand and showed me the tools for more inner balance and inner peace. Without my wonderful therapist I wouldn't be in Granada right now, but... I can't imagine it. MANY THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!

Now my day starts with meditation, a little later I do yoga if the weather allows it, because at the 12metriquadrati I can only do that in the open air, unless there is an empty lounge, and I'm not exactly hit with a virus . I would actually like to do both as soon as I get up, but when I get up, the dogs do it too and from then on there is a regular routine.

Maybe that's my long-term goal, first meditation, then yoga and then the day can come. I want to continue to have goals, one goal is a SECOND SABBAT YEAR! Let's see if this gets approved!