Tuesday 11 June 2013

Crediting my inspiration... Aerosmith

Sorry it's been so long since my last post, dear readers.  I've been busy selling and giving away furniture, clothes and belongings as I clear the UK house ready for the new owners.  It no longer feels like home now the walls are bare and everything is boxed up (and all the chocolate is eaten!), so I'm not emotional yet.  Tomorrow the movers come and Thursday I hand over the keys so I wonder how I'll feel then...

I'd like to share something with you: a song I heard a few days ago for the first time in a while.  You know how a song can transport you back to the emotions of another time?  Well I had that so strongly I felt I had to put it on repeat and experience it for a while to try and diminish the power of the song.  But then a second emotion came through: a sense of satisfaction that I had acted on those feelings.  Don't get me wrong, it wasn't smugness or pride, but contentment that I had done what I could to make things better, rather than accepting those difficult emotions as part of life that I should be resigned to feeling.  When things aren't right, I suppose any change is a welcome relief, but the truth is, this move abroad has been a necessary tonic at a difficult time.

I'm not going to get into it as it's still too raw.  (Plus, it's obvious people prefer to hear about the "pull factors" of your new home: sun, sea, sangria, etc.  Opening up about the "push factors" encouraging you to leave is harder for people to hear.  Quite often you are admitting your unhappiness with your life as it is currently or your dissatisfaction with perhaps what is or resembles their town, their life, their future.)

So apologies: this is all a bit heavy if you came on here for photos of sunny beaches and stories of silly cultural misunderstandings, but it's how it all began, this idea of moving to Puglia.  Ultimately, we all have drivers in life and this song sums up what I felt just prior to deciding to look at properties in Puglia.  The lyrics are so perfect, I wonder if it's prompted many other ex-pats to take the plunge.

At some point I'll share the song I listened to a lot once I'd made the decision to move.  (I was nervous I'd chicken out and take the easy route to stay in familiarity, but it kept me feeling feisty!)  In the meantime, perhaps you'd like to share a song that has helped you to make a big decision in your life?

So here it is (don't judge me or it until you've heard it through): a song unashamedly about feeling trapped/ running away/ escape if you believe life is to be endured...

...or alternatively, about acknowledging our choices in life and embracing the ownership of a new start.



P.S. Please don't make the mistake I made of watching the video - the emotional impact of the song is rather marred by the complex story of warring robots, scantily clad ladies and Steve Tyler's lips!