Today marks my fourth week here. I never thought it would take at least 28 days to settle in. The last four weeks have felt completely groundless and unsettled. With Ramadan dominating daily life here (changes in school and work schedules, openings of business, etc, etc), I have managed to successfully avoid bringing any rhythm or routine to my life. This may have been a good thing in younger phases of my life. But with a young child, it has made my life he&* at times. The only way I've gotten through the past 28 days is just taking each day as it comes.
There are countless ways I know I am in this groundless state - dreams are one. The first two weeks I was here, I was haunted with nightmares on the subject of the packing and moving of my household goods. It was bad enough to actually live it once in reality, but to have to live it over and over again in my dreams was unsettling. Another way is my I know I'm groundless, is my inability to focus on what needs to be done, and the inability to add structure and priority to the things that do need to be done. The groundless-ness not only comes from the lack of routine, but also the lack of having a place I can call home at the moment.
There are countless ways I know I am in this groundless state - dreams are one. The first two weeks I was here, I was haunted with nightmares on the subject of the packing and moving of my household goods. It was bad enough to actually live it once in reality, but to have to live it over and over again in my dreams was unsettling. Another way is my I know I'm groundless, is my inability to focus on what needs to be done, and the inability to add structure and priority to the things that do need to be done. The groundless-ness not only comes from the lack of routine, but also the lack of having a place I can call home at the moment.
In two days, I'll be moved into my new house. My 400lb air shipment arrived Thursday night with 1 box missing. My heavier sea freight (furniture and such) arrives today. And my official move into the new place will occur the day before a a week long holiday. Perfect timing!
My normal "grounding" routine consists of a daily practice of morning meditation and yoga. The addition of a strong cup of coffee mid-morning is also a help. My yoga mat was packed in the air shipment, and coffee is absent during Ramadan.
As if the climate echos the changes that have happened in the past month, the dry, summer season has ended. Thick fog, rain and winds moved in last evening and at moments this morning, I could barely see the road outside the hotel. Ramallah is on a hilltop so it enjoys a cooler climate than Jerusalem in the summer . That also means the coastal breezes regularly enshroud it with go during the winter. It also reminds me of the world outside the walled West Bank.
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