I left bits and pieces of my heart in all of the places I have been.
I close my eyes and find myself in the labyrinth of my mind.
There, the sunlight glinting off of the bronze statue as you drive by, your head resting against the coolness of the window.
There I am, splashing about in a fountain in the outskirts of the Vatican City, washing the coconut gelato off of my red dress, even as it stains the soul beneath.
I am the morning light filtering through the streets as you delightfully lose yourself in the charming corners in the bustling streets of Rome.
I am the lively melody that’s being serenaded to you, bouncing off the walls and echoing through the ruins of the Roman Forum as dawn begins to break.
I am the scent of freshly brewed coffee you inhale as you walk along the sun warmed, white-washed streets of Mykonos, the night sky kissing the Mediterranean Sea on the endless horizon, the smudge of lipstick on the dog-eared, and faded corner of a menu at that restaurant where no one spoke English.
Do you see me standing there in that tea market in Istanbul, cataloging the scents and colors and textures surrounding me?
I am slipping a morsel of food under the table to a stray black-and-white cat at a cafe in Crete that overlooks the turquoise waters of the sea.
You can smell me in the salty breeze whipping through your hair as you sail the Pacific Ocean.
I am the bead of sweat dripping down your back, slowly making my descent, lovingly tracing the curves of your spine as you hike through the Mayan ruins in the jungle of Coba.
I am the lilting “Hello” in that beautifully strange accent, and the thick goodbye that we never got to say, lingering there in your dark and stormy eyes.
I close my eyes and I can feel the fractured pieces of my heart, the sound echoing and reverberating through the dusty corners of my mixed up soul, beating steadily and beckoning me to come home.
Beautifully vivid, with such evocative snapshots throughout. Loved this!
Thank you so much Tom! It is my greatest pleasure to take my readers on all of my adventures with me, to place them in my shoes and allow them to feel my own feelings. I’m glad I was able to take you along ☺️
Hi
Beautiful writing – you have caught the little pleasures and sadnesses in life from travel – like feeding local cats, and parting with a lover.
I do too, well the cat thing for sure, they are usually scrawny. Being vegan I have to snaffle meat from the omnivores.
Stef
Thank you Stef! Life is full of these beautifully fleeting moments that one must strive to pay closer attention to, these simple pleasures are what makes life worth living for. It’s wonderful to hear that you too, take pleasure in feeding the local strays (even if you have to pilfer morsels of meat from us omnivores 😉)
Hi and thank you so much for this. Really needed that this morning to help me start my day and have true gratitude for all those little things we have that makes life worth living.
John
Thank you for stopping by John! I’m really glad to have been able to help in some way 🙂 We too often get lost filling up our heads with so many worries and useless information that won’t matter a year from now, or even a month from now. It’s nice to slow down and appreciate the simple things in life every once in a while. I’ve been learning to practice gratitude and mindfulness and it’s helped me out tremendously. I hope you have a wonderful day!