October 18th!!!! Oh my goodness!!! It has almost been a year since I left Victoria. I can not believe how fast this year has gone by. I hate to say it but I am not ready to come back to Canada just yet. One small problem - I have not yet heard if my visa will be extended for another year. After being turned away from the Prefecture in Lyon, I decided it might be easier to apply through a small village like.....Montmin. Judy and Serge graciously offered for me to use their address and dealing with the mayor's office here is very nice. Unfortunately the file still has to get send to the Prefecture in Annecy. So I applied in September and they came back very quickly asking for additional information. Our normal little Canadian birth certificates don't seem to list our parents on them. I had to contact the Alberta government for a long form certificate and of course it could only be done by mail. I finally received it on Monday, the 14th (Happy Birthday Dad!!!) but the mayor's office is closed here on Monday's. So I submitted that on Tuesday along with further proof that I have enough funds to support myself for another year and a signed declaration that I wouldn't work. And now, I wait.
I must say there are worse places to wait. Montmin is a lovely mountain village and the people here are equally as lovely. Serge and Judy have been great but I'm sure they must be ready to have their space back to themselves. I have been with them for a month now. It is fun to be a bit settled though and of course having friends who I have known for a while is a plus.
I have been able to experience life here. The community is very close knit. It's almost impossible to go for a walk and not be invited in for a coffee or just stop for a chat. For the most part autumn has been beautiful. We were swimming in Lac Annecy until the end of September and I've been taking advantage of the good weather for walks in the mountains and forest. I have to fortunate to be able to experience some of the traditional events, like moving the cows from the alpine to the valley for winter and bread making in the village.
I must say there are worse places to wait. Montmin is a lovely mountain village and the people here are equally as lovely. Serge and Judy have been great but I'm sure they must be ready to have their space back to themselves. I have been with them for a month now. It is fun to be a bit settled though and of course having friends who I have known for a while is a plus.
I have been able to experience life here. The community is very close knit. It's almost impossible to go for a walk and not be invited in for a coffee or just stop for a chat. For the most part autumn has been beautiful. We were swimming in Lac Annecy until the end of September and I've been taking advantage of the good weather for walks in the mountains and forest. I have to fortunate to be able to experience some of the traditional events, like moving the cows from the alpine to the valley for winter and bread making in the village.
So whatever happens with my visa, I'm okay with it. I have had the most amazing year, filled with memories that will last a lifetime. I still have no clear direction of where my life is going but maybe that's not a bad thing. I suppose I have already learned that being open to whatever hand you are dealt and making the most of it, is what life is really all about. My meditation practice has definitely helped me to live more in the present and really appreciate all the wonderful things that life has to offer. I used to keep a Gratitude Journal, where you make a list each day of all the things you are grateful for - your family, your friends, the first snow, a full moon, the smell of fresh baked bread, etc. I don't write them down now but I suppose my photos are my Gratitude Journal. For the most part being grateful comes pretty naturally now.
Stay tuned - this is the cliff hanger. The next blog entry will be if I'm staying or going....
Stay tuned - this is the cliff hanger. The next blog entry will be if I'm staying or going....