Traveling Psychologist Blog
Date: November 6, 2021
Location: Cape Town, South Africa

YOU HAVE TO LOOK FOR YOUR LIFE

For those of you who know me and have followed me for awhile you are aware that I am an avid world-traveler. Like many of us, I have had to put many travel plans on hold during the last year and a half due to a “nasty bug” called COVID. During that time, I have experienced several emotions and thoughts that manifested something like this:

• It started as a much needed moment to catch my breath from the chaos of the fast-paced life I had created
• Which turned into a sense of inspiration to get more done
• Which lead to a realization that life is not about “doing, but being”
• “Being” was great for a few months then it turned into “I have to get out of this apartment!”
• The need to flee and not being able to lead to sporadic feelings of loneliness
• This loneliness manifested in my work as a “dulling of my spark”
• Procrastination set in…
• Chocolate, wine, and Netflix ensued…
• Now I find myself feeling as if my life is lacking “spark” and that was when I decided to “recharge”

We all need to know what re-lights our fire during those times we feel down and not ourselves. I tend to turn to music, travel, and writing (not to diminish the wine and chocolate!). These things raise our vibration, recenter our energy, and ground us again. I have always remembered a quote from Julie Andrews in “The Sound of Music” where she said, “You have to look for your life!” Since I have been feeling as if my life is stagnant lately, I decided to go look for my life.

I am blessed with a business that is 100% portable and remote, so I decided that I was going to work overseas for a couple of months in November and December. Although my original plan was to spend 4 months in Asia, the delta variant contaminated (pun intended) that plan and I ended up deciding to spend November in Cape Town, South Africa to start.

The last time I was in Cape Town was in 2009 (see my previous blogs during this time) and I was here doing a variety of workshops for SANBS (South African National Blood Society). I believe we are drawn to people and places and for reasons yet unknown, I was drawn to come back to Cape Town. After two very long plane rides (one of which had 6 screaming infants!), a very well-packed suitcase, 3 anxiety attacks, and convincing my 8-year old grandson that yes, Mimi will be coming back…I sit here now in my room looking out my open window at Table Mountain, listening to crowds cheering excitedly in the distance from the local rugby game and can truly say the journey has begun again….

Where do you want to start looking for your life?

Hamba kahle (Good-bye in Zulu),

Dr. Chris