Journeys welcomed or unsought

5/26/2021

Hello dear blog friends! I've just returned from a trip to Nevada and Arizona. It was an exploratory journey, as my husband and I are relocating. Most likely you've moved a few times, so you know the challenges. It's an unsettling experience at best to feel out of control, but alas, there's an end to the madness. We just have to hold tight and ride it out.

When I read author Colleen Chesebro's prompt this morning, Travel/Journeys, I thought, "How perfect!" My Tanka focuses on just that.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on moving or any other life journey. 🙂

28 Comments

Staci Troilo link

5/26/2021 07:02:47

I've moved more times than I care to count, and I hated almost every one of them. Your take is much more optimistic than mine. Wishing you all the best, Gwen.

Gwen M Plano

5/26/2021 10:47:00

Thank you, Staci. Somehow your bluntness brought a smile. I'm with you about moving. It's rugged. 😊

Staci Troilo link

5/27/2021 05:57:20

And yet you're handling it with grace. (Probably much more grace than I ever managed.) 💕

Patricia Anne Pierce-garcia Schaack link

5/26/2021 09:19:00

Hi,
I can relate to your poem because right now I am deep in transition. Transition brings uncertainty. You know you're moving on to something new. It is not so much a physical move that challenges us, but the unknown of what we are about to move into. It is the mental transition that make us think twice. I feel your poem captures this pull between the old and the new, the moving out into the unknown.
Very well written.
Shalom aleichem

Gwen M Plano

5/26/2021 10:44:43

Thanks so much, Pat. I agree with you...it's the unknown that is very unsettling. You're in my prayers, dear friend. 😊

Joan Hall link

5/26/2021 16:23:44

As someone who has lived in the same town most of her life, I can't attest to moving around a lot.

But life has taken me on other journeys - some were welcomed, others not. Through them all, I think I became stronger because of them. Nice Tanka, Gwen.

Gwen M Plano

5/26/2021 18:21:55

Thank you, Joan. 🙂 It's always fun to try to create a poem responsive to Colleen's prompts.

D.L. Finn

5/26/2021 23:08:31

Beautiful, Gwen. They unmask our hidden strength, is such a powerful and true line to end it with.

Gwen M Plano

5/27/2021 05:35:50

Thank you so much, Denise. 💗

Harmony Kent link

5/27/2021 02:58:32

Beautiful, Gwen, and moving (if you'll pardon that awful pun!). I love that last line, which is so true.

I've moved many times, and I don't recall a single one being easy. Wishing you all the very best, my friend. Hugs xx :)

Gwen M Plano

5/27/2021 05:40:59

Thank you so much, Harmony. I think my easiest move was to Japan for five years. I carried only a duffle bag and might have been terrified, but the mechanics were definitely easier. 😊

Karen Ingalls

5/27/2021 04:53:21

Our last move from MN to Florida was an emotional one, leaving behind family and friends to a state where we knew no one. It has turned out to be a wonderful time of our lives.
Your poem expresses the emotions of it perfectly.

Gwen M Plano

5/27/2021 05:42:01

I'm hoping we discover the same, dear Karen. Thank you so much for sharing your experience. 💗

Elizabeth link

5/27/2021 07:07:01

You are so right, some journeys need all our strength, that we didn't know we had.

Gwen M Plano

5/27/2021 07:43:50

Thank you, Elizabeth. What a journey we're on, right? 😊

Kathleen Pooler link

5/27/2021 07:20:50

I love this Gwen! “That engine doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger”.

Gwen M Plano

5/27/2021 07:45:28

Thank you, Kathy. So true. Life takes us places we never expected. 😊

Mae Clair link

5/27/2021 07:43:26

Colleen's prompt is the perfect match for undertaking a move, Gwen. I loved your poem.
I've only moved a handful of times, and never relocated out of the area. It's hard enough moving, but relocating to another area brings unique challenges. Wishing you all the best with your move!

Gwen M Plano

5/27/2021 09:33:36

Thank you, Mae. My prior moves seemed less demanding. Of course, I was much younger. 😃

Teagan R. Geneviene link

5/27/2021 08:19:38

Gwen, this is lovely and lively. Thanks for taking time to share it with us. Hugs on the wing.

Gwen M Plano

5/27/2021 09:34:11

Thanks so much, Teagan. Hugs back! 🤗

John Howell link

5/27/2021 08:50:17

What an interesting coincidence, Gwen. Well done on the prompt.

Gwen M Plano

5/27/2021 09:35:09

My mystical friend, you are so right. 😁 Thank you for the reminder.

Pete Springer link

5/27/2021 09:10:12

Excellent piece! I especially like your point about finding our inner strength. Much luck to you and your husband in finding the right place to settle.

Gwen M Plano

5/27/2021 09:36:28

Thank you, Pete. I believe we're headed to the Prescott, AZ area. It will be a joy, once we're settled. 😊

Jill Weatherholt link

5/28/2021 01:48:52

I can relate to this so much, Gwen. This is so beautiful. Thank you for sharing! xo

Gwen M Plano

5/28/2021 08:32:15

Aww, thank you so much, Jill. 💗

Colleen Chesebro link

5/28/2021 12:30:20

Gwen, my husband is retired Air Force. We've moved more than most people ever do in their entire lives. LOL! Moving is stressful and always difficult. Every single time... but you are spot on! Through the hardships of moving, we uncover gifts we didn't know we possessed. Well done! <3

Journeys welcomed or unsought

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