Going to the country

So, I’m leaving the big city—Dublin—for Galway on the western coast at 10 am this morning. I think it’s about a 2 1/2 hour trip. I’ll be at a hostel for a week and, if Galway feels like the right place for me, I’ll get a shared apartment or rent a room and travel to the other parts of Ireland on day trips. But it’s time to get down to writing and finishing my book proposal, for which I need a couple of completed chapters and some other accompanying material. Galway is a much smaller coastal city and has biking, hiking and other things I enjoy. Several people have suggested Galway to me as a place they feel will be good for me and my writing… so off I go.

Nadine left for a tour early this morning so we said our goodbyes. We spent our last night together at a concert. Aline loves singer/songwriters and wanted to go to a concert at a pub called Whelan’s. The singer/songwriter who was playing had just arrived in Dublin by ferry from the UK and when he spoke I recognized home. He’s from Austin, Texas but was raised in Germany for part of his life. His name is Bob Schneider. It was a small, intimate audience and he took requests all night. It was a great time. I loved his voice and much of his music; he’s very soulful, funny and easy to listen to. The clip isn’t great but you’ll get a sense of what he’s about.

Bob Schneider in Dublin from Charlena Miller on Vimeo.

During the show, I was sitting by a dirty window in the second floor of the pub, which is where Whelan’s holds their concerts. It’s a small room, freezing cold.  I could hear the people, taxis and buses on the street below. I thought about the unknown journey that lies ahead as I leave the friends I’ve made and what routine and familiarity I’ve created, although it’s barely a routine. I’ve learned where the market is, where good music is played, where I can get a good crepe cheap and I know the ebb and flow of my hostel. When you’re away from everything and everyone you’ve known for a long time, the tiniest bit of familiarity is appreciated. Just knowing where you’re going without a map and not getting lost is a big moment.

Now it’s time to leave and go to a new place and focus on part of the purpose that I’m here for. I have anticipation because I have learned on this great ride with God that all kinds of cool things lie ahead that are purposed for me. My job is to live into what is already there. Learn to recognize his voice and heed the nudge or the tap on the shoulder. So, about that… I wished I would have recorded “Come Away With Me” at Bob Schneider’s show. I also wanted to tell him that I really liked his music and it inspired the writer in me, but I didn’t. So, out of my commitment to connect and say what is true for me, I posted a note on his blog, which I had to find… not too hard. This was all outside my box; I have to push myself to reach out and connect, I’m an introvert. Sometimes I’m better at it than other times. It’s just a lot easier when I do what I’m inspired to do in the moment rather than realizing it later.