Stay Out. Private

This was the last evening of our stay on the magical island of Santorini, Greece. We were heading to dinner and I wanted to dip in real quick to take a photo of me with my little Grecian like dress on (a steal I dug up at Marshall’s the year before). I was walking on my own this time. And, I liked it that way. Often times I like just being disconnected. I like being alone. Because, while I am walking solitaryly with no verbal or physical connection with anyone at that time, I still never really feel alone.

For one, I was heading to dinner to meet our group of at least 21 people. Two, there are hundreds of people walking with the same intent. Three, I know for sure my “peeps” are intermingled in with the crowd  as they always are on our excursions. As I see snipets of heads of people I know and love, weaving and bobbing their way to the glorious sunset and dinner that awaits. Four, there is always there inner sense of peace that overcomes me at the end of a retreat which is the sense that I am completely enough, in and of myself, by myself and with myself.

I did not notice the Stay Out, Private writing in the cement to my right. And only noticed my shadow on the wall to the left after the fact.

But when I look at it now I smile. Yes, there I am, me, myself and I with a side note to the world, for that moment, Stay Out. Private. It spoke for me in a weird kind of way to mimic a feeling I had. And even weirder as I look at that shadow and wonder….is that my inner me always walking with me everywhere I go?

It can seem a little far fetched but it’s really funny what is snapped in a photo with your back turned to the world.