to an exciting new year
We just returned from ringing in the new year in South Africa. We had 2 back-to-back retreats over the week of New Year and the following week as well; spending time in the wine country just outside of Cape Town and then on a safari in the Western Cape. The actual evening of New Year’s Eve was spent returning from our evening game drive (which was the first night on the safari section of the retreat and my first ever game drive), where we saw baboon, eland, kudu, and giraffe, followed by a lovely dinner and then a star-gazing session under the southern hemisphere summer sky. We went to bed before midnight as it was an early 5am wakeup call the next morning for another drive. It all seemed very appropriate for the end of a busy year - a moment to stop, slow down, unplug, and just be in one of the most remote places I’ve ever stayed surrounded by endless landscapes, wildlife, and the quiet distant stars
Returning home a few days ago to the frosty Italian winter, quiet landscape, and businesses waking up once again after the long holidays, I realized that I feel very ready and optimistic about the year to come. This will be a very big year, no matter what gets done (or not done yet), it will be a year of big steps, moving forward…and FINALLY putting a shovel in the ground after this long ordeal so far.
Yesterday the geometra came over to update on how the contractors are coming along with the computo metrico (building plans) as we await the proposals and quotes. Supposedly in about a week the numbers should be in for the main part of the construction. Then it’s hoping that at least one of them look good enough for the go-ahead, and then it will be time to start! It looks favorable that within a month things should be happening.
Just for a reminder, we drove by the land the other evening to admire the sunset. There are still only the initial stakes I drove in to the ground on the day of closing a few months ago, but I heard it whispering that it’s just waiting patiently for me.