Letters Home #30 💌

Writing from: Banff, Alberta

Dear Ones —

I tried to write this from Carbonara, Cuba, but it was a time I needed to simply soak in the experience, which I wrote about this month on Field Notes. I was also woefully low on brain power as if my mind truly also took a holiday while we were away (whether I wanted it to or not). I recently read there are seven types of rest, and it’s something I’m trying to take to heart. By not writing, I was giving myself mental, sensory, and creative rest… so as this last update of 2023 slides into your email inboxes at the last minute, I can say that the rest has done its work. I have been given a firm reminder that I am not a machine, or at least I’m not a machine without some regular maintenance.

One could find a metaphor in the cars on the island of Cuba that are in desperate need of replacement parts. Many are literally running on fumes. So, the tiny wooden carving of a classic Cuban car that now hangs from my Christmas tree can now serve as a reminder: we can’t keep driving fore…