A gypsy, an adventurer, a sojourner or seeker will at times find herself overwhelmed with choices and opportunities.  Many doorways can  appear simultaneously, and what is she to do?

Accepting the role of gypsy requires a commitment to fluidity, to allowing the stream of life, with all its currents, all its eddies and pools and tributaries, to present itself so the seeker can stand in its midst, eyes closed, palms raised, sixth sense heightened, and welcome the wisdom that appears.

When I first began my gypsy journey in September 2014, I knew I wanted to spend my first winter in Wilmington, NC and I imagined I would travel to New Mexico for my second winter on the road.  I fell in love with Wilmington: the amazing friends I already had there and the new ones I made; the beaches, from Wrightsville down to Fischer Island; tiki clubs on the pier; Mermaid shops and Tarot readers…the entire experience, a magical one!

But breaking my collarbone, followed by my wrist, altered my original plans of finding work, exhibiting in local galleries, and teaching writing and art classes….all very difficult to do when I wasn’t able to drive or hold a pen in my writing hand for 6 months!  So I thought I might spend my second gypsy winter in Wilmington in order to create the experience I had originally visualized.

But the stream at my feet began moving….close friends had decided to winter in Phoenix….the idea of finishing my memoir in the “Land of Enchantment” where the story takes place, began to fill my mind…..a friend in Santa Fe offered me a place to land….friends of my New Mexico friends suggested possible job opportunities in the state.  At the same time, Wilmington friends pointed to other tributaries and possibilities, not to mention, my mother, an East Coast resident, is 92 years old, and I want to spend as much time with her as I can.  In addition, my two young nieces in MA will soon be teenagers, with no time for their Auntie.

So I entered the water, laid on my back, stretched out my arms, and let myself float downstream for awhile.  The quieted mind, the alleyways of imagination, the daily writing practice and prayer, along with two insightful tarot readings in Wilmington!!, all led me to the wisdom hidden under river rocks.  I needed to clarify my number one priority and then I needed to discern which path would be the most beneficial to manifesting that objective.

It was clear my priority is to finish my memoir in time to pitch it at AWP/Los Angeles in March 2016…..and the path that would make this goal most achievable is waiting for me in New Mexico.  To bring the story fully alive, I want to stand in the orange and mauve canyons of Abiquiu, meditate in the arroyos near Black Mesa, adjacent to my former residence.  I need to smell the early March wind and soak in the secret hot springs of the Jemez.  To recall all my hopes and then the darkness I descended into before I was able to climb back out into that spectacular sunshine.

To make my decision, it was imperative that I stay fluid, stay open to the choices and opportunities.  To be willing to read the signs and enter into my own depths of intuition, to be able and willing to change my mind, again and again, to stay flexible.

Turns out life IS sort of like my childhood game show: Let’s Make a Deal.   The universe presents the doors…and it is up to us to pay attention, to trust our innate knowing, in order to make the perceptive choice.