No Need For Sheep

Here in Pescara, 8 days away from the Ceremony that will Open the Mediterranean Games, I find myself getting up early (around 6am) without the need of an alarm clock…

(Come to think of it, I have never needed any sort of reminder device to awaken me here in Italy…at least after my jet lag left me in the 1st week.)

My mind has always gone to bed at ease here. and I find I wake up in the mornings without the need to be wrestled from a dream confused slumber. Instead I am allowed to gently arrive back to a place of quiet and peaceful consciousness. Listening to the rooster crowing down the street, and, as idyllic as this sounds, the clip-clop of the horses’ hooves as their owners take them out for their morning trot before the cars crowd the roads. I am not sure where these horses are coming from, but it is really a sweet cadence to begin your day with.

This does not happen on most big events. Usually you are so sleep deprived and your head is too full making list of things that have to be taken care of that sleep eludes you when you try and pass out in bed the night before. So sleep (when it does come) is usually a coveted place one has to be dragged out of kicking and screaming by the electronic WAIL of a clock or cell phone, jarring your already fatigued body and overflowing mind into some state of alertness.

But not here.

I have always been able to just wake up peacefully and let my mind wander, allowing me a chance to chat with the Universe and not jump right into mundane-morning tasks, such as showers, teeth brushing and checking all the many electronic devices which reconnect us to the world.

I have chosen a way to reconnect first with the world that requires no Blackberry, i-Phone, or laptop computer. I simply start talking in my head to the Universe, giving us some special quiet time before the storms of the day begin.

And talk about storms we had A HUGE THUNDERSTORM last night right after rehearsals started. However it did not dampen our spirits or frustrate us we are on time and well rehearsed here, so we let the Universe put on a water and lightshow for us while we all watched her from the safety our seats in the covered part of the stadium. It was lovely, then it soon passed and we began our rehearsal, damp only in sneakers, not in spirits.

So number 8 on my countdown of the 10 best things about Pescara is…

Blissful Slumber!