I’m sitting under a starry sky.
A picnic is laid out before me, a spread of cheeses, meat, dips and crackers. There’s a couple of bottles of wine being shared amongst friends. There’s lots of giggles, some singing and a bit of dancing.
We’re at Leeuwin Estate, one of the biggest wineries in Margaret River and famous for their summer concerts. Bernard Fanning has flown in from Madrid to play for this Australia Day concert.
I first saw Bernard live when he was the front man for Powderfinger in 1996. For the next twenty years they’d be one of Australia’s best and biggest bands. I’ve got a suitcase full of memories with Powderfinger from around the world.
Bernard Fanning Concert at Leeuwin Estate
Bernard went out on his solo mission a few years back and still he manages to create music that moves and inspires.
I was inspired that night.
His music filled me with joy and gratitude for this life that only a few days before I was a little ho hum about.
I thought back to our visit to Cape Mentelle winery the day before.
We were having a French day for Kalyra , again enjoying a picnic with French cheeses and baguettes and playing a game of Pétanque in the gardens. Craig and I did a little wine tasting before it with a French server, Nicolas.
with Nicolas.
Not knowing too much about the language of wine, I was unsure whether this was common knowledge, or just a non-English speaking person’s way of expressing themselves with such different beauty.
He was talking about the chardonnay and how it was different to the previous one, which was kept in a sterile, stainless steel container,
“this chardonnay has been sitting in an oak barrel, which has allowed the wine to express itself. The other wine is a bit more clinical.”
Allowing the wine to express itself.
Isn’t that so beautiful?
I thought of it watching Bernard. This was all he was doing. Giving himself the permission to express himself. Because of that he’s made music for twenty years that has inspired and moved people.
I thought about the craziness of the path we are on. This blog that sustains our travel and helps uplift the lives of so many people. All we have done is expressed ourselves. It’s so much more simpler than we realize.
There are two paths we can follow in life.
The path of shoulds – the one that follows the norm of school, study, career, family, retirement. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad or unworthy life, but there is that element of being manufactured. And if we’re not expressing ourselves within it then the purpose of it is absent.
Or, you can follow the path of expressing yourself. Finding that thing within you that can move inspire and move others.
Travel is the oak barrel that allows you to express yourself.
You discover who you truly are, your talents, your passions and how you can best express that to make a difference. The taste of life then becomes so much smoother and more exquisite.
The difference doesn’t have to be on a Bernard Fanning scale. When we give ourselves permission to express ourselves, that alone is enough to make a difference and help others to see the beauty that will come if they do the same.
How are you expressing yourself this year?
