I was so excited to return to Walking in the World. My winter hibernation was winding down and I was looking forward to blogging my way through some interesting destinations this spring – but then a bit of reality began to seep in through the cracks between my plans and intentions. Thundersley has been experiencing a number of burglaries and break-ins lately and I started to feel distinctly disinclined to share my whereabouts with the rest of the world. In short it felt foolish to inform even a virtual community about my comings and goings, especially when our home was going to be empty while we were off on our adventures.

I’ve argued this back and forth in my mind. Am I being paranoid? Would teenage thugs or professional criminals really be likely to find, read, and track my blog? Am I being lead by fear or intuition? Where does wisdom lie in all this, and what does my heart tell me to do?

I loved my near-daily blogging last year, and I’ve benefited from it in all sorts of ways. I’ve grown as a writer, a photographer, a walker, and an observer. I’ve come to see myself and my presence in the world in a new and more confident way, somewhat akin to forging a new aspect to my identity. I’ve treasured the communication with old and new friends as I’ve laid bare my soul in these posts. I don’t want to lose any of that, and yet, I want to be sensible and safe. I don’t know how to square this circle!

I have three websites, two are active and publicly available while the third is still under construction. This one, Walking in the World, has existed as a lifestyle blog that is rooted in the present moment. Blogging about a completed adventure doesn’t really fit with my vision or mission. I’ve loved its eclectic nature, with posts of varying topics and lengths, and people have told me that they enjoy receiving my notes, insights, and photos. A weekly digest or a long retrospective felt heavier and less spontaneous, less alive. They feel more appropriate for my other site, Ariadne’s Thread, which is a little deeper and more considered (and which, unfortunately, has suffered the ignominy of abandonment in the year that I focused on Walking in the World).

I am trying to redefine myself and my online presence. That presence is a lifeline to me, and keeps me connected to a worldwide community of friends and spirit family. I want to write to you and for you! You are part of my adventures, big and small, as I look for things to share with you, crafting words and creating photos to show you the amazing things that exist in my world. I’m simply not sure how to do it in a way that remains fun for you and safe for me.

I would love to hear from you, in hopes that somewhere there is a creative solution that will allow me to keep moving forward and showing up in the world.

Fittingly, today’s featured image is a photograph of the exquisite ceiling labyrinth in the Palazzo Ducale in Mantua, Italy, which we visited earlier this month. The Latin phrase in the pathway translates in part to maybe yes, maybe no.