The Journey Inward

Despite having so many pairs of sneakers back home, I brought a scant few and regret it. Teighler told me to go to the Adidas outlet and get Ultra Boost trainers. I didn’t end up finding anything there, but I ran into her out shopping with her husband and little boy. Lyle was wearing a little cardigan sweater his granny had knit him and gave me a big wave with both hands!

From there, it was onto a pool party/rugby watching party. Yuri, who I met last night at TGIF (the group chat name), invited me to his friend, Maria’s house to watch. We were all in jeans and by evening, sweaters, so there was no swimming to be had. But we watched the game in Maria’s family room, all piled in.

Maria lives just a few minutes from me in a gorgeous single family home in a large development (many teachers live in the attached housing in the same development, including Ellen, whose house I went to the other day). She has three daughters and is in the process of divorcing. She was warm and friendly and we hit it off immediately. She had cooked so much food and made a lovely spread.

Also there was Susanna from my school, who is friends with Yuri. I hadn’t met her until last night since she teaches at the middle school, but it was good to see her again and meet her partner.

There was another couple and three single women, plus Maria’s Greek mom. It was a nice mix and as we watched the match, I learned a lot about the game and saw its connection to other sports, especially football, though this is much faster paced.

The Springboks won 29-27, after a very last minute try by Argentina as the time ran out. South Africa won the championship. The match was played in London before a crowd of 70,000, a great many of whom were SA fans!

After the game, some went home, but Rocky, another woman whose name I forget, Susanna, Roland, Yuri and I stayed, moving on to the back patio. It was beautiful and peaceful out there by the pool and with her outdoor kitchen in proximity. We talked about a variety of topics, from politics to religion to sexuality and this group, from South Africa, Greece, India and Peru were so knowledgeable about so many things. I loved how in depth they spoke and how spirited and spiritual conversations became. There is debate without judgment or anger. It is so refreshing to speak with people who are not US focused, but have a broader reference bank to draw from. All are well traveled and have insight and perspective. All are warm and inviting. I felt so comfortable and connected.

It was also nice to be in a mixed company group where the genders didn’t separate to talk about sports and parenting, for example. When the subject turned to menopause and two women shared experiences, the men were very much engaged, reflective and curious. This group seems to be highly evolved, so maybe that’s not widespread, but it certainly was refreshing!

They are a fun group who get together for fun, but also the women have a monthly group that they invited me to. It was so nice to spend the day with such thoughtful, honest, open people.