In the past month I've travelled out-of-town four times, one driving and three on an airplane. Only within New Zealand though, not overseas. Sadly two of those times were for funerals, but my trip last week was purely for fun - tagging along on an overnight work trip with my husband.
I love the minimal completeness of packing for travel. You have to consider carefully what clothes you'll need, what toiletries, which book, my Kindle and journal, and I always look forward to choosing a single perfume to take with me. Lately I've bagged a few samples from various new perfume releases so it's a wonderful treat to have a 'new' perfume for a trip and without the bottle to carry home too, as I'd finish up the sample over a few days. And I love that samples come with an atomiser now too; so much nicer to use than the tiny glass tubes where you pull the top off. I always used more than I wanted to with those!
What I also love about packing for a trip is that you have only what you've chosen to take with you; it's like the ultimate decluttering. There is something very freeing about having only a fraction of your possessions with you; a carefully curated inventory of the things you love the most and which you think you will need.
But today's post is not about *actual* travel, it's about armchair travel. I borrowed a fabulous library book called 'Intimate Chanel' (
on Amazon here) and it's a serious contender for my home library. It is different to other books on Coco Chanel in that it was written in conjunction with her great-niece and god-daughter. She said she and Chanel were close for over forty years, from her birth until Coco's death. Imagine being able to call Chanel 'Auntie Coco'!
So, I wrote down a quote from this book which I've never heard about Chanel before, and it's this:
'Coco Chanel had a wandering spirit but lacked the curiosity to travel the world, preferring the world of armchair travel, of journeys of the imagination and daydreams, and prompting her to declare: "I make all my best trips on this couch." '
This is me! As much as I enjoy going away, I don't do it that often. I love being at home and having a simple and routine life. Aah, but that doesn't mean boring, no, because I am always travelling in my mind, just like Coco did.
Even as I say these words though, there is a secret shame, like I should 'do the real thing' and want to travel. That I am hiding out, making things up and not living my fullest life because I prefer to keep my travel plans small and instead live my best life in familiar surroundings. I know it's an odd thing to voice, but perhaps you feel the same?
I know there are those who live to travel, but I am not one of them. And with my limited study of Coco Chanel (I adore her style and to learn more about her but have not read every single book of her life), it seemed that she didn't go far either. To England is about the extent of her travels from what I've seen, but likely she traveled within Europe because everything is so close. Not like New Zealand where you really have to make an effort!
I have a great aunt who met Chanel (you can see my post about this
here), and she said she never spoke English, only very, very fast French. And I mean, if you lived in Paris, would you want to go far? I wouldn't! Everything is right there. The beauty, elegance, elan, panache, and inimitable French style.
I always loved the scene in the Sopranos when Carmela visited Paris (handily it's a clip
on YouTube here). "Who could have built this?" she whispered, as she gazed around in wonder.
I have been to Paris once, and I know I will go again - I have definite plans for my 50th! - but you can live an equally fulfilled and elevated life I believe, by traveling in your imagination, just like Coco did. She had her cozy Paris atelier and her creative life. That's what I try to create here at my home. I write my books, I love to sew and have been doing more of that lately, and it's wonderful.
So please tell me, are you a traveler of the imagination like Coco, or do you love to hop on a plane. I think you can be both, so you don't have to choose. And please, tell me something else: have you ever been to Paris? What were your thoughts? Or if you have somewhere else which cast a magical spell over you, please share where :) I want to travel there in my mind with you!
For me, when I landed at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, it was wonderful to be surrounded by people speaking French, like it was a normal everyday thing!! I know, I'm just being silly, but it really lifted me up. Then, as I caught the train into the city with my friend to see homes we passed and then the city buildings. It really was like a dream, and to stroll along the Champs Elysee (no doubt with all the other tourists), it was very happy-making. I know when I return it will be different, and yet completely the same. I can't wait!
~~Fiona~~
PS.
If you haven’t
read my book
Thirty Chic Days yet, I’d
love you to!
It’s all about putting on
your French-tinted spectacles and approaching your life in a whole new
way.
My approach is to make little
improvements every day that are fun and easy.
Life is too short to do all the things we ‘should’ do –
where’s the enjoyment in that? I prefer
to make mini upgrades by enticing myself along in an elegant and pleasurable
way. It’s easier to stick to and you get
better results too.
You can read
Thirty
Chic Days on Kindle or in paperback, and it’s available on Amazon
here.
~~
