Time to watch the clouds. “Look! There’s an elephant. No it’s a cow. An ox. Wait it’s an orangutan.” I followed my friend from Florence to Bologna. He was one of the few people I naturally followed. We park near the university agreeing to meet at 6. He goes to his meeting and I walk towards the center. I have 1 day in Bologna. La Dotta. La Grassa. La Rossa. The Wise One. The Fat One. The Red One. One day. It’s an open book. A page yet unwritten. So I walk. I follow my eyes-not a map-past Le Due Torri. I pause. Architecture 1000 years old. Still standing. The taller of the 2 is leaning so far to the right I wonder how Pisa became more famous. Through the arcades the 7 churches of the Basilica di Santo Stefano call to me. But it’s lunch and the doors are closed. So I sit in the sun- imagino January in northern Italy and we are eating outside. I eschew the tagliatelle al Ragu in favor of tortellini. I make a mean Bolognese at home.

The joy of my job is I can work from anywhere. My plan was to find a cafe to work but my feet didn’t want to stop moving. I heard the voice again. “You should be working.” My plan when I had agreed to the trip was to work. But this is my #yearofyes. I wouldn’t should on myself. My feet wanted to wander. So I let them. When I returned to my office a day later I opened my laptop- a flurry of productivity. My mind clear. Solutions to previous problems came. Ideas crystallized. I think I might have just learned the results of the subtle art of doing nothing. I called my sister. “I’m getting a slow start on this new year.” She says. “I feel guilty for not being productive.” My sister
and I have ESP- we feel each other. “We were raised this way.” I say. My sister and I both have curves for miles - physically we are very feminine- and yet we both have a lot of masculine energy. We are Doers. We are our fathers daughters. “Maybe it’s time we allow more Yin?” I say. “More feminine energy. Get more done by doing less?” I’m not sure how this works- but I think I am on to something. Like an athlete who trains not just through exercise but sleep I am able to be my best when I’ve taken time to let my mind wander.

OUR SPONSOR:

Truly Venice is a trademark owned by Property Solutions, a Swiss based company that operates as an agent for property owners wishing to lease their properties for short and long term stays. The company was founded in 2007 by a small entrepreneurial team that sees a great opportunity in offering people all over the world an alternative accommodation to hotels going beyond the traditional tourist trip.

We aim to offer a personalised service, organizing restaurant bookings and taxi services, finding the appropriate meeting and exhibition space as well as offering flowers, special wines and food baskets. Property Solutions is a customer focused company that values your ideas, comments and thoughts. We encourage you to give us feedback on any aspect of our business, whether it be about the website, the service or one of our apartments.

WEBSITE: www.trulyveniceapartments.com

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