A MEDITATION IN LONELINESS | 2014 - 2017
Living in Japan was an incredible opportunity, but it came with a significant sense of loneliness. Despite having experience with transition due to multiple military moves, relocating to the other side of the world presented unique challenges such as a loss of community, a new language and culture, a significant time difference, and even leaving behind a child who was studying on the other side of the world.
During my time in Japan, I tried to embrace the solitude, using it as an opportunity for reflection and creativity. Through daily photography, journaling, and reflection, I processed my feelings of loss and wrote the following:
Lost.
A gaping hole,
where community once thrived.
In a place that I feel
I do not fully belong.
A fluster of loneliness.
Confusion at the crossroads.
A search for meaning
and understanding.
Inward I retreat.
Focused on the quietude.
Unexpected reflection
and contemplation.
Allowing the process.
Making progress on the path.
Slowly, step-by-step.
Releasing from the constraints.
Listening.
In silence.
The fluttering of breath.
Welcoming and connecting.
Without resistance.
An enlightenment.
New awareness.
Alive to the possibilities.
I am found.