Isn’t it exciting? To start responding to a photo challenge, not knowing which photos you’ll end up posting? If you think about it, it’s hard to show that which did not happen.
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This post will be fully as we go. Ever since reading Snow’s Friendly Friday challenge for this week, I’ve been thinking about alternative realities and endings, happily contemplating what to choose, discarding this idea and that, and finally deciding to just begin, words first and the images would follow.
She begins like this: “Imagine an alternative reality where the world’s resources are multiplying, warm-hearted people are in power, and questions get answered. Or, to be more realistic, an alternative reality where your favorite color was orange instead of pastel pink and your hair style just slightly different. You’d have named your blog that other option you thought of and had struck up a conversation with the lady at the bus stop that you ignored earlier today.”
The first thought was of when I thought of playing online game Second Life and it took me the first (and only) half an hour to create my avatar, only to realise that the girl I made looked exactly like me, with only one difference. She had green hair.
Back when I started blogging and as the majority of new bloggers happily babbled about all sorts of things, Snow Melts Somewhere was reading, oh yes, she was. She appeared and read it all, old posts as well, she read about that time when I told you about my hair – but I don’t wish to go back and link to there, oh no, that time was then but this is now. If anybody is interested, you’ll find the way. Oh yes, I told it back then to those who listened, I told it all.
This is where I stopped last night and now I shall continue, seeing that I still have no idea where this is leading and which photos to post.
Some days I miss it, my blogging beginnings. I still thought that by wearing my heart on the windowsill, I’d be able to obliterate the fact that my daily life consists of one man, one dog, plenty of scenery and the internet.
And I did it, didn’t I, I connected to some of you who are still around. I even met some in person and I wish to meet more.
The thing is that the things that happen are incomparably fewer compared to the things that don’t.
Think about it: You could do this, that, or that other thing, and instead you choose SOMETHING, one thing that you in fact do. Leave all you know behind and move to Tuscany, for example.
Whatever it is, make it a good thing. How about that for the moral imperative?
The photos are all from my first year in Tuscany – 2013 – and show things that are not necessarily done any more. I arrived in April and only started to blog one year later.
Would I still be doing all these things without my blog? Would I have written a book or three? Would I have found some flesh friends to hang out with? I wouldn’t bet my life on it.
So I conclude that you are a good alternative, an excellent solution for my situation and the most worthwhile thing that I could be doing with my life – if you ask me, of course. You must be. If not, I’d be doing that other thing.
This postbox had to go this year. It was falling apart. The post is delivered to the community postbox anyway. There is so few of it. 
I’d still be taking door photos even without Norm obviously. This was taken in Tuscania before I knew of Thursday Doors. 
Right there. We don’t go on such day trips anymore, unless we have visitors. 
I don’t take windy frilly skirt selfies in poppy fields any more. Why? 
Amore took me on a walk to show me some white flowers that he had seen from the train. Ah, early days. 
There can be only one: my parents’ surprise visit for my birthday. They plotted it with amore without my knowledge. Mother picked me flowers. 
The discovery of the Tarot Garden, Il giardino dei tarocchi, can never be repeated either. But there have been many repeat visits. 
I don’t grow own herbs and spices any more. I started out with five and it was going well until we went to Rome for the weekend and they all died. I lost heart and soul for it. 
And where have all the horses gone? 
I don’t go to the beach to just chill very often. Bestia doesn’t enjoy it and I hate to leave him at home. 
And he certainly doesn’t swim in the sea any more. What happened that he changed his mind? Or was he only trying to rescue uncle on his first visit? 
With uncle in Capalbio: Amore looking stylish in my hippie shirt. By now we both have doubled in size. 
Capalbio again. In the summer I got my first round of friends and sister over. This friend has yet to return. 
He did return once. This was my first visit of Florence. Bestia was only three months old. 
In a parallel life I plot revolutions. Here it seems as if my friend and I are about to blow that Mussolini’s cross. His shirt says: “No, I am not on f*!#ing Facebook.” Photo: Lidija 
Lake Bohinj, Slovenia, has never again looked as wild as this. 
This smile was a one-off. 
In Pitigliano: Amore contemplating joining the film industry. There is a place there for him. 
We were never on the train together after this. With bestia it’s not practical. 
We were never on the beach together again at sunset. Okay, maybe once more. 
But this is still my daily view when I meet him at the station when he returns from work. 
And frankly, this wouldn’t change a thing. Certainly not for the better. An encountered Pitigliano wedding scene.
For Friendly Friday Photo Challenge hosted by The Snow Melts Somewhere: Alternative version
Interesting, as your point of view always is. The postbox photo itself tells a story: if you had a picture if it before your name arrived on it next to Amore’s, and then the after picture with both names. What if you had not arrived there? What if he had moved to Slovenia? Or both of you to Canada, Uruguay or South Africa? 🙂
As for your thoughts… it made me consider my blogging. Is it taking too much of my time? What would I be doing instead? I fear the answer might lie in social media: maybe if I wasn’t on the blog, I’d be addicted to Facebook? It’s probably better this way! 😀
Ps. I need one of those t-shirts!
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Right, SMSW, there are so many people who do it on Facebook. Still better to do it here, more stylishly, with more content, and more quality contact and feedback, I should think. You indeed need that shirt! 😀
I could have ended up in SO many other places. Stockholm and Cornwall were closest. Alas, it happened thus. Before I moved here, amore sent me the photo of this postbox after he mounted it up there. It had no names yet, I wrote them down when I arrived. But I printed out his photo and put it on the wall in my old kitchen, as a reminder. Here it is:
https://manjamaksimovic.wordpress.com/2014/04/07/home/
Thank you for this theme and everything, always.
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❤
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I plot revolutions in real life…and I love where this has let to.
Things are rarely the same with others too. Different they are and there’s nth wrong with that.
I love this post for lots of reasons, Manja. Keep doing what you’re doing. You’re really good at it.
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Ahh, thank you, Bojana. I just live, and let see how I do it.
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That’s the best (only) way.
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Lovely. Yes, a good life. (K)
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Thank you, K. 🙂 I’m glad it’s visible.
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Such a wonderful story-telling post, Manja! I love these photos and narrative. 🙂
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Thank you so much, Amy. 🙂 It’s quite a story…
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This is great. A bit of history 🙂
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Oh, yes. We all have some. Thanks, Dan.
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Fantastic interpretation of the theme and testament to the deep thinker with a fun, dry wit that you are! Why Stockholm and Cornwall?
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Hehe, a couple of long stories, Amanda. Get over here and I’ll tell you all about it. 🙂 Thanks so much!
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I am planning for 2022, Manja. I can’t see me getting there before that – although you never know.
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I like all these 2’s in the number. Sounds promising. 🙂
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I know, right? I thought the same. A promising year.
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I remember the green hair, but maybe I just remember a discussion about it, rather than being there with you. Manja you are the one who brought us together. I didn’t really know you or your blog and you kept commenting and being funny and interesting and optimistic. I finally couldn’t resist and went to go see what you were all about. Thank you for kidnapping me. 😉 It’s fun to watch you think back on your life in this post.
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😀 ❤ Thank you, Crystal, for saying all this. Funny and interesting and optimistic is exactly how I felt about you, that's why I didn't leave you alone. See, like attracts like! (Or so you say. These are great words, that's for that!!)
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