I'm not home. Not yet. I'm still in Edinburgh. Or perhaps, Nakedjen Paradise would be a more apt description. Quite honestly, if there was a definition of heaven in some dictionary that was constructed just for me, this festival would come pretty darn close. If I could somehow have the fair and this festival and have it all in the Maldives?? Well, then, folks, we would have Nakedjen Paradise.
But yeah, I'm in my own state of bliss, right now. When I leave this afternoon I will have seen 20 productions. In just three days. I've been taking copious notes and plan to write a complete review of all the shows that I've seen, but I will tell you this much right now. There's a lot of reallyreallyreally talented people in this world. And each and every one of them has inspired me to be a better me.
I had a lovely very special moment yesterday in the Neal's Yard Remedies store. I've been a fan of Neal's Yard Remedies for over twenty years. Since they were just a small hole in the wall store on Neal's Yard in Covent Garden. Their blue bottles filled with herbal remedies were an inspiration to me. They were the only ones way back then who offered a skin regimen that actually felt good on my ultra-sensitive skin. So yesterday, during a moment between shows, I popped into their store to see what was new and exciting.
I was greeted by a very lovely woman who offered me some tea. An herbal infusion, really. A new venture for them. Of calming herbs. To help soothe the nerves. Called, appropriately enough, Calming Blend. I tasted it and immediately recognized that it was quite similar to my own, Dreamsweet Tranquilitea. But it was missing what I felt were some key ingredients. And didn't taste nearly as yummy. So I asked to see the bag to check.
I mentioned to the woman that I was an herbalist from the states who had my own line of organic medicinal teas. That I had one quite similar to this Calming Blend. Called Tranquilitea. That all my teas ended in "tea". She smiled and then asked if I was "Dreamsweet".
Imagine my delight! She knew. They knew. But the best part? This was the second time this had happened since I had arrived in Edinburgh. I had popped into another local herbal shop on my first day and they, too, were now offering their own line of teas. They had a blend that was for aches and pains. Quite similar to my Mobilitea, but missing what I felt was a key ingredient, as well. And when I questioned them about it, they said they felt that ingredient made the tea too bitter. But I told them you could counteract that bitterness by adding licorice to the mix and the licorice worked to also soothe the joints. Ahh, they said. What a clever idea. And then we went on to talk about my other teas and when I mentioned that I had Fertilitea...well, lightbulbs. "Are you Dreamsweet?"
It's been an inspiration to have these herbalists across the pond know about my teas. Honestly. I feel like I'm on the cusp of something much larger and I just have to figure out exactly what the next step is going to be. Both of these companies already offer full lines of tinctures, supplements and remedies. Dreamsweet could do that, too. Ours could be organic. Which neither of these companies currently offer. And the company with the Aches and Pains tea? They also have a women's clinic attached to their shop. That is focusing primarily on fertility issues. They have two herbalists on board.
I feel as if my future has been shown to me here. I just have to make it happen.
And it's not only in the world of organics and herbs.
I am a playwright. I have been immersed, drowning really, in a world of theatre and creativity. It has been swirling all about me for the last three days. I have sucked it all in through a pipe as wide as my heart could possibly hold and I can't believe how very revitalized and juiced I feel. Ideas seem to be oozing from my very pores. This theatrical community used to be my home. I lived and breathed the theatre as my only source of oxygen. And I hadn't realized how veryveryvery much I had missed it until I put myself back into its beating heart. I don't want to let it go. I need this as much as I need anything else.
I fly home to America tomorrow. I have been gone a month. It feels like I have been gone for so much longer. I have learned so very much about myself. There's a universe of opportunity at my feet.
I just have to take the first step.
All
