There is an image of a woman who has been so deeply etched into my being, she can be found in my own features and mannerisms. She is the root of my essence and has shaped the core of who I am. She is so much a part of me that despite not setting eyes on her for three years, I can see her in everything.
She is my mother.
Hello? Oh haaaaiiii 👋🏻 just going to dust this off and we’re ready to go!
Jokes aside, it’s nice to be back after a brief (albeit, unintended) hiatus. I had a feeling a quick break may come around the convergence of a few major work projects, but I had plans to make up for that. Such plans… Then life forced my hand a little bit (pun intended – keep reading for the punchline).
As I mentioned earlier this week, the last few weeks have been hectic in all aspects of my life. But they have also delivered up some truly beautiful moments. I received some great feedback on Wednesday’s post and want you to know that I really appreciate your continued support! You guys are. the. beeesssssst. Thank you 🙌🏻
This got a little derailed (lolz at June amiright?) but it did have it’s moments. From patio visits to videos that bring the feels, here’s what I’ve been grateful for lately:
Kickin’ it old school…
Because sometimes we need to quick little break and unplug. I Recommend hangs with your people a visit to your happy place – you just never know when and where inspiration might strike.
Oh haiiii. How are you? It seems like we’ve only been meeting sporadically – probably because we have.
Raise your hand if May went by in a blur of deadlines, hustling and trying to take care of all the things 🙋🏼 I hear you. Last week I was feeling particularly overwhelmed by my to-do list. Then I quickly realized I’m not the only one. It seems like this time of year is always a little hectic. Perhaps it’s because everyone is hustling in all things to get ready for summertime when “the livings easy.” Whatever the reason, over the past few weeks this little space began feeling more like an obligation than something I look forward to building.
Last week we talked about the ripple effect one small, positive chance can have on your life (missed that post? Check it out here). Even when great things come our way, sometimes we can get into a bit of a funk. I’m not sure if it was all of the rain we’d been having, the slow thaw of Spring or the fact that apparently Mercury was in retrograde (??? who else has a coworker that tracks this? 🙋🏼) but the last few weeks there were days when it felt like the whole city was in a bit of a funk. Thankfully I have a few standby’s that I like to keep on hand for those mid-day slumps when you just can’t even:
These signs of Spring around Toronto are reminding me of all the Cherry Blossoms 📸 from Japan.
Trying something new with a Saturday post – I hope you’re reading this with a coffee in hand, ready to take it easy.
In the words of the man who writes the songs, “looks like we made it!” No? You guys, I’m talking about Barry Manilow. Seriously… love him… blame years of dance. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen a dance routine in every style done to Copacabana.
Anyyyyyyways…. looking back on this week one word really comes to mind: laughter.
How many times have you opened your computer only to find five different tabs open with article headlines like, “Five Simple Ways to Get What You Want” or “Do These Two Moves and Eat These Three Things to Look Like [insert celebrity here]”?
It’s okay, this is a safe space. It happens. Plus I’m fairly certain I’ve never not opened an article that says “Here’s What Happened When I did X or cut out Y for 30 days” (I mean, I must know what happened!). I think what I love about those 30 day articles is seeing the impact that one simple action can make.
During a recent conversation with my fabulous professional development girl squad I begun to reflect on how easy it is to get stuck in an unending list of things you “need” to do and “want” to do, while never making the time to actually do them. Take a class. Get a new job. Go to the gym. Call your family more. The list goes on and on and on. Over time inertia takes hold and it becomes easier to not do anything than to try and tackle the things you desperately want to do, when you also have never ending list of things you need to do.
This is exactly where I was last summer.
It seems like the Tokyo/Kyoto combination is a fairly common one for people visiting Japan that are short on time. Thus, we had a ton of recommendations for Kyoto and it was on everyone’s “must see” list. This former capital city is known for many things – kaiseki dining, rich gardens and of course, geishas.
Just a snippet of this massive and wonderful city.
Okay first things first – I cannot believe we didn’t watch Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift before coming to Japan… Oh well, movie viewing for when we’re fighting off the jet lag at home 🏎
As I mentioned here, Paul and I tackled Tokyo by neighbourhood so I decided to share some stories and snaps to this amazing city by ‘hood as well.
