i feel very lucky to have had the chance to reflect on today’s topic a lot lately. i’ve been traveling for the past few months and something i realized is that we take experiencing ‘firsts’ for granted these days.
if we reflect on just being somewhere and seeing something for the first time, this is a beautiful concept. it’s a state of being. we know we will be exploring something new, despite whatever preconceived notions we have in our head about what it looks like. doing something or going somewhere for the first time will be a visceral experience.
this can be anything ordinary by the way. you don’t need to be on a trip to think about the importance of harnessing this. this can apply to parks, restaurants, movies, music. it’s about the concept of fully allowing yourself to acknowledge that you’re experiencing something new.
we take in so much information, so much content every day. think about how beautiful it is to truly just experience something on a blank slate. i want to talk about why you should give yourself that opportunity, and how.
i’ve had to take space from my phone lately for that fact. i’ve realized there is a balance to preparing myself for opportunities and experiencing them.
i like to use my phone for logistics, as a way to make new experiences happen for myself. whether that’s making a reservation, booking transportation or accommodation. i’m not saying don’t look up pictures of the places you’re going online beforehand, definitely do your research and whatever you need for that.
i am saying try not to fully immerse yourself in your upcoming experiences beforehand too much. leave space to soak in the feeling of newness in the moment completely.
i’ve found that i’ve been thinking things to myself lately like “wow you’re going to a new place you’ve never been before. you’re going to get to experience it for the first time. don’t forget that, be mindful of it as you observe your surroundings and think about how you feel”.
just saying that shifts the perspective of how you can ground yourself and be present. ultimately that is what all of this is about. take a deep breath and think about what you’re seeing and feeling.
you might not be traveling anytime soon, so try it the next time you visit a new restaurant or watch a new movie. find beauty in the concept of things being created for us to experience.
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i was in madeira for the past month, in may. an incredible place with incredible people. i had a friend come and visit me and i found myself unable to send her pictures of the place before she came. i just kept thinking back to the idea that i wanted her to be able to experience it’s beauty with fresh eyes and a fresh mind.
i have a hard time sharing pictures of my time there with friends because i was so in the moment and happy that trying to show pictures of it doesn’t seem like it would do justice to anything.
my point is. do whatever you want- try to acknowledge the small things though. even if you don’t like what you’re experiencing for the first time (ie. you were really excited for this restaurant and the food sucks), ground yourself to the moment. the newness.
☕️ breakfast
toast with eggs & potatoes
get a bunch of small potatoes and cube them into small pieces. roast a whole tray of them for easy prep to portion off and re-heat in a pan during the week
🥗 lunches
a protein-packed quick lunch
i would switch out the beef for ground turkey or crumbled tofu
🍲 dinners
🫐 snacks
if you want to keep in touch with me you can find me on pinterest & spotify.
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how to roughly organize your life → routines, budgets, careers, space, priorities
productivity → how to reframe a ‘bad’ day, planning vs action, how to focus, how to set yourself up for success the night before
recipes & food → afterglow eats, my favourite taco salad bowl, avo sunny-side up eggs on green