Being You
On Thursday I head back home to Sicily. I have about ten more days of living out of my carry-on suitcase before I can settle into a new apartment. It's been two months of living on the road — a beautiful adventure of exploring my adoptive country (Italy) and reconnecting with people and places I adore at home in America. Being a bit out of my comfort zone has helped me step into further awareness about what it really means to show up as me. Here are five little thoughts that I probably know intuitively, but were reinforced in the last months.
1. I love quiet mornings. I like to use this time to do silent work (emails, organizing, cleaning, writing) and have my afternoons for more collaborative processes like client calls or group meetings. I love the ritual of coffee and breakfast and when I have a slow morning, I usually have a better day.
2. I can't eat donuts every day. I want to. But I don't feel good if I do. Sad fact of life.
3. I really enjoy meeting new people in an intimate setting. I struggle if I have to "mingle" in a large crowd and really prefer to have one-on-one conversations. My trip to Rome and Naples was full of reconnecting and new connections with amazing people. I tell myself this story that I'm kind of shy and don't like meeting people, but I think I prefer to say that I don't love large gatherings and I adore meeting people who are kind, open, and interesting.
4. I love sunlight. And I don't just mean lying in the sand like a lizard. I love that too. But the sun up and sun down cycle really does wonders on my daily life rhythm. I feel like I get a whole extra day in with these long summer evenings.
5. Tuesdays are the best. But I really miss having until 3:00 pm in Italy to write my love letters, instead of scrambling early morning on Tuesday to write them by 9:00 am.
And because I love you all, bonus number 6. I never wear all the clothes I pack. I can make do with less.
Since summer is a time for travel and vacation, it's also a good time to reflect on what works in our daily routines, especially when we are not in them. Sometimes getting out of habit and giving distance to what we NORMALLY do, helps serve us in seeing what works and what could work better.
What has taken you out of your "normal"?
What are you noticing that is working well when you aren't in your routine?
What is missing?
How will you use your insight to put together an "even better" daily life?
My thoughts on a Tuesday, but would love to hear yours!
Sending you all the magic, wonder, and sunshine in these summer days!
Henna
PS: Screenshot of me on Zoom waiting for a client. I'm sitting on the floor in my mom's guest bedroom. I so debated on putting on something more professional than that sweatshirt and throwing up a fake background, but the truth is, this is me. So I didn't :)