My Joy List
May 29th - June 3rd: Parisian balconies (and food), fragrant flowers, and where did my fun pants go?
You’re reading a newsletter from Syd, an NYC-born gal who quit her “golden handcuffs” job and moved to Amsterdam to follow her heart’s calls for a path less traveled. Here, I share the challenges and wins of my own journey from people pleasing & perfectionism to authenticity, balance, joy, & freedom. Beyond this page, I coach fellow high achievers along their own journey. I also share their stories in a podcast, The Path Less Traveled. You may find comfort, empowerment, inspiration, and/or community. Welcome 🫶🏻
Hi sunshiney ones!!
I feel a calling to have some more fun right now. I just haven’t been letting life be very fun lately. There’s a heaviness to things, even when they look and sound fun and light. I’m doing a lot of thinking. I’m having a harder time being mindful and present, though I’m happy to share I’ve been following through on the renewed mindfulness commitment I mentioned last week. Giving myself permission to meditate for any amount of time, even just one minute, is helping me get there.
Here’s what I’m asking myself and what I talked about with my girlfriend, Dani, on the phone last night: what have I done lately for the pure fun of it, and not because of the outcome?
Like, silly, creative, and ALIVE!?! You know that feeling… when your curiosity gets piqued by an idea and you’re dancing on the edge between following it or not, and when you fall over the edge, you feel so giddy and free for trusting yourself and doing that silly thing?
I feel like I just made fun feel… heavy. OYYYY! There she goes again.
Ok. Let’s lighten it up with these unreal, insanely romantic balconies that made me squeal on a spontaneous train trip to Paris this past weekend:
On a separate note, I’m thinking a lot about my body these days, and in many ways I thought I had permanently left behind me. I’m writing a bit about this experience to explore and process it. Maybe I’ll share that with you.
But in the meantime, I listened to this episode of Tara Brach’s podcast about the importance yet rarity of embodiment in our culture. I found it to be quite a helpful reminder about how easy it is to disassociate from our bodies, but how much wisdom they hold when we listen. How mindfulness and connection to our aliveness starts with feeling. I recommend the episode, along with the other episodes in her ongoing “Introduction to Mindfulness” series shared via her podcast. Listening to her voice alone is like a meditation. I could listen forever :’)
Okkkkkkay let’s get into the list! Paris recommendations incoming… Happy joy spotting :)
Joy spotting: the practice of noticing little moments of joy surrounding us all the time (more)
Rubs walking around in her little yellow raincoat
Saying yes to a spontaneous journey to Paris
the elderly woman who curled up on her husband’s shoulder for a nap across the table from us on the train to Paris
Coming home from the tennis match to find Rubs chilling in her crate
A morning croissant, pain au chocolat, and pain aux raisin from Maison d’Isabelle
Rubs’ little head popping out of her backpack at brunch at Saint Pearl
The beautiful, colorful jewelry at Marie Helene de Taillac
the sales person’s out-of-the-blue offer to clean my very dirty ring
Sitting with Rubs in my lap in the warm sun over an afternoon drink with A
Grabbing two cups of Amarino Gelato while walking Rubs with A after dinner
The vine-covered Parisian balconies against the cream colored stone building
The way Rubs walked all the way around the block so easefully
The boisterous laughter of the two women across from us when they thought a second set of people were trying to lay claim to their seats
The rapid transformation of the seemingly soon-to-be bloomed lilac hydrangea bush on the street
The unexpected calmness and quietness of the market
The HUGE light pink hydrangeas at the market
Seeing the nut man on our walk and joking with him about my pronunciation of “ongezwaveld”…
… and the bush with 4 lady bugs we past while still riding the joy of the nut man interaction
Seeing Panos’ message saying he’s in Amsterdam for a few days
The perfect assortment and layout of items on my to-go falafel plate from Esh
The still-hot, fluffy pita upon sitting at our dining table to eat our Esh
The creaminess of the Esh labneh
When ruby started eating breakfast from her bowl
The smell of the white flowers on the vine around a door on my morning walk to get a Matcha
The pink purple and green plants flowing off the balcony
The lusciousness, abundance, and colors of the roses in the rose garden
The intense fragrance of the purplish pink roses
The two ladybugs on the bush where I saw them mating last spring
Walking by joep’s studio/store and seeing his colorful work in progress painting in the window
A’s relaxed energy when he turned the corner to the couches at Double Shift
Talking with Panos about our connection to our bodies and the effectiveness of Pilates
A parting hug from Panos
Smelling the light pink blooming peony’s every time I walk past them in the living room
The way rubs looked at me when she was too tired to get out of her backpack
The way the new red flower pot fit perfectly in our empty orange vase
Ruby’s excited greeting when I met up with her and A on their walk after my gym sesh
Ruby’s kisses during my bicycles in the middle of a Melissa Wood Health flow in the living room
The white flowers on the fence leading to the park
Turning around to find Rubs hanging on the couch by herself
The way rubs has her paw on my leg while she gnaws on her cheese stick
That’s all. Thank you for being here again this week. You rock. Wishing you many more little moments of joy sprinkled throughout your week <3
Love,
Syd