My Turquoise Bag

A few months ago, when the previous season was changing, I had exciting intentions to write about my travel highlights of Ireland.

As I write this today, with just a few days left in 2023, my Ireland posts remain in drafts, not nearly ready to be published yet.

Life…got busy.

A series of life changes and events started to pile up all at once this Fall and Winter, and it hasn’t permitted me the time or opportunity for the creative focus I was hoping to achieve this season.

And that’s okay.

The Ireland posts will come.

The slowness will return.

The creativity will flow.

The mind and soul will be nourished.

The heart will feel inspired.

The dreaming will continue.

Until then, I want to thank 2023.

It has been a banner year of big successes, and a lot of internal growth amidst the not-so-great moments.

I am grateful for these triumphs:

• Dreams coming true.
• Travelling, and the invigorating feeling of freedom.
• Health and recovery of my family.
• Friendships and relationships that uplift me.
• Seven years in our cozy little apartment.
• Seven years in our charming little neighbourhood.
• Continued practice of self-awareness, self-discovery and self-soothingness.

I am grateful for these lessons:

• Proudly figuring out how to navigate new challenges without any prior knowledge or experience.
• Learning to accept change, even if I am not ready for it.
• Acknowledging that difficulty and joy can coexist at the same time.
• Having faith that if things turned out well before, they will turn out well again.
• Having faith in myself.

As today’s end-of-December overcast skies deepen into a navy rainfall, one less day in the 2023 calendar is marked.

I feel hopeful to see what the new year brings us.

I hope that, above all, it brings you health, peace and an appreciation for new beginnings that blossom outside our comfort zone.

Happy 2024, dear readers.

xo ✨