I love Amsterdam.
From the first visit I was smitten. My soul had a crush that grew into a full on love affair over the years and visits.
In September I declared "I want to spend October in Amsterdam." A month to romance fully with my soul city. October wasn't meant to be...BUT, December/January is!
Holidays in Europe.
Patience, flow and determination -- CHECK
Once a year my mom comes to visit me which helped with #Adventure52 - Me + Mom + Semiahmoo Resort. Mom's visits are always awesome! Just me....mom...and ALWAYS an adventure! Last year it was Orcas Island. This year, it was Semiahmoo Resort in Blaine, WA. I'd visited in the Spring and when I described the views, the water, the rock-filled beach, and the SPA to my mom she was SOLD.
Adventure Stop 1: Bow-Edison and Scenic Chuckanut Drive
Brunch at Tweets in Bow-Edison. I unexpectedly found this adorable street of food and shopping while trying to get a closer look at a bison farm (I never got that). BUT, the Edison "board walk" was a more than suitable bison substitute and I couldn't wait to show mom around.
Tweets storefront
If you know me you know I often go full speed...non-stop...juggling and trying to “do it all”. That started shifting a few years ago when I worked with life coach Susan Hyatt. She pointed this little detail out to me and asked (begged) me to stop. “Find time to rest and rejuvenate. One day a week.” I called it being GROUNDED. I felt like a 13-year old being forced to stay home from the party. Life's ongoing party in this case. But, slowly (very slowly) it began to take hold. I started enjoying quiet nights or afternoons in. I became grateful for the silence of my apartment and the joyous feeling of being surrounded by my things and more recently cooking fresh and healthy meals for myself. While I was giving in to the idea of rest, the reality of my career kept my mind always “on.” A career in Crisis Management does that. You never know when things will happen. You can't watch the news without thinking of work. “Things” happen 24/7 and you never know when the next one might hit. So while I was beginning to understand rest...my mind never fully gave in. My mobile was always nearby. I quickly read every text or looked at every incoming call. I slept with my mobile, OK 2 mobiles, by my bed every night. I never left the house without one or both of them. I was always connected. I was always on
Dinghy in Pink
It's the first Monday of "Spring Forward" pain. I thought you could use a little "color therapy" to cut through the fog. I've been long overdue for a waterfront adventure so last weekend I was up early and heading to the Seattle Waterfront to jump on the Victoria Clipper. A little over two hours later, I was in Canada and exploring the beauty in Victoria, British Columbia. The weather wasn't the best, with snow flurries and rain leaving me wet and cold from head to toe, but it didn't stop me from getting out with my camera (and my appetite, but that's a whole other story!).