Hello, hello! Last week I was in the San Francisco area (for my family’s first home exchange experience) enjoying every bit of its majestic beauty. It made me think of things that demand our attention. I found myself being very present when I was out in Northern California… all of us being pulled away from our devices and not wanting to miss a single piece of it. Being present around untouched nature is not hard to do, but when I’m back in a busy city like New York I feel like I’m making a point not to be staring down at a phone. Should I move to the side for the person too busy texting so they continue not watching their step? Sometimes I’m tempted to just stop in front of a person.
Do you guys find yourself tapping into thoughtless awareness?
I find it difficult to not give my attention to the now, including the details. I know that reflects in my taste and how that is guided by how my body responds to things. Recently, I’ve been noticing how flavors nourish my body. For instance, I found that lots of sugary things keep me in a place where I don’t feel as motivated or dedicated to something, and it’s a difficult habit to break. It’s like a lazy comfort for me. Earthier flavors really heighten my focus, and sour refreshes me. Or for instance… if I have dried fruit I balance the very sweet flavor with a dense nut, or else my thought goes on auto-pilot and I start to get mindless. I’ve also found that I’ve developed a heightened sensor for specific additives, in turn giving my body the chance to communicate clearly. I’m curious to know… what are some things you’ve recently discovered about yourself?
Right now it’s snowing, and this post is going back to the very end of summer in Florida.
1) I packed fresh figs, a salad and smoked salmon for the airplane ride… ended up having it as brunch because of a delay; 2) Beach front apartment in South Beach; 3) Driving over McArthur Causeway at sunset; 4) Having traditional Cuban desserts in the heart of Little Havana; 5) Bird watching in my parents’ back yard; 6) Dinner consisted of summer fruits for one last hurrah!
My parents befriended one of our future home exchangers from Bordeaux, and they’ve been having dinner parties together…
So while I was there we thought it would be nice to invite them over for dinner.
