When your heart falls for a traveller (Update #1)

(This is a little late for June, but still relevant).

I've written an introduction to the Life Update posts, for those who may be interested to know why I'm writing more personal content.

June 2021

How to start an update on my life? Where do I even begin?

Let's start with where my focus is currently at: leaving Australia.

Reuniting with my (long-distance) partner

I briefly mentioned meeting my partner in the Wheel of Life blog post in 2019.

It's been a roller-coaster ride since then for our relationship. Long story short: being Canadian and only being in Australia on the work/holiday visa he went back to Canada when Covid started getting serious in Australia.

I've never thought I'd be part of a long distance relationship, especially not during a pandemic where international borders are closed off to non-essential travel. Well, it's getting 'essential' for us two; it's been a long 15 months of being apart...

Everything is up in the air (except, as it seems, international flights). One moment we seem to have a solid direction, then a new piece of information almost wipes out all the effort we've put into our plans. It's draining at times, and I've had many tearful moments when I wish we can just be in the same physical space again, but what can one do? Take each step as it comes.

So right now we are looking at getting me over to Canada with a travel exemption: a) to leave Australia- on the basis of being away for 3 months or longer and b) to enter Canada- on the basis of reuniting with 'family' to people who are Canadian citizens (yes, this also means people who have been dating exclusively for at least a year)

If you'd like to know if you can enter Canada, here is a great resource: https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/wizard-start

We plan to be with each other by the end of August 2021. Sometimes this seems tangible, other times I feel so anxious that it'll be closer to 2 years of being apart before we see each other again...

when your heart falls for a traveller...

Tuning back into nature's rhythms

Another big event in my life, is that I've (temporarily) moved back to a valley I used to live in back in 2019. In fact, it's the place my partner and I met. There are many reasons why I decided to do this, one of them is that the land was calling me.

Something about the people in the town (a small population of about 100 people), the rolling hills of the valley, the fresh and clean air, the silence from a lot of manmade noise, and living in close proximity with people who have similar values kept tugging at my heart.

Being back in this valley has meant being more in touched with nature's rhythms. Even though I'd been living with my parents during the stress of Covid, and they live on a farm (where you are also quite intimate with nature's rhythms), I still found it a challenge to prioritise healthier life practices. Things like going to bed soon after the sun has gone down, and getting up either before or as it's rising. Or eating organic food. Or spending less time on digital technology, and instead doing things like going for a walk or reading a hardcopy book or practicing a musical instrument- or just using digital tech in mindful and intentional ways.

I'm still driving in and out on a weekly basis because I'm finishing up with my job that's 2 hours away, but I hope to be here full time soon.

Process of healing my hormones/connecting with menstrual cycle

- This month's period was painful (cramps rating of 7/10), tiring, emotional, lots of irritation

- I'd like to try getting back on to supplements until the levels of these in my body are back to normal ie Magnesium, Iron, Vit D.

- I'm interested in looking more into gut health & relation to hormones

- Exploring simplifying my diet: no to minimal refined and processed food and sweeteners

Where am I at with social media?

I've permanently deleted the Instagram account I've been using actively. I've also dine this to my Facebook page. I'm in the process of minimising my YouTube usage (it's minimal at the moment), but I do still watch YT videos from specific people, who I just check on YouTube to see if they've posted a new video. I still have Pinterest, which at this point I'm not sure I will delete since I do find it useful as a tool.

Books and Podcasts I've been enjoying

- Sacred Economics by Charles Eisenstein

- Food Sovereignty with Farmer and Author, Tammi Jonas (Low Tox Life Podcast)

- Being Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh

Documentaries I'd love to watch

- Rotten (Netflix)

- Kiss the Ground (Netflix)

Practices I'm resonating with recently

- breathing deeply and mindfully

- "breathing in gifts from green plants" practice from Tarchin Hearn

- moving my body on a daily basis

- single tasking

- going to bed around 8/9pm and waking up around 6/7am (during winter)

- feeling the call to get back on to the yoga mat

- gratitude before meals