Hi my sunshiney crew!

Reporting to you live from NYC where it is FAR from sunshiney outside, but I did spend my weekend in the sunshine state!

I was in Florida for a friend’s bachelorette party, but spontaneously spent one night by myself before gathering with the ladies. I realized I’d need to go to bed early due to jet lag while the rest of the gals would be arriving and staying up late, and gosh, was that one night alone important for me. I’ve done a solo trip at least once per year for the past few years and as with every other trip I’ve done alone, the time reminded me how much fun I have with myself and how it feels to follow my curiosity without concern for how somebody else wants to spend their time. The freedom is just so delicious. But a trip isn’t needed to feel it. Going out to dinner or to a museum alone can bring a similar feeling. All of them get at something I deeply believe in that is also so easy to deprioritize: DATE YOURSELF!

A friend of mine recently said to me about traveling alone: “I like it too much.” This same friend also told me just one year ago that she felt extremely uncomfortable when going out to eat alone. This makes me think of how falling in love with dating yourself requires… dating yourself!

On my flight to NY, I did another beautiful Tara Brach meditation that was embedded in this podcast episode on well-being. It had me visualize somebody who loves me looking into my eyes. It invited me to allow the love to flow into me and to surrender any resistance, doubts, or hesitations toward the love. Holy moly was it powerful. The exceptionality of that moment shows how infrequently I pause to really be present with and let the love in. But that kind of love… it’s what we live for, isn’t it? Why do we overlook something so special when it’s sitting right in front of us?

And FWIW, I visualized not only A, but a friend too. Doing this exercise doesn’t require a romantic partner!

Other thoughts/ideas I’m mulling:

• When I get lost in thinking about how I can best live out my purpose, I get quite anxious. Like the more I think about purpose, the further I feel from purposeful. It’s when I stop thinking and start being that I feel most alive and purposeful. But still, I often find myself thinking.

• I don’t think ballet flats ever went out of style, but they’re really having a moment.

Joy spotting: the practice of noticing little moments of joy surrounding us all the time (more)

• The elderly Dutch woman who stopped to tell me about how amazing the plant I was considering was

• the flower display inside Menno Kroon

• Walking home with my new pink flower plant in my arms

• announcing The Path Less Traveled

• Ruby smothering Amanda in kisses and then settling on her lap after meeting her for the first time

• The way A and Amanda joked around with each other over dinner at our dining table

• Turning into the park to see the rainbow of floating tulips on the pond mixed with the vibes of a blue sky day

• The way our new magenta flowers glisten in the sun

• Biking around Oud West bouncing between thrift shops in the warm sunshine under blue skies

• Sitting outside at Ikaria Park with A and Amanda in the warmth and sunshine

• The red pepper feta dip and tzatziki from Ikaria Park

• Showing Amanda our old street

• The man who told the security person “eet smakelijk” (Dutch for “bon appetit”) when his food was confiscated from his carry-on bag at the airport

• the little note and sweets from chay waiting in my hotel room

• Spotting “where the sidewalk ends” on the bookshelf when arriving in my room

• The Joe’s stone crab maitre’Ds pleasantly surprised reaction when I asked for a table for 1

• When the joes stone crab waiter asked to take my photo

• The feeling triggered by a morning guided walking meditation on gratitude on the beach

• The abandoned assortment of a children’s shovel and buckets on the beach

• My large fruit parfait bowl from Pura Vida

• Confirmation that Pura Vida could swap salmon for chicken in the chicken Caesar wrap

• Making it back to the hotel just in time for my scheduled uber

• Belly laughing all weekend with layn’s girls

• Dancing on an elevated surface at Bounce

• La coming over to spoon layn

• Shellie, Cata, and Nik checking in constantly to make sure I was happy with my nonalcoholic options

• Dancing and singing on the boat with my girls

• Layn’s reaction when she put together that the lyrics of the song playing were all about her

• Screaming and jumping into the ocean

• Looking around at the 19 women eating pasta in the living room and marveling at how semi-strangers could mesh so well in just a couple days

• video clips of Jared answering questions

• Layn’s reaction when she learned she had been pranked all weekend

• The lemon cake

• Telling Alanna and Lindsay about Amsterdam

• finding Mom’s dress :)

• Mom smiling for a photo in her dress

• the saleswoman telling us about her and her daughter’s life

• eating froyo with Mom at forty carrots

More on the podcast coming this week. I’m so excited to share it with you!!!

Until then, sending you a big, warm virtual hug. May we all allow for space to notice and be with the small things that bring us joy this week.

Love,

Syd

P.S. If this joy list impacted you in any way, please respond to this email! It fills me with so much joy when you reach out.