Hello From England!

Can you believe that the month is coming to a close? I personally love the changing of the months, even more so than the changing of the seasons, because for me they offer a “bookmark” in time to reflect on the past 30 days (ish) and set intentions for the coming ones. Now is an ideal time to consider all the things you’re grateful for — even the simple ones — and manifest some good outcomes for the future.

Right now, I especially need some grounding energy, as the past few days have been a whirlwind — traveling from Chamonix to Paris, and then hopping countries, landing in London and traveling the English countryside! More on that later on. For now, enjoy this week’s uplifting tidbits.

Songs To Stitch To, Sing To, Get You Through The Week

Hot Stuff — Donna Summers

What a Feeling — Irene Cara

Best of My Love — The Emotions

(I got a bit carried away with the late 70s / early 80s this week. Songs aren’t as feel good as they used to be!)

Set Aside Some Time This Week For Some Self-Care

"Self-care for me is always being there for myself and treating myself like I would someone I love" — Amy Kurtz. Here are a few ways to be your own BFF:

I. Write down nourishing things you can do anywhere, any time.

II. Make something homemade that you wouldn’t ordinarily. For example, fruit juice, which I talk about in the “Good Eats” section.

III. Don’t wait for someone else to tell you how good you look — give yourself some compliments! ❤

Uplifting Things Happening Around The World

Commuting via subway can be a mind numbing part of the day, but this is not the experience that NYC subway riders had the other day when Andy Grammer shook up the rush hour and performed an impromptu concert!

You’ll melt when you hear about how a beautiful blind golden retriever is able to “see” again thanks to a new puppy companion.

Gender norms are being challenged in a new way with campaign “Squat for Change”, which aims to inspired the installation of changing stations in men’s restrooms. Now John Legend and Pampers have joined SFC Founder, Donte Palmer, in installing more changing tables in high-need areas across the US and Canada.

Sunday Salutations

“Check on yourself as much as you check Instagram” — Wise Quotes

“If you have to keep older versions of you around just to keep old connections alive, those connections no longer serve you a purpose, except for showing you how much you’ve grown from the people and places that once kept you warm” — Billy Chapata

“Better out than in. Better art than pain” — Eloise Night

There She Goes

Just yesterday my partner and I traveled from Paris to London to the English countryside, and we are thrilled to be experiencing England for the first time! There are many friends to see here, history to explore, and many foods to taste test. I’m truly coming in with no expectations, so I’m excited to see what’s to come. For now, I wanted to share highlights from the past week!

Sights that have made me say “WOW”

I. Paragliders in Chamonix. Paragliding is a pretty popular sport / excursion in Chamonix and I can see why— the views over the mountains are already incredible from hiking ridges, so I imagine from above and with a bit of adrenaline it’s a pretty unreal experience. I enjoyed simply watching them do it!

II. View of Mont Blanc from the Petit Balcon Sud. On our last full day in Chamonix we tried to squeeze in a hike before the expected thunderstorms and we (rather unplanned) found ourselves on Petit Balcon Sud, which sits on a ridge line between Chamonix and the next town over, Les Houches. The walk offers awe-inspiring views of Mont Blanc and there is something mystical about staring at glaciers and snow in the heat of the day.

III. Watching the Tour de France riders race by! This was a total surprise — we arrived back in Paris on the evening of the 28th, so we thought we wouldn’t have a chance to see all the excitement of the final stage of the Tour. Turns out we had perfect timing and, en route home from the train station, we found an area that wasn’t crazy crowded right as the riders went by!

Destination Fun Facts

I. Chamonix is the site of Western Europe’s tallest mountain (Mont Blanc) which was first summited in 1786. Since that time, it’s grown in popularity and actually gotten a bit dangerous because of that.

II. The first modern Olympic Games were hosted in Chamonix in 1924. This sealed the deal in establishing Chamonix as a “winter Mecca”.

III. Cambridge, and specifically Parker’s Piece, was the site for the first game of football. The rules set on that day in 1848 are quite similar to the ones used today.

Quinoa and black rice pancakes (with baked apples to top) and glacier mountain views.

Good Eats

I. Farm-fresh goat cheese. Our first 24 hours in Chamonix were filled with a wave of serendipity. At an impromptu dinner with some good family friends — who we literally ran into at the grocery store — we learned about a goat farm you can hike to right from town. Since my partner and I only had a loose itinerary (and also because we have a thing for goat cheese) we added this hike to the “definitely” list! It took about an hour and a half to reach the goat farm and, though it was a steeper climb than our hike to Lacs Noir, we enjoyed the fresh air (and shade!) that the forest provided throughout the ascent. All of this to say that we reached the goat farm, wowed at the views, and partook in some pretty wild cheese tasting — herbed, fresh, and aged!

II. Pancakes with a view. If you follow my Instagram or our blog, you will be familiar with the fact that pancakes are a staple of our diet. We love experimenting with different grains and flavors. During this trip we make a very special batch that included quinoa, black rice, and apples. The views made the whole thing a truly memorable food experience.

III. Homemade grapefruit and lemon juice. We knew that we lucked out with our Airbnb in Chamonix because of its proximity to town. What we didn’t know was that the accommodation would also have the perk of a unique kitchen appliance— a citrus juicer! I got pretty into making various concoctions including a grapefruit-lemon blend; a welcomed elixir during the heat wave.

Have a stellar week everyone!

Be well,
Sheila

There She Goes: France to England