There She Goes: Stroud to the Seaside
Hello From England!
Another brilliant week in England in the books and my partner and I both also had our birthdays! I confidently admit that I am a “birthday person”… but not in the way that phrase is typically used — I love celebrating birthdays because they are an opportunity to reflect on the past year(s) and celebrate the whys, hows, and whos that made the trip around the sun possible. Friends and family become especially important during this time, because in the end we are a manifestation of the people we surround ourselves with. Thank you to all that have made my years, and especially this past year, possible and special.
I’m really excited to share the love inside this week’s newsletter. The salutations especially resonated with me this week, and hope one or two do for you too!
Songs To Stitch To, Sing To, Get You Through The Week
Mango lassi, part of a vegan feast!
See “Good Eats”
Everybody — Sarah Keden
What Can We Do — Hi-Lo Jack, DAP The Contract, Lawrence, Stolen Jars
Vacation Home — Whitehall
Set Aside Some Time This Week For Some Self-Care
I. Read about a subject you know little to nothing about. Traveling Europe has opened my eyes to how many intricate details make up culture, politics, history, and the outlook for our future. At times I think we are so zoned-in to our specialties that we don’t have the time or the confidence to step outside of our comfort zone and learn about something new. This week, try an article about an area of business you know nothing about, or about stories about outdoor adventuring, or news about what’s happening in space. It’s healthy to stretch our minds and open our eyes a bit!
II. Do a foot soak. If summertime does to your feet what it does to mine, some time in the tub could do magical things. Sure, you can always get a pedicure, but there is something even more relaxing about being in your own home. Fill up the tub (or even use a bucket in the living room 😜) toss in some Epsom salts and aromatherapy oils, and take yourself on a little retreat!
III. Watch some clouds move and change. I don’t know what it is about the southern coast of England, but I feel like the clouds here are crazy. I’ve spent more time than usual marveling at the sky and it’s felt quite therapeutic. This week (if you get a cloudy or even stormy day) take some time to quietly observe the clouds and see what happens.
Uplifting Things Happening Around The World
Wales has a monumental plan to plant one trillion trees in order to start “soaking up” carbon dioxide. Research suggests that once the trees are mature, they will be able to uptake 1/3 of the carbon dioxide since the start of the Industrial Revolution!
Australia is going to start tightening up regulations, to close loopholes in banned ivory trade. Currently, there is not regulation for domestic ivory sales in Australia, which has allowed people to sell them, as well as rhino horns, and call them antiques.
Bee population is soaring in Berlin! Did you know that Berlin has 30+ “swarm-catchers” that are at the ready to collect honeybees at a moments notice? Apparently beekeeping has become quite the hip hobby and the city has 20 registered hives/square mile.
Soulful Salutations
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you” — Anne Lamott
“Vulnerability is our more accurate measurement of courage” — Brené Brown
“If you’re going through a struggle right now just realize that your problems are nowhere near as big as your potential” — Joel Brown
There She Goes
I am sending this from London but this week we’ve done quite a bit of bopping around England — Cheltenham to Leominster, to Stroud, to Brighton, and finally London. I couldn’t have done all of this traveling and long days without our fantastic hosts in Cheltenham and without my partner, who makes sure to always have water and patience at the ready. Patience is key while traveling, as trains can be cancelled, delayed, and full (we experienced all three in a day) and sometimes the day doesn’t flow the way it was supposed to whatsoever. We’ve found great power in being flexible and finding notes of “good” wherever and however we go.
This is a Shepherd’s Hut!
Sights that have made me say “WOW”
I. A backyard filled with “Shepherd’s huts”. About a month ago, I discovered the “Unique stays” filter on Airbnb and I don’t know if I’ll ever go back to ordinary. For my partner’s birthday, I booked us a shepherd’s hut in Stroud. We were surprised to find that the place we were staying was basically a small camp of shepherd’s huts! Though this would have seemed disappointing it was actually perfect— all the huts were unique and cute, and we still had privacy to feel like we were on our own little retreat.
II. The crazy weather of Stroud! On my partner’s birthday, we walked about 20 minutes to a dinner spot and during that time we experienced a crazy windstorm, rain, and then brilliant blue skies. It was such a whirlwind and felt like very “classic” English countryside.
III. The English Channel. In Brighton we stayed quite close to the sea, and it was such a treat to walk beside it in the morning and evening. We enjoyed imagining how much history had occurred right in that very spot and how many great people had passed through. I had also forgotten until we arrived that there about the wind farm, which was also very impressive to see!
Vegetarian sharing platter in Stroud, England
Good Eats
I. Indian vegan feast. We went to Leominster (super close to Wales) last week to visit the home of one of our hosts. His mother had a house and garden like Mrs. Weasley and I swear she was doing witchcraft in the kitchen because the meal she cooked up was out of this world. She created a 4 course Indian vegan meal, including papadum to start and a mango lassi to finish. Yes, the food was unbelievable, but it was the company and the hospitality that took the experience over the top!
II. Vegetarian sharing platter at Corner House. Guys if you ever go to Stroud in England (which you should!) GO HERE! There is something lovely about the light that streams in, and the way that they greet and seat their guests— first asking if they’d like to take a drink at the bar before sitting down. As people who don’t often dine out, we like to take our dinners out really slow and relish each moment. The vegetarian platter (pictured above) was the perfect light dinner for the two of us.
III. Cream tea in an English Manor. This was one of our most quintessential English moments thus far. My friend brought us to Cowley Manor, where we walked the gardens, retreated to the lounge during the rain, and took tea and scones. We shared a delicious pot of tea inside the majestic manor and watched the rain fall outside the big glass doors.
Have a stellar week everyone!
Be well,
Sheila