small daily habits

Hello!

Some of y'all know that this year will be a big travel year for me, mostly back-loaded to the second half of 2024. 

• Oregon for the first time, Seattle and a nearby island for a wedding. 
• Then we've got all first-time visits to London, Amsterdam, and Brussels...
• ...and last but not least, Paris for the Olympics!
• Plus some smaller visits to see friends or attend weddings later in the year :)

Before I embark of these whirlwind adventures starting in July, I want to appreciate the beauty of some little things I do every day. These are habits I keep or luxuries I have in my current home that I will not necessarily take with me or have consistent time for when I travel.

• looking at the lake! on a walk, from the rooftop, and even from my desk while working!
• taking my laptop to work from my local cafes or outdoor spaces
• listening to the combination of city sounds and nature sounds around me
• calling or texting friends and family, telling them I love them
• walking to a bar, restaurant, shop... walking anywhere nearby and confidently knowing where I'm going
• reading or listening to books
• grocery shopping and cooking for myself
• chatting with the neighbors I've now known for 3 years
• sleeping in my own bed <3 the best feeling

A couple of habits I can take with me anywhere are being kind to strangers and learning people's names. At the beginning of 2024, I avoided difficult numerical New Year's Resolutions. Instead, I wrote a list of themes for 2024, and one is to learn people's names! I'm still not consistent every time, but I'm getting better because I'm becoming more aware of the habit. 

According to the Good Men Project and other research studies, people are more likely to remember how you made them feel if you said their name during your interaction. Of course you don't want to say someone's name in every sentence and make them feel like you're constantly trying to sell them a product or even scold them. 

However, I think it's important to enter into new or habitual interactions with this mindset: 

1. learning and repeating someone's name is a way to recognize their human worth.
2. this may be the only time they hear their name all day (or the only positive time).

Today, this weekend, next week... I hope you learn and say the name of 1 person whose name you didn't know before... whether that is a new person you meet or a local person you see often.

Here are 5 examples of names I've learned of people who I "didn't have to", i.e. people who aren't friends/family/coworkers:

• Mary, the checkout person at my local Walgreens
• Andrew, the coolest mailroom guy you could ever want in your apartment building
• Natalia, a new server at my little neighborhood grill 
• Rock, one of my fave bartenders at a local bar (iykyk)
• Paige, a nurse at a doctor's office I've visited often

Some names I have yet to learn:

• The bus drivers on my common routes
• The receptionists at my PT clinic
• The barista/owner at the coffee shop closest to my house
• The baggers at Trader Joe's
• The cashiers at the driving range

Thank you, [insert your name], for spending 5 minutes of your life reading some of my thoughts. Next time, you'll get to see gorgeous travel pics and maybe even gain some inspiration for your next adventure!

Happy day, happy weekend, and HAPPY SUMMER! 

Now it's time for me to get outside.

(seasonal views from home)

    

   

<3 <3 <3 <3