The Magic Light of Friends

There is nothing really new about what I am writing about today. So if you want to click away and get back to playing Candy Crush I totally get it. But what I have to say is hopefully a wonderful reminder how great life can be and sometimes don’t we all need a little reminder?

Friends ~ They are our hand-picked, personally chosen by us family members.

From that very first day in kindergarten when I joyfully skipped home after school and said to my mother with a gleaming, elated face, “I have made a friend” to this moment right now, I have never lost sight how incredibly necessary and wonderful friendships can be.

Life LessonsChristina FordNovember 5, 2019Sia, Diplo, Labrinth, Stranger Things, The Upside Down, Haagan Dazs, Oprah Comments

A BROAD IN LONDON'S ESSENTIAL TRAVEL TIPS FOR WOMEN TRAVELLING SOLO

He (or in this case she) who is outside their door has the hardiest part of the journey behind them. Dutch Proverb

According to a recent study women travelling alone are currently making the biggest changes to the global tourism industry. With a 131% increase over the last two years of women spreading their travel wings and flying solo.

And I can tell you why…

Travelling alone gives you a perfect time to reflect and really learn something about yourself.

You do what you want, when you want and what interests you. You gain a much needed appreciation and perspective on life, something no on else can give you. By climbing out of your comfort zone, by travelling alone it is truly where I have experienced the most amazing personal growth.

I’ve been spending some vacation time with my grownup-ish children this summer. As I’ve been watching them interact with others of their youthful tribe in their exuberant self-centred adolescent bubble it has had me feel…well…nostalgic.

I was a kid of the 70’s and although not a perfect decade….IT WAS PERFECT in its simplicity to be a kid.

Tiny Moments Of Delight ~ It's The Little Things That Spark Joy

My Oprah A-Ha Moment

A short time ago, after a punishing morning workout on the Wheel Of Pain (spin) as part of my personal reward program I wandered into my local neighbourhood bakery (guilt free-ish) to get myself my usual… a café latte and a fresh baked blueberry muffin. I had earned it. That particular morning something unexpected happened. As I let the sweet warm scent of baking bread, rising yeast, cinnamon, vanilla and sugar enveloped me I instantly was transported into a joyous moment of pure, unquestionable happiness. I inhaled deeply as if to hold in the delicious moment of total bliss for as long as I could. Bakery air I thought. Something as simple as bakery air made me happy. I had been in that bakery before, in fact many times but I had not really paid attention, I’d just grabbed my muffin or warm baguette and leave. But that day for some reason…I was aware…I paid attention and was present…and it in the words of Marie Kondo (look her up)….it sparked joy.

The Modern Women's Guide For How To Get Over A Break-Up FAST!

Like Neil Sedaka sang, breaking up is hard to do. Now I know that not all breakups are created equal. There is the amicable “it’s not you it’s me” to the “I curse you and your entire bloodline” but the principles are the same to getting past it and moving on. But even if you knew your conscience uncoupling was inventible, a ticking time bomb it can still hurt like a son of a bitch. It can cause the strongest of us to lose ourselves in a vat of Ben & Jerry’s with vodka chasers all the whilst singing All By Myself into a brush handle. Now in my humble opinion that’s a totally acceptable solution for the short term but trust me sooner than later you will actually need to wash your hair, leave your flat, and get your ass into the land of the living. So what is the fastest way to do that?

Advice To My 20 Year Old Self or Stuff I Wish I Had Known Sooner

Set aside the coffee, this is a job for alcohol. What happened to me??

I mean my dad did warn me, one day you are going to go to bed and when you wake you'll be 50. Maybe I am freaking out as I have a birthday looming. I’m in my 50’s... but I still feel like I’m in my 20’s…until I hang out with 20 years olds…then it is like nope…I am in my 50’s. I mean who the hell is this person staring me down in the mirror…wait is that a chin hair? Shit really???

I can try and see that silver lining and feel grateful that wrinkles don’t hurt (physically) but in the end I am not 20 anymore and not all of that is bad. Just recently I was having that conversation with a friend…the one that asks,

"If you could go back in time what advice would you give your 20 year old self?

The list was interesting. Aside from invest in Apple and buy real estate the conversation was a cathartic one ripe with the wisdom that can only come from a having some mud on the tires. It has been said, life’s tragedy is we get old too soon and wise too late. How very true.

The Music In My Head. The Mixed Tape That I Guarantee Will Make You Feel Happy

BRACE YOURSELF... MY "HAPPY AS SHIT" PLAYLIST WILL CHANGE YOUR DAY

I am going to share with you something that only one other person on the planet knows about me, and because of it he thinks I am a little crazy. Every morning I when I wake up I hear music in my head. No, not voices but actual songs. Actually they are never the whole song but rather a continuous repeat of the chorus generally. Sometimes the song in my head makes sense as I may have heard it somewhere the day before but other times, most times it a random song that comes out of nowhere and will haunt me all day until some other song replaces it. This morning's song was Hell's Bells by ACDC, no idea where that came from...... I think they call that an earworm or brainworm where some involuntary piece of music (usually the same 8 bars) continually repeats in my brain until I go insane....but for me it starts the moment I open my eyes.

Fear. When Are You Suppose To Push Through It OR Heed Its Very Real Warning?

FEAR. That is what I feel every time I ride that first chair lift of a ski trip.

I only learned to ski in my forties so never possessed that fearless, “throw yourself down the hill” childlike freestyle. Skiing was outside my comfort zone and it did not come naturally due my total lack of any inherited athletic ability (or so I tell myself).

Pushing through my fear I learned to ski. It allowed me to experience some incredible parts of the world I would have otherwise missed. All the while creating and redefining my own personal bests. I felt highs that can only come from overcoming fear and emerging out the other side victorious. But fear is multi-purposed. Push through OR beware? As I get older those lines are getting blurred, not nearly as obvious as they used to be. Fear is there to stop you from doing stupid dumbass shit, right?

So How Do You Know What Fear Is Trying To Tell You?

Saying Good-Bye To Elena. The Last Lessons My Mother Taught Me.

It was my birthday. May 15th. The day I came into the world...and it was the same day my mother left it. My mom had been diagnosed 3 1/2 years ago with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. She cheated cancer once before, ovarian. I was 10. No reason to believe that she couldn't do that again. Or at least I thought.

A-BROAD IN LONDON

A Survival Guide To Life, Travel & Being Sensationally Single

Friends ~ They are our hand-picked, personally chosen by us family members.

He (or in this case she) who is outside their door has the hardiest part of the journey behind them. Dutch Proverb

Travelling alone gives you a perfect time to reflect and really learn something about yourself.

I was a kid of the 70’s and although not a perfect decade….IT WAS PERFECT in its simplicity to be a kid.

My Oprah A-Ha Moment

Set aside the coffee, this is a job for alcohol. What happened to me??

"If you could go back in time what advice would you give your 20 year old self?

BRACE YOURSELF... MY "HAPPY AS SHIT" PLAYLIST WILL CHANGE YOUR DAY

FEAR. That is what I feel every time I ride that first chair lift of a ski trip.

So How Do You Know What Fear Is Trying To Tell You?

A-BROAD IN LONDON

A Survival Guide To Life, Travel & Being Sensationally Single

Friends ~ They are our hand-picked, personally chosen by us family members.

He (or in this case she) who is outside their door has the hardiest part of the journey behind them. Dutch Proverb

Travelling alone gives you a perfect time to reflect and really learn something about yourself.

I was a kid of the 70’s and although not a perfect decade….IT WAS PERFECT in its simplicity to be a kid.

My Oprah A-Ha Moment

Set aside the coffee, this is a job for alcohol. What happened to me??

"If you could go back in time what advice would you give your 20 year old self?

BRACE YOURSELF... MY "HAPPY AS SHIT" PLAYLIST WILL CHANGE YOUR DAY

FEAR. That is what I feel every time I ride that first chair lift of a ski trip.

So How Do You Know What Fear Is Trying To Tell You?

A Broad in London