Go explore
It's fun to get out and explore your city, town, or suburb when you have the chance.
Taking the time to wander around can lead to surprising finds, fun experiences and the best conversations.
I love how synchnoicity works too. You’ll love this story. So last year I was in town with a friend visiting a cute Japanese store called Simply Native. They sell the most divine incense, that’s why we went. A day trip of sorts. After I got home, I enjoyed the incense so much that I signed up for their newsletter.
Last week their newsletter drops into my inbox. AND GUESS WHAT!!! They are holding an Incense Making workshop and I’m free that day!!! Hurray, whoop whoop, happy dance in my kitchen. So I enrolled with said friend (who also LOVES incense) and it was today.
This morning I fired up the Mini and collected her; we have a deal where I drive to town for our city adventures, she does the long haul (think Blue Mountains, Sawtell …. I’m talking hours of driving) so clearly I got the best deal or she hates my driving… anyhoo… I collect her, drive into the city, find a rockstar park and now to find the best coffee.
I spot a lady walking with her dog, obviously a local, so I ask ‘please can you tell us where the best coffee is’. Without a pause she says ‘Paramount, just around that corner’. So off we go, bags, brolly… because right now Sydney’s weather is a lucky dip. We walk around the said corner and before us pops out the BEST cafe! It’s packed, and its Sydney on a long weekend so it must be good.
Anyway, that’s where the adventure starts. With terribly good coffee.
After great coffee, we go to the cutest little shop called Simply Native and learn how to make incense, with 4 lovely people (two meh). Its upstairs in a cute little loft, set out so elegantly.
After becoming expert incense makers haha, we go exploring. We stumble upon the cutest fabric store, like the ones our Nana’s used to shop at. Row’s and row’s of the most heavenly fabric, spots, stripes, florals, velvets and buttons for days. In the next shop along is the most divine furniture store, in we go. Oh my! Its full of the softest furnishings, most heavenly pashminas, rugs that would feel like butter under ones toes. I look into the back of the shop and tucked onto the side of the shop are handmade light quilts from India, with the sweetest little love hearts sewn in, beautiful stitching and its a yes from me.
As we pay, we get chatting to the owner who is closing down and going to study to become a Counsellor. How unreal is that, after decades owning this beautiful shop, he’s off to change careers and become a helper. This opened the door and we stepped through to talk about all things Yoga, India, Meditation, Guru’s, Teachers… we laughed and kissed and hugged and set up a ‘in the air’ possibility of a dinner once he’s qualified.
Anyway, this piece here is to encourage you to go and explore. Get out of your routine and into some refreshing environments. Talk to people, yes they might be slow to go, but hey risk it and start a conversation. Why not.
Oh and to finish this off in the best way possible, he, at the end of our chat said that he wanted to make life beautiful.
Tell me, isn’t that a wonderful thing.
