Days 4 & 5

It's 40 degrees. It's 9am, I have already shared coffee with the propane guy, made a fire, and caught up with an old friend. The upset feeling from waking up early by Atlas and the propane guy lasted 1.5 seconds once I saw the sun's golden blanket drips the mountains outside my window. I would much rather experience dreaming with my eyes wide open.

These last 2 days have been a long cold breath of laziness and smiles. The rain has soaked the mountainside..so I've been foraging for mushrooms, to which I have found several kinds already. Went into town for yoga, ordered a used book from the little book store up the hill in downtown Sylva, met a cat, danced to 'Smokey Mountain Rain' by Ronnie Milsaps possibly more than once, made stellar vegan 'clam chowder,' and have now acquired so many 'epic' hikes around the area I have a list I am nervous I will never get to actually finish. It's like having eyes bigger than your stomach..or like putting too much of a good thing on your plate at Thanksgiving. Where everything looks absolutely amazing and its all right there in front of you. So you obviously get a little of everything -because there are times in life-where we just can't make a decision.

 Country music with the fire this morning and writing about Thanksgiving has inspired the making of vegan biscuits and 'sausage gravy.' Post morning hike reward ♡ Couldn't be happier.

                                                                      Life is what you make it and "You are what you believe yourself to be," Paulo Coelho 

(& tattooed on my right arm). 

Cheers to week 1 in the magical smokies xx

when your dreams spill out onto your morning..xo

dreaming still, Day 3

 day 3

Atlas wakes me up early.  8 am early.  But who can be mad at an immensely happy dog- definitely not me. The mountains have a chill in the air as we hike this morning, and the weather forecast says thunderstorms around noon-so that scratches our 4 hour hike to the top of Pinnacle Peak. "Life happens when you make plans," John Lennon

Yesterday was happy. And full of things. To end where I left off yesterday- we went on an afternoon hike next to the river a bit outside of town. Met some local ladies who quickly pulled out their phones to show me pictures of their sons and told me of the Saturday morning farmers market and upcoming Green Up the Mountain festival. An older man rode his bicycle past us and let us know of the goose "up yonder" who is sitting on a log in the river had babies. This is news I want to hear, simple, mountain springtime news...
Came home to snuggles on the couch and a much needed hot bath. To close out our night we went to eat at a local place called Guadalupe Cafe. Sat on the porch facing Main Street with fried okra, local grilled kale, and a beer. Q and A'ed the waitress on the town and met a new friend. Walked a bit down to one of the local breweries called Innovations. Sylva does have several colleges, so most of the crowd on the picnic tables outside were such. Tried one of their beers called 'Whimsy,' got a food truck veggie burger to-go, met some people who gave me the best advice on magical day hikes and secret lakes to which I noted in my phone:

Brevard
Cedar Cliff
Bear Lake
DuPont
Culawee Falls
Whitewater Falls

Came home and passed out on Atlas.
***

I am recapping my night on my laptop journal next to a fire and a mug of coffee. Atlas is curled in a ball next to me snoring softly and the firewood is crackling. I literally dreamed of this.

Cheers to day 3.

Breathing in happiness, Day 2

Day 2

Recap from our rainy Monday:

Coffee and Guitar music.
Snuggling to the rain. 
Kombucha and a mid day stroll to find a swing next to the rushing creek. 
Finding the perfect hammock spot. 
Cooking. 
Cooking. 
Drawing a hot bath and making hot tea.
Napping. 
Having best snuggle with Atlas to date.
&
Not being able to close my eyes laying in bed because of how beautiful the moonlight is on the mountains ♡
***

yesterday was magic, even in the midst of on and off rain

Today we awoke to this:

 We took a morning stroll through the forest next to the creek. Atlas is curious, and goofy and smiling...so I can assume he is in as much as I am with Mother Nature.

Hiked up the side of the mountain with my morning cup of coffee and breathed in happiness.

Drove down to town and took a morning yoga class, where the local gossip included 8 new baby goats being born and the possibility of snow this Thursday. Had a cup of local coffee as I browsed the used book stores and vintage shops. Shook hands with more people than I can remember and was welcomed with warmth, sincerity, and smiles. 

Came home with energy and happiness to welcome on the rest of the day. 

Cheers to day 2

Dreaming of a cabin in the mountains

Monday, April 3, 2017

Change doesn't happen always by chance, sometimes change happens by change.

Last night I cried from the beauty of the moon and stars, and today I awoke to rain sliding down the windows. I awoke to dog kisses and a hundred comfy pillows. I awoke to dancing tree leaves and a beautiful creek's song.

There is something about being in a place built from wood and stone, surrounded by wood and stone, that is truly magic.  Even a rainy Monday morning can look beautiful in the Great Smokey Mountains.

Sitting in a rocking chair, with coffee in a tin mug, and Atlas curled at my feet-I feel uncertain evermore that this truly is just a dream.

Well here's to magical cabin dreaming and the month of April. Cheers to day one.

Railroad Tracks

I stopped lifting my feet when I go over railroad tracks. Yes. I embrace my superstitions in life, it's not a burden, but just something I have completely grown to coexist with. Smiley face.

Lifting your feet as you go over railroad crossings was meant to secure your life track in marriage...in "getting hitched." Make sense? Why is this something I must do..because most everyone I grew up with (for the most part) are on their 2nd or 3rd child?  As this is a wonderful and indescribable life notch, it is theirs, and not necessarily mine.

I have traveled enough at this point in my life to know that my priorities 10 years ago or <  were completely uneducated. At least in correlation with me and the magical life I intend on living. Life is what you make it. It is unexpected, unpatterned, and consistently changing. This took a while for me to understand. 

Placing parameters on yourself is a far different cry than setting goals. I believe we should allow ourselves to accomplishing something greater than ourselves (and the parameters life sometimes seems to be intent on setting). We should always remember to listen to the earth, sun gaze, moon gaze, hug wonderful creatures, help others, lift others up (physically and metaphorically), and continue to shine as this can only help the glow increase in others. 

We are what we do, what we say, how we act...and it doesn't take education to know how precious and short our lives are. How about embrace and laugh at the unexpected instead of fearing the unknown? Count riches in the memories and adventures had, give gifts with the value of love and kindness, drawl conclusions with the knowledge that THINGS CHANGE. 

Here's to falling asleep in the moonlight, deep breaths, and wonderful adventures to come.

love, peace, & kindness,
Brooke

last weekend's notes...

Saturday. 

Gym

Rainstorm

Vegan fajitas

Organic Canadian gin

Metro

China town

Mochiiiis

Walk through Old Port

FIREWORKS OVER THE WATER 

vegan poutine 

Sleepy metro and bus ride home

Sunday.

Sleeping in

Coffee and brown sugar 

Packing a picnic 

Hammock on the mountain

Kettle chips

Vegan hot dogs & Greek salad 

midevil fantasy fights

Dogs & Tam Tams 

Guitars, a bagpipe

Oh and kazoos

Magical vegan chocolate truffles and magical brownies

Jazz bands sitting and playing on the grass

Cool summer night

Softball

Hoodie 

Smiles

Feeling grounded.

"I'll make it to the moon if I have to crawl" 

Magical Montréal

Life can be fickle and can be crazy, and now I find myself in this beautiful town brilliantly sparkling with snow and culture.

I guess this is what happens when you fall in love with a French-Canadian in Asia...

The plan was- well I guess it does not matter what it was, but what it has become. A few months back I was in a beautiful little apartment on the beach in the Philippines. Which...was lovely, and would have been even better if I wasn't missing someone over 7 thousand miles away. Love took me from Asia, to Chicago, then to NYC, then to Montreal.

This city looks like the backdrop to dreams:

Snow covered hills and art museums, churches and graffiti, snowmen and sushi places, layers of brick on brick and magical stained glass, timeless churches and Volkswagens...

The community is French, so once again I have put myself in a position where I MUST learn. To which we should never cease. :)





As the snow is melting I find my Floridian self smiling at the 40 degree weather and more excited than ever for the wonderland that is a Montreal summer. Guess I can get used to the turmoil of twinkling cafe's, BYOB Thai restaurants, maple syrup everything and using hockey sticks as brooms.

I would never have thought that life would take me here. But then again, we never know whats ahead. We must follow the music of life, the notes of love, and the magic of living.

xo Brooke