Category: The Life Enthusiast Chronicles

Life. The word itself astounds me. It encompasses too many beautiful things all at once and often I find myself staring at the word whenever I write it, too mesmerized by its brilliance. A life enthusiast is one who recognizes life’s simplicities and extremities, and loves them without fail.

Last month Jessica over at Notes of Nomads kicked off my new monthly guest series…The Life Enthusiast Chronicles. In these posts, lovely individuals share what makes them all gung ho about life. 

Today we have Letizia, a blogger pal of mine over at Reading Interrupted. Letizia is one of those beautiful soul kinds, where everything she brings to the table is peppered with grace and good. Her love for reading inspires the rest of us to not only continue being awe-inspired by stories, but to marvel at the books themselves with their perfectly tattered beauty. All of this makes Letizia a shining example of a life enthusiast.

Connect with Letizia at Reading Interrupted on Twitter.

Take it away, Letizia…

Home is where the books are.

When Britt generously asked me to write about an aspect of life that makes me enthusiastic, I immediately thought of reading books; it’s one of the greatest passions of my life.

And as I gazed at my bookshelves for inspiration, I thought of how many of those books had traveled with me throughout my life and through my many international moves.  And I also thought of those books that didn’t quite make the cut.

Those of you who have moved an extensive library know that there’s always a culling process that occurs:  books you don’t know why you own in the first place, books you mysteriously own several copies of, books you think you will never reread or miss (I tend to regret getting rid of these, searching for them months later in a sudden realization that I must reread them at once).  You offer them to friends, you sell them to the secondhand bookstores, you donate them to the local library.

And all of the others?  These are packed in cardboard boxes and taken away with the furniture to be placed on great ships that will brave the open seas.

Here is one of my childhood dogs, getting ready for a move. I wonder if one of those boxes contain books?

And then the wait begins.  Wondering where the books are now, wondering when exactly they will arrive.

And then they do!  Of course, I’m happy to see the furniture, but …. the books… where are they?…. There they are!

Opening those boxes is like opening all of your favorite Christmas presents from the past years in one sitting:  every item is so familiar and loved yet new and exciting at the same time!

My childhood copy of The Otter’s Tale by Gavin Maxwell:

My university copy of James Joyce’s Dubliners worn from rereading over the years:

Rediscovering all my books reminds me of how much I love to read but also grounds me.  Each book is like a snapshot of my life, reminding me of memories past but with each new reading creating new ones.

The books make each new house a home. It’s hard not to get enthusiastic about that.

Thanks for reminding me of this, Britt.

I’ve always believed that life is a playground, a bright place where we can be free – to laugh, to cry, to see, to hear, to love, and to hurt. A life enthusiast is one who plays with a sense of abandon, like a child who is awe-inspired by every little thing. 

After pussyfooting around for some time, I’m finally starting this monthly guest series…The Life Enthusiast Chronicles. In these posts lovely individuals will share what makes them all gung ho about life. 

First up is Jessica Korteman, a blogger pal of mine over at Notes of Nomads who, together with her genius photographer husband Hai, deliver the magnificence of travel. Jessica is very much the epitome of a life enthusiast. Indiana Jones in female form, she traipses around the world, fearless and full of grace, showing the rest of us at home how authentically beautiful people and places truly are.

Connect with Jessica at Notes of Nomads on Twitter and Facebook.

Take it away, Jess…

When Britt asked me to be a part of her new ‘Life Enthusiast’ series, I couldn’t have been happier to be involved. 

Not only is she one of my personal inspirations, I simply loved the concept – a series that focuses on positivity and taking life by the proverbial horns, one of my personal mottos!

Take out a pen and write down the things that make you happy, and I guarantee the affirmation of putting them to paper will change something in you.

Here are some of my penned thoughts that make me enthusiastic about life and everything in it. Woot! Woot!

1. A new stamp in my passport

As a traveller, there’s something so immensely satisfying about getting a new stamp in my passport. It’s not so much the material thing, although some can be pretty cool to look at(!), it’s what they represent. Another stamp equals another country visited, a new culture experienced, more foreign foods eaten and special friends made.

With this stamp, I know a little bit more about this amazing world we live in. It’s a visual representation of all the places I have been, but also of all the places I have yet to see. “Oh, the places you’ll go!” Even Dr. Seuss knew that was something to get excited about!

 2. Being lost in translation

This may sound like an odd thing to say, but I absolutely love the feeling of being lost (as in having no idea) in another culture. Living in Japan for four years, I got used to being in an almost constant state of not-knowingness and I was completely comfortable with that. Far from causing stress, it just fascinated and challenged me further.

I think I was the only person who floated out of the local post office proud as punch with myself for successfully getting through a conversation about an overseas package, insurance and that letter I needed to send. They may sound like small, even tiresome, tasks to a local or someone well versed in a language, but for me, I had just completed this goal I set myself in a foreign land, in a foreign language, and I did it!

And, believe me, supermarket shopping doesn’t get any more fun than when you can’t read the packaging! Sure, it can be hit and miss, but I love that adventure! You get super creative and you find so many gems that you probably would never have tried if you could understand and just stuck to what you know.

 3. A hot cup of tea

I’m a big tea drinker. Everything feels that bit better with a hot cup of tea, don’t you think? It wakes you up, revives, lulls you to sleep and brings friends together. It’s those small moments you take for yourself that give you what you need to conquer life’s bigger stuff, and I’m a big believer in “smelling the roses” as they say.

4. The changing of the seasons

I adore that period of change between the seasons. There are some temperatures I prefer to be sure, but there is something I love about every season and the changing weather makes me excited for all the special things about that time of year – holidays, events, different foods and a change of wardrobe!

It’s the very fleeting nature of seasons that make us appreciate them. The brief appearance of the blooming cherry blossoms in Japan has to be one of the most beautiful and energizing things you’ll experience.

Despite seeing them every year, the Japanese never grow tired of them.  There’s always an air of excitement as locals monitor the cherry blossom front and prepare for their “hanami” – cherry blossom viewing – parties! Everyone takes time to admire them and you value this shared time with family and friends.

5. Being helped by a stranger

Nothing restores my faith in humanity more than a helping hand from a stranger. It’s these wonderful, unexpected moments of kindness that have shaped some of my most precious travel memories.

The selflessness of these generous strangers continues to inspire me to pay it forward. If we put positive energy out there into the universe, the world is generally a happier and better place, wouldn’t you agree?

Have you reached for that pen yet? Do any of the same things make you tick? I’d love to know in the comments section below!