Finding joy in the ordinary

There’s something so comforting about being home. I’ve had a lot of people ask me how it feels to be back. Actually, they usually ask a leading question like “how much do you hate being home?” or “are you miserable being back at work?” And to be honest, I am not hating being home nor am I miserable being back at work. I love new things and any opportunity to spice up my routine. I think that is why I always loved September (and Virgo season!) - both as a child/student and as an adult.

As a student, I loved shifting gears from summer mode to school mode. I’d go back to school shopping and buy new pens, notebooks and a new backpack, etc. And I would eagerly update my calendar with deadlines and the like when I would get hold of the syllabi. This obsessive calendar updating came early - I went to an independent learning high school (Mary Ward C.S.S.) and there were no formal classes other than the first 1-2 weeks. We’d sign up for seminars, labs and lectures but generally we were expected to independently read through the textbooks and complete various assignments. And once we progressed to a certain point, we’d have to write our tests in the test centre. It was very, very deadline focused and probably what gave life to my obsession and anxiety around meeting deadlines.

And even as an adult, I loved the shift from summer mode to fall. It was nice to no longer be spending money excessively going out with friends, and to be indoors resting a bit more. With Canadian summers, I would tend to act like the sun may never come again and given the opportunity, I would stay outdoors for the entire duration that the sun is out, which is incredibly exhausting… Especially if you try to do it for an entire summer.

Views of the mountains during my departure flight from Kathmandu, Nepal

Coming home from this trip felt a little like that. It was surprisingly nice to go back to ironing/steaming my clothes, cleaning my own room/home, grocery shopping and the like. It was also really nice to have my to do lists filled with more meaningful things than “call TD to fix credit card”, and “email Aeroplan re: missing points”. And it was nice just spending a Sunday morning in bed. When I was travelling, there was this inner voice that would constantly guilt me into going out. Like because I paid $x for the hotel and $y for the flight, and I probably won’t be in this city again, I must do all the things. I must go see the top 10 sights according to Trip Advisor.

I also come home with a different perspective. Everything feels new to me again. Even the things I would do constantly feel slightly different. And it’s been so exciting! I am intent on trying to keep up this feeling of newness, and continue going about my home routine with a “beginner’s mind”. I read an blog post last week that was all about how we can use mindfulness in our ordinary experiences of life. Shortly after reading it, I had gotten onto the subway and headed into work. And for the first time, I actually paid attention to the folks that I came across - what they were doing, reading, wearing, etc. I noticed the different shops and features of the building as I walked out of the station. I felt so much more present, connected and at peace. This was so easy when I was travelling because everything was new. But it’s going to be my personal challenge to continue being a tourist in my own city.

A beautiful sunset from the office