Karens Notes, Sketchnotes, Brand, Team

Only take in that which makes you stronger

Posted on June 26, 2021October 20, 2022 by Karen Reyburn

26
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ON THE GRAM

Feb 16

Yoga retreat ❤️🙏🏻✨

Left my phone in airplane mode for three days. Rested, stretched, worked out, tried new yoga poses, failed at some, laughed, thought, made friends, swam in the sea, slept, ate amazing food, rested, read books (multiple), walked, wandered, meditated….

So grateful. 😍🙏🏻✨

#isleofmull #yogaretreat #rest #quiet #weekend #kintra #nature

Feb 9

“Ok ok we get it you live on an island and everything is idyllic… but seriously. Is it as lovely as it seems?”

Social media is the highlight reel, right?? Surely it’s harder than it looks sometimes… what if you aren’t able to get a ferry… power cuts…

But here’s the thing. That’s all true. I’ve had some challenges since moving and I still do some days. But I had all those things (or versions of them) on the mainland. Sure, sometimes it takes a while to get things sorted because of the weather or fewer options of time slots… but this reel reflects a very normal day on the island for me… so the compensations make up for it every time.

Happy Sunday. ❤️☀️✨🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

#isleofmull #islandlife #sunshine #beautyeverywhere #happysunday #restday #arospark

Feb 9

I find myself so aware of sunrise and sunset times here. It directs a lot about when I take walks, how far I go and when I turn back, how far of a drive I take.

A few months ago I took a walk up past Calgary bay to the clifftops and wanted to go further, but I’d started out later and the sun was setting so I promised myself I’d come back when I had more time.

Today I had more time.

The sun was shining, the path was strong, the light glowing, the sheep inquisitive, the waves crashing, the silence endless.

Hiked for four hours and made it back to the bay just as the sun was setting.

It was cold all day - never got above 1C - but when you’re moving and it’s light out, it makes a big difference.

I find January and February on the island much different for my winter experience in terms of light. There’s more of it (less light pollution), and there’s so much beauty around I find myself wanting to go out for a walk, not avoiding it like I used to. And I cancelled Netflix and Disney+ and all the streaming services when I moved, so I’m on screens a lot less in the winter too.

Happy Saturday to all!

#walking #getoutside #isleofmull #winterlight #sunset #calgarybay

Feb 4

For reasons best known to itself, nature decided on Monday it would pull the clouds over its head and play the weather equivalent of a duvet day. Wet, windy, wild, and unceasing.

Monday was my birthday. I go up and down with birthdays: some years I plan meticulously and make sure it’s “birthday worthy”. Other years I keep thinking I will, and then it sneaks up on me, and I have no plans.

I feel quite pressured about birthdays sometimes. As if I’m required to respond to “what are your plans?” by laying out blueprints to the world’s greatest weekend.

This year I didn’t do much. I took the day off work and felt quite bored (actually wished I was working). I tried to read three different books and finished none. I baked some, but wasn’t super thrilled with how it turned out. I went for a new walk by a loch (that was my favourite part of the day). I started a puzzle and then went to bed.

I felt a little pressure as if I wasn’t having a “proper” birthday: but when I went out for my walk I realised ever since moving up to the island, just about every weekend feels like a birthday.

I sleep in. I go for long walks. I get sunshine and mist and rainbows and snow and all the weathers. I make good food. I try new whisky. I sit by the fire and read. I get together with friends for dinner or drinks. I travel. I write. I rest.

All the things I used to make a great effort to do for a birthday weekend - and then I’d head back home.

On reflection this was one of my best birthdays ever: because I live here and there’s no pressure anymore.

So today, as if in apology for yesterday’s behaviour, the sun came out and I wandered around a castle and saw rainbows and took a random ferry ride and saw more rainbows and did a little shopping and treated myself to dinner and finished a book and came home to read by the fire….

Just another lovely birthday day.

#isleofmull #duartcastle #islandlife #walking #rainbows

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