Good morning

I have been home four days since my month-long stay in the States. The grey sky and the mercurial British weather welcomed me back. These are my constants here and I am grateful for it. When I walked out from the airport, I found myself smiling as the cold raindrops made dark patterns on my faded blue shirt that says Baltimore. Rain on a sunny day, I missed it. I am indeed home.

When I got home that day, I did not realize how tired I was until I saw my bed and I just literally fell on to it and the next thing I knew it was dark and I have missed a dozen phone call from friends asking how my trip was.

For the past weeks, I found myself paying attention more to my routines so I can savour and enjoy the almost ritualistic nature of the act. When I prepared my EnergyFizz of the day, I listened to the crisp sound the sachet made as I tore it open, the splashing sound as the water filled the glass and the fizzy sound the EnergyFizz made as it hit the water. I love my drinks elaborate so I put the mixed drink in the blender, threw in a handful of berries and voila! A drink so good it’s like drinking summer right in my kitchen.

Life happens and often times, I’m rushing around to get things done that I don’t get to enjoy the simple act of pampering myself. So today, I deliberately slowed down when washing my face and enjoyed the smooth and cool feel of the cleanser as I lathered it on my skin, the luxurious feel of the soft towel as it absorbed the excess water, and I imagined my skin invigorated and becoming wrinkle-free as I wiped the DermResults Daily Radiance Peel Pads with 2% Caviar Lime across my face (me actually holding the container and reading the label). Before applying all the creams, I made sure to apply the cooling mask (fresh from the fridge!) then I relaxed back on my bed with the spa music playing in the background. When fifteen minutes was over, I spritzed some toning mist on my face, applied collagen serum, then some eye cream to reduce the puffiness, fine lines and dark circles from sleepless nights and finally the moisturising cream with sun protect factor.

It’s nice to hit pause once in a while so we can breathe. Some moments in our lives can be too overwhelming when we don’t take our time to process it. Pause. Breathe. Feel.