#wheresjessie

[srpkinja96]

Where’s Wally? 🤗 #wheresjessie #travel #adventure #phenominal #architecture #old #blessed (at Matthias Church) https://www.instagram.com/jz.syd_/p/BuZ8h8vBKp4/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=te9c8fqmxqaf

[the-backyard]

Brighton; Project 333

I first discovered the concept of Project 333 after The Big Move, when I started reading a few blogs loosely based on the practice of minimalism. I was intrigued. As it happened, my lifestyle was soon to become much more minimalist than I could have guessed. While the idea never left me entirely, I was reminded of it a couple of days ago by this post on the Be More With Less blog. The idea is, you trim your wardrobe to 33 pieces, to be used exclusively for the next 3 months. There are a few guidelines about what should be included, but essentially it's 33 items including shoes, outerwear and jewellery. So this evening, I took an inventory of my wardrobe, hoping that I might be able to reduce the excess fat from my enormous bag. To my disappointment, it clocked in at only 31 items. The most excess I have is 10 t-shirts. It really is cut down to the minimum, when it comes to clothing. Of course, if I was to address the number of books and foodstuffs I'm carting around, that would be another story.

[the-backyard]

Brighton

Sunday was transition day. I took two trains from Crystal Palace to Brighton, carrying a backpack and towing an enormously full shiny new 80L Osprey wheeled pack, with my yoga mat slung across my shoulders. Today my hosts depart for a two and a half week trip to New Zealand, and I will make my home in this lovely fourth-floor flat close to the ocean. I'm looking forward to establishing myself here and building a routine. I want to do some cooking and try a new recipe or two. I want to explore the area, visit the South Downs, and seek out the Giant of Wilmington. Work has been demanding and I'm craving some quiet downtime. I have a 2kg delivery of Himalayan sea salt on the way - I'm told it's wonderful for bathing (and cooking!). Tomorrow I have some spa treatments booked. The perfect way to unwind. Now, I will focus on today.

[the-backyard]

Crystal Palace, London

I'm enjoying my time in Lower Crystal Palace, as my absent host prefers to call the neighbourhood bordering of Anerley, Penge West and Crystal Palace. This evening as the sun set, I was compelled by the beautiful light to go outdoors. I took my bicycle and raced around the paths of Crystal Palace park, ignoring the dinosaurs as I admired the coloured sky. I'm emerging from a dark age when it comes to culinary ability. I've been very interested in food blogs lately, particularly related to whole foods. An excellent entry point back into cooking has been Jules Clancy's blog The Stonesoup, which promotes her "five ingredients, ten minutes" ethos. Brilliant! This evening I modified a new favourite - substituting millet for quinoa to make a feta, millet and avocado salad inspired by the recipe at the end of this post. I also added chopped nuts to provide some crunchy contrast. Yum, and worthy too.

[the-backyard]

Almuñécar, Spain

I arrived to the Costa Tropical on Wednesday. My friend was here for a few days, showing me around and introducing me to some locals, and now it is just me and my three feline charges - Nadia, Gringo and Ruby. I am so happy to be here, with time to myself, and a beautiful area to explore.

[the-backyard]

Hackney, London

How long does it take to fix a smashed up heart? Way longer than I thought. I never expected to be in this position of having bits of raw emotion sticking to everything I own, of being forever a hair's breadth from breaking down in tears, of losing sight of everything that is and was ever good. It's a big ol pain and I guess I was lucky to have never had it this bad in all my 33 years. So I have to try and remember what's important. I have to take it one day at a time. I have to focus on the positive and remember to be gentle with myself. I have to keep my friends' numbers on speed dial and keep on, keep on resisting any and every urge to call the man who I now can't believe is my ex-boyfriend.

[the-backyard]

Hackney, London

I changed suburbs last night. I was sad to leave Brockley, and while it's nice to be back in my old home suburb, I have to work hard to look forwards and not back to how things used to be. Certainly I've been keeping busy with cultural events. Anna Calvi was exceptional last Saturday at the Troxy, after an afternoon well spent at the V&A and Natural History Museums. I enjoyed the Paul Klee exhibition at the Tate Modern between meetings on Tuesday, and later attended an intimate set from Billy Bragg at the Spotify office. Still later, I had my mind blown by Marijuana Deathsquads at the Black Heart in Camden. Three high-energy drummers! Last night at the Troxy Poliça played a moving set, supported by Marijuana Deathsquads. Today I saw Dallas Buyers Club at the Picture House. These days, small setbacks are magnified under the lens of general uncertainty. "It's been a day of tiny triumphs. It's been a week spent in despair." I am homesick, where home has many definitions.

[the-backyard]

Brockley, London

My belongings are stored in the loft. I needed to find an item, so I pulled down the loft stairs, plugged in the light and climbed up to the cool, dry air above the ceiling. There it was. A long, low row of boxes and bags, wrapped pictures and my mirror. My bicycle pump, my big canvas bag of shoes. Books, clothes, toiletries, junk. I felt uncomfortable. What is all that stuff? Why is all that stuff? I felt an urge to find a home quickly so I could unpack it all, just to look at it and get a sense of it and understand what it was about all these things that made me carry them with me. I thought about why my belongings are all stored in a friend's loft, rather than filling a home of my own, like they used to. I didn't find what I was looking for, but I did see a winter coat so I pulled that out and returned to the warmth of the flat, stowing the loft stairs. It's a problem to be solved another day. I'm reading about Ōryōki. Photo credit: Nathan O'Nions