When we look around, we notice change. Sometimes the change is progress and it brings joy to our lives. However sometimes a once beloved place has changed to a place that’s unrecognizable. This means we have the opportunity to see new beginnings if we choose to open our eyes wide. Just like the tides change the coast line making erosion inevitable, so is the change we see in our lives. We get to decide how we are going to internalize the change. We can accept or resist it, the change doesn’t care. It just happens so rejoice in the change as it allows us new opportunities, we get to discover again. We get to experience this world with all of its glorious changes.

The first week of July 2026 was a time of celebration, reflection, and embracing new beginnings. From the joy of family gatherings to the motivation to pursue our dreams, each mindful moment offered an opportunity to pause and find meaning in our daily journey through life.

This week we explored themes of family love, gratitude, self-belief, self-care, and acceptance of change. We also shared practical tips on beach essentials and the importance of taking time for ourselves.

Today I will take time for myself to go down to the beach. It has been a busy time for us, but today I will pause and take time reading on the beach. Time to reflect on all the changes happening around us and time to finally get some vitamin D. My go to’s when heading to the beach are ARURU Beach Chairs for Adults, Portable Folding Backpack Beach Chair Heavy Duty 5-Position Lay Flat with Cooler Bag, Cup Holder for Outdoor/Lawn/Trip/Picnic/Fishing/Camping, a trusty umbrella Tommy Bahama Beach Umbrella with ANCHORX Wind Stability System or my mom recently found this canopy. Don’t forget the sunscreen KINeSYS Light Mango Scented Clear Spray Suncreen for Sensitive Skin, Non-Greasy, Lightweight, Broad Spectrum UVA-UVB, Hypoallergenic, SPF 30, PABA and Oxybenzone Free, Made In Canada, 4 Fl Oz/120 ml and your water bottle Hydro Flask. Take time to enjoy your beach days too! If the beach is available to you enjoy it. Everything is a little bit lighter at the beach.

What adventure do you crave? If you could go anywhere, where would you go? Now make it happen! If money is holding you back. Then make more money. If time is an issue find a way to carve out more time. If it’s your health. Work on it. The answers sound simple and they are. I have been there. I kept this quote as my phone backdrop for years. I was working hard and dreamed of owning a condo in Mexico. I was 90 pounds heavier and needed to make some life changes. I did it and so can you! If not now then when! Choose you each and everyday. You can achieve any goal I believe in you!

Happiness is finding out that your son that lives on the other side of the globe is coming home for a visit. Sometimes you travel the world and sometimes when your lucky your whole world comes to you. To have both our children in the same place at the same time is not an easy task these days. However the stars are going to align and we will celebrate. He is working abroad and this will be his first trip back home. He has good friends that are getting married and did not want to miss out on their special occasion. We are mindful that his time will be valuable and that he will want to see his friends as well as family. So we will make the best of this time and be present even if it’s only for a short visit. Definitely counting our blessings!

Today is moving day! A day that our daughter gets her own place. A day that her family shows up and rallies around her. A day that she will look back on with joy in her heart, as her family shows up. All are willing to pitch in to move boxes to unpack to welcome her to her new home. Why? Because families are there when you need them most. With their hearts wide open and their arms filled with boxes to hugs. The gratitude and love that I have for my family is overflowing. Travel today will be many trips to and from, but will be filled with purpose and joy! Never underestimate the love of family to lift you up. New beginnings are possible. Being surrounded by a family that loves and cherishes you is the best start. Taking a moment to deeply thank my family for their time today it means the world to me.

If you are like me, then you are always looking for where you might go to next. Will it be a day trip filled with laughter, a drive, and a picnic at an undiscovered beach? Or is it roaming the streets of a new town and uncovering its beauty and local coffee shops. Maybe your more adventurous and you are climbing a mountain or chasing a waterfall. Wherever your next adventure takes you, may you always be mindful of the places you would like to explore in the future. I draw my ideas from all over, friends who have travelled near and far, the internet, or even tv has provided inspiration. You can’t always be away but you can always be planning the next trip no matter the size. That my friends always brings a smile to my face. I can research, I can ask my friends for great suggestions and I can plan for my next adventure!

June was a month of exploration, reflection, and embracing the beauty around us. From spontaneous road trips through New Brunswick to wine tasting adventures in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley, each mindful moment offered an opportunity to pause and find meaning in our daily travels through life.

This month we explored themes of friendship, self-care, gratitude, and the importance of being present. We also shared practical tips on dealing with mosquitoes, getting quality sleep while traveling, managing seasonal allergies, and being mindful of the spaces we occupy.

This week reminded me of the importance of being sign literate. Whether traveling the train or subway or trying to figure out whether or not it’s safe to swim, signs are important. Sometimes there are physical markers such as coloured flags to indicate beach conditions, other times the signs might be showing an undertow or a beware of crocodile. Heed the warning ⛔️!

If you are driving internationally you might need to be on a different side of the road, you may have street signs that you are not used to, research and study first.

Today I want to take a moment to reflect on my gratitude for the ability to travel. I am so fortunate to have the time, health and the financial ability to travel. Travel opens your mind to new perspectives, it enlightens you in ways that nothing else can. When travelling I am often in a state of awe. I remember taking my first tropical trip with Mr. Mindful Traveller, he was so mesmerized that we had left snow and were now surrounded by palm trees and an ocean breeze. This led to many more wonderful vacations and a lifetime of memories. I leave you with one message no matter the destination enjoy the moment, be open to the possibilities and find a way to travel.

I am blessed to have had great adventures with great people. Travelling can be stressful and if you are with people that don’t match your style then it can be a real challenge. We have a couple friends that enjoy the slow travel like us, they aren’t so much into jam packed schedules, but are wanderers and day planners. We match perfectly as travel companions because we don’t have to follow a constant time schedule and we can split up our adventures without someone being hurt.

I was reading the other day a story where a woman bought a yellow umbrella because it was on sale and hers had broke. As she used the oversized umbrella she noticed how people smiled at her. A simple change, same situation, a rainy day. Somehow the yellow umbrella felt warm like sunshine. People’s reaction to her changed and she offered to share her umbrella with people. The story spread about the yellow umbrella and she started a yellow umbrella movement. Buying other yellow umbrellas and offering them up to strangers. Simply spreading and receiving acts of kindness. Whether this is a plot of fiction or whether it is a glorious act of kindness doesn’t matter. What matters is that it proves it doesn’t take much to cause a ripple of kindness. You find stories like this everywhere. Enjoy the mundane, enjoy the everyday, find and spread kindness in the simplest of ways. Here and abroad, kindness is everywhere and when you start looking for it you cant help but see it’s abundance.

While teaching I had a small plush cow with magnetic hooves in my class. He was no bigger then the palm of my hand. When students would miss school for family trips or other special occasions. I would have them take Mr. Moo and document his adventures. Documenting your travel can be fun. Mr. Moo had so many great adventures some near and some very very far. At that time I believe Mr. Moo had travelled more then I had. Students enjoyed writing and taking photos to place in Mr. Moo’s travel log. If you have a young family I encourage you to get your children writing of their travels and sharing what they write. You should also be documenting your trip. Take a few pictures, document in whatever way feels right to you maybe videos are more your style. The documenting becomes a mindful moment to reflect and just like that you get to enjoy an adventure for a second time. Others will also get to take joy in reading of your adventures. Choosing just the right words and keeping your mind creatively engaged is a gift you can easily give yourself and others. Be mindful of your creative gifts and share them.

The Basics

Wealthsimple Visa Infinite gives you:

• 2% cashback on everything — no categories to track
• 0% foreign transaction fees — no extra cost when you travel
• $240 annual fee — but it can be waived

When Is the Fee Waived?

You pay $0 if you have:

• $100,000+ invested with Wealthsimple, OR
• $4,000+/month direct deposit to Wealthsimple chequing

If neither applies, you pay $240/year. You’d need to spend $12,000/year to break even on the fee.

Yesterday I spent the day cleaning, going through old papers. I was a teacher and kept every note that students had written me over the years. I spent today walking down memory lane and when I was done I noticed a pattern. I was thanked over and over again for always having a smile on my face and wishing them a great day on the way into my class and always sending them off with a handshake and another smile. That was it they expressed their gratitude for being seen, for being heard. I spent a career reaching out to children in the hopes of making a small impact on their lives. They leave me with a heart full of gratitude, many great memories and the hope for the future. People have the ability to be mindful and sometimes all you need is a smile and a few kind words to truly impact the world.