Taking in the scenery

Stopping to smell the roses, enjoying the scenery, that's the best way to enjoy the journey, right?  My head tells me to take a pause, get your nose in there, and smell those gorgeous roses, and keep that balance - in amongst the chaos of whānau, study, and Toru Road Kai I definitely need to stop and take in the scenery.

Being by the ocean always calms me, as it does for most of us, and is my go to place when I need a pick-me-up. That Blue Mind theory about 75% of the brain being made up of water (and 60% of the body) triggers a response in the brain to tell me that when I'm by the water, I'm in the right place. Yes its true, its a blue mind thing lol. I reckon some of that has to come from being lucky enough to grow up just down the road from the beach, on Toru Road in Paraparaumu, and being able to soak that in everyday.  Also it could have a wee bit to do with us living on an island in the Pacific Ocean! 

A few weeks ago on a walk around Pauatahanui, the sight of seven orca right in the inlet stopped everyone in their tracks. I could've sat there for the day just watching them, it was so cool to see them, and it set my spirit level right again.  I was really happy that they made their own way out of the Inlet that same night, I don't think I could stand to see them being herded out - they got themselves in there for a reason and I'm pretty sure they knew how (and did) to find their way out again. There was a whaling station in Porirua back in the day so this was a place that they would've come to, and perhaps, maybe this is a sign that they are returning to this place once again, that would be amaze.

My Toru Road Kai work has kept me on my toes, and balancing my work with my study over the past year has been challenging for those around me (talking about Augie really lol). Whilst I study, he will do every kinda chore you can think of, and when I do my Toru Road Kai, he's my main sous chef (was going to put helper but I know better). Every now and then he will take time off from his own work to help me, so I really appreciate him.  I'm now onto my very last assignment for my Bachelor of Business (Management) and I'm not sure who is more excited about it, him or me!  He deserves a medal either way for keeping me fed, cared for, and sane for all those years of torment!

And of course, as I near the end of one piece of learning, I go and start another (you can see Aug's face can't you!), but what's so cool is that all this learning is and has been for me, not for anyone else, and this past year of study has all been about what's good for me and Toru Road.  So on Sunday I started Ka Hao i Te Ao, a programme run through Te Whare Hukahuka to get indigenous people from around the world into starting their own e-commerce business (check it out next intake is February).  I'm in a rōpu with around 20 other business owners, some are start-ups like me, others have been around for quite a while. My aim is to give my Toru Road Events and Props Hire businesses (my side hustles) a push, get their own e-commerce site running properly, and also to take the learnings I gain into my Toru Road Kai business as well.  Look anything in the digital marketing space will surely help me as its just not my forte! 

To gain a scholarship you had to do 5 comfort challenges, so basically do stuff that you find awkward for the day, and then video yourself talking about it, and load it up onto social media.  The videoing was, and still is, the challenge!  But I guess the more you do it the more of a habit it becomes.  So video content is a big part of my next piece of work, and I will be publishing/flooding my personal page going forward with videos each week to comment on the speaker, and then on one of the modules - cementing the learning, already have my first one up.  Good news is, that Augie doesn't have to suffer for too long with me and this piece of study - its only 10 weeks and not quite as intense as previously so will be done in time for Christmas.  Then, we/me/us can take a well-deserved pause, find a beach, a lake, a pond, a swimming pool, or paddling pool, and I know for sure that we will most definitely be taking in the scenery!

Kapiti Island at the end of Toru Road - photo credit me, myself, or possibly Augie, nope it was me.