no 33

Have you accidentally looked into the sun or bright light and then looked away, the image burned into your eyelids? That’s an afterimage.

The first rule of profile photos is consistency: use the same image across platforms. I just changed the profile picture for my website for kicks. In this week's Afterimage, I’ll tell you why.

Here's what I saw, heard, or sensed that’s stayed with me in the past week. Let’s begin.

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Message from my Body: All Dressed Up and A Virtual Place to Go

I was taken aback a little seeing my reflection in the mirror on Tuesday morning. It wasn’t so much I looked my age. That I like.

I was Covid-free with lingering fatigue and feeling somewhat unattractive.

Country living's given me a simple, warm, and very functional wardrobe, especially in Sapporo, where winter temperature averages are below freezing. I could have dressed up, but I had no place to go. (Nor the desire to stay awake past 10 PM.)

So how did I respond to my desire to dress up? I chose a photo that made me feel chic for winter and made it my profile photo.

While I chose a photo from when I lived in Tokyo, I was surprised by how much the process of selecting and changing the profile pic felt like taking a dress with me into the fitting room, then taking it home. With each photo, I got to try out different looks and moods. Then, I got to leave (the website builder), seeing myself in a different light.

:::

I love how clothes draw different parts of me out to play. It reminds me of how good it feels to get dressed up and how a single item can elevate my mood. In the photo, it was a coat. But it can be anything: sunglasses, jewelry, a splash of color on my lips. Fragrance.

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Maybe I don’t need a place or occasion to dress up. As my friend Sarah always says: “Wear your party dress to the grocery store.”

Life is the party.

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Message from My Mind(fulness): Growing Up, Growing Deep

I used to ask myself, well into my thirties, “What do I want to be when I grow up?” The question still comes up, but it sounds more like who I am today: “How do I grow deeper into myself?”

If I’m not mindful when I make decisions, I place an odd amount of focus on what to do next. That makes my mind loud and busy. Instead of focusing on what to do, what if I focused on how to be more myself? How do I let Being Me guide my Doing What?

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​Message from My Body: My Body Knows- Before I Do

All the purging of possessions and writing about Swedish Death Cleaning over the last months: I didn’t know at the time, but it was preparing me for something. I’m moving in a couple of weeks.

My friend said she’s happy to see me ground and grow roots in a place I love.

One of the best features of our cozy new house is the outside. At the end of my new street, there's a trailhead. I've always wished for access to hiking just minutes from my house, without having to drive. Now I have a trail just a three-minute walk up the road.

I wandered onto the trail and met three neighbors whizzing down on their mountain bikes. They stopped and asked where I’d come from: the trail was a neighborhood secret. I told them I was from across the valley, from another ski mountain in the city. They liked that. I liked that they were around the same age as me and looked so happy. They offered tips on how to get to the ski lifts from where we were and how the trails are great for snowshoeing.

Before they left, they welcomed me again, smiling, “This is a great trail! Great neighborhood. Just don’t tell anyone!”

Our exchange might sound ordinary if you’re from many parts of the world. But here in Japan, where people generally keep to themselves, the friendly and neighborly banter felt rare.

I think I’m going to like it in the new house. And in this neighborhood.

It feels like home.
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​A Question for You: What makes a place feel like home? What makes you know you can call a place home?

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