3 Things that inspire me
with photos to hopefully delight you
Hi friends!
Thank you so much for all the feedback on last week’s newsletter on solo travel. I’m thrilled you were so interested and even more thrilled that many of you suggested a Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies in person retreat! That’s very much on my mind for 2024. Maybe we go somewhere pretty and work on all the things in Lilies or Glow? Journaling, exercise, wearing as many robes as possible? Would you be into that? If there’s serious interest I’ll figure it out!
I recently asked you on Instagram what you’d like me to write about in the newsletter and I was surprised by how often I received the question, “what’s inspiring you lately?” This one is fresh on my mind because I just returned from my trip which was a QUEST to find inspiration. (PS: Paid subscribers, your exclusive Sunday newsletter and podcast episode will be allllll about inspiration and how to find it - so if that interests you - upgrade to the Glow Getters Journaling Club pronto!)
Before heading out for Portugal, I was…burnt out, zombie style. A dull, falling apart version of myself who seemed to be aimlessly staggering through my days. MAYBE I’m being a little dramatic but I’ll tell you: I was in a mood.
When I get that way, travel always brings me back to myself. As I write in Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies…
I have come to understand that travel is not a fancy luxury beyond my means. Travel is an important part of appreciating my life. It’s deeply pleasurable, it expands my understanding of the world, and more than anything else, it gives me perspective. It gives me freedom from the everyday concerns that can weigh me down in my “normal” life.
For me, I need the perspective shift of travel to wake me up to the inspiration that is already all around me.
When I’m burnt-out, I might be standing in front of the Mona Lisa but I can’t see it. I can’t appreciate it. But having to get out of my normal habits and routines? That alone wakes me the f*ck up.
And travel doesn’t have to be fancy, either! Travel can mean going to a new park, library, or museum. It often means driving across town to the beach. It doesn’t really matter where I go as long as the intention is exploration and appreciation. So with that in mind, may I present to you three things that inspired me this summer. I wonder, what has inspired YOU this summer? OR, if you haven’t found inspiration yet, where will you go out and get it?! Please put it in the comments so you can inspire this entire community!
1. The city of Porto, Portugal
The only reason I went to Porto is because my agent told me she had just been and thought it was a magical city. Based on her word alone, having done no research at all, I decided to visit.
What amazes me about Porto is that as you scan the horizon, you are bound to find some new, incredible, possibly medieval structure that just knocks your socks off. When I just glanced outside my hotel room’s window I was bound to see something totally awe inspiring.
And the lighting in Porto? THE LIGHTING? Warm, golden, luminescent… Porto has such incredibly rich and flattering lighting that the city seemed to glow with mystery and possibility. Not to mention, it was hard to take bad photos when mother nature was doing me such a solid!
2. The tile work everywhere in Portugal
I know little about tiles. In fact, prior to Portugal I had never even thought about tiles other than a friend pointing out she had a new “backsplash” in her kitchen. I guessed she must have meant tiles behind the stove to which I had only one thought: why? Are things splashing on it? Or is this some home owner thing I just don’t know about?
But in Lisbon and Porto in particular the buildings are covered in GLORIOUS, sun reflecting, tile wrapping. Blue and white, lemon yellow, sometimes depicting a grand scene, other times just turning a regular building into a work of art…once you see the tile work in Portugal you pray that somehow the US has a tile craze.
What REALLY got to me however was thinking about a time when details and decoration mattered. I live in Los Angeles which, as someone born and raised here, I have the right to call flat out ugly. The strip malls, the dilapidated streets, the lack of trees… it’s almost laughable how ugly the city is overall (yes, there are pockets of beauty like Hancock Park or Brentwood but they are merely pockets!)
So, to look at how much care went into each tile, how much artistry went into painting big scenes piece by piece…it’s awe inspiring just how much work went into the tiles before you even take in how gorgeous they are. There is nothing that gets to me quite like craft - when artists take real pride and care in their work.
3. The natural beauty of the Azores
The only reason I went to the Azores was because I had never heard of them before. I was googling the hell out of “where to go in Portugal,” when I stumbled across photos in nature that looked unreal. DEEP greens, so many waterfalls, just luscious life. That’s when I learned that the Azores were a place one could go to!
I was not disappointed. I went to Sao Miguel, the biggest island and was astounded by the raw, natural beauty. In the town of Furnas, fissures in the earth’s surface let out geothermal steam so consistent and intense that locals lowered bags of food into the springs in order to cook!
Closer to the main city of Ponta Delgada, I went on a whale watching tour where I saw so many whales and dolphins I couldn’t keep track. The thing that really got me?The water was so clear, I could see dolphins and BABY DOLPHINS (the cutest thing on earth) as they weaved under the boat. Here’s a little clip of it - unfortch, didn’t capture any of the baby dolphins so you just have to take my word that the only thing you can say when you see them is, “awwww!”
Sao Miguel is still pretty wild and not over-run by tourists - I think it might be the “next” Tulum, or Hawaii - a beautiful places with a rich history. But shhhh don’t tell anyone.
Travel is what brings me inspiration
What about you? What instantly lifts your spirits and makes you see that life is GRAND and not limited to your current mood? It’s SO important we all know, for a fact, the source of our inspiration so that when we are down, we always have a way to lift our spirits!
Testify
Your questions, comments, triumphs, heartaches, adventures, and insights. All of it is welcome here. I love featuring your art, journals, and pictures of triumph! Please send ‘em along! (Submissions lightly edited for brevity.)
From last week’s newsletter on solo travel, a reader who INSPIRED ME to make a Lilies themed retreat…would you come on this?!
“Tara - I loved every word of this newsletter! So many friends have every excuse in the book why they can’t travel when I try to organize a trip (some legit, others not so much). It was so frustrating to me (and, frankly, a bit hurtful) until I said, screw it. I’ll just go! There’s nothing more liberating than traveling alone. No compromises to be made and you can set your own schedule, meals, sleeps, etc. Now, having said all that, I am thinking a women-only Lillies trip would be a super fun adventure! Think of all the fun we’d have! 🌸🌍🌸”
-Samantha
From a reader who shares my life ethos, “buy the f*cking churos…”
"[When on a solo trip] I love to buy the food where you know the portions are too big for one person but you do it anyway. Example, the smallest portion size for the best churro spot in Barcelona is 12 churros!! Can I eat 12!? Well, probably....... but I won’t want to....... GET THE DAMN CHURROS ANYWAY AND EAT WHAT YOU CAN OKAY THANK U!”
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From a reader who has a hot tip on another way to solo travel…
“Tara, I love this newsletter so much! Thanks for sharing all your tips.
I wanted to share some information for the extroverted lilies, because as much as I’ve tried to do solo trips where I’m on my own… I found my energy getting super zapped…
Enter: Group travel. It’s signing up to travel with a group of people who you don’t know. Last year I went to a women’s surf camp in Costa Rica (Surf Bikini, you changed my life!) and it opened my eyes to the ability to travel alone, while being with others. I had plenty of alone time to do a lot of the things you mentioned, Tara, but then each morning and evening I’d have dinner with beautiful people who loved sharing their souls with me. My energy never waned, and I was able to experience a place I’ve always wanted to go while growing and making new friends.
Some amazing companies you can take a look at: Culture Trip, El Camino, Club Adventures, Explorer Chick, Flashpack, and Surf Bikini.”
-Sarah
One more YES for a retreat.⭐️❤️🫶🏻
Definitely love the retreat idea!! Though for me financially a domestic one is better than international