One month

Today marks my one month anniversary in Hong Kong. In some ways I feel like I've been gone for a really long time, partly because I have done so much already, but partly because I haven't been always living in the present moment. One of the hardest things for me has been to live in the moment here. When I got here, I was hung up on some things that I had left behind, and I also thought a lot about what would happen in the future instead of just living presently and fully.

In this past week I have really settled in here. I know where to get groceries, I know my local coffee shop and I finally know how to get to and from work. It doesn't mean that exploring where I live is over, it just means there is more familiarity to me now. I am no longer living in the past, or hoping for things in the future. I am living in Hong Kong in the moment--fully and presently. Despite the title of this post, I am not counting down days any more. That, more than anything so far, has been my greatest learning. Once I gave that up I felt more at home here and much more at peace.

Here is one of my favourite quotes, which I am applying to daily life here in Asia, as well as some shots of my HK 'hood. This is where I live.

"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly."

-Buddha

My current playlist:

Behind the Moon - Matt Costa

Tenuousness - Andrew Bird
Skin - Sade
While We Wait - Jack Johnson
The Rain - The Swell Season
Kashmir - Led Zeppelin
Forest of Tears - One Hundred Dollars
Walking Wounded - Everything but the girl
Dos Gardenias - Buena Vista Social Club
Walk Away - Ben Harper

(Don't forget I have more pictures on Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/kathleenpics/)