hey hey! can you believe that it's already march? we're knee deep in primary elections and spring (for those of you in the usa), but here in cambodia, we are approaching hot season and we are knee deep in the crossfit open. at the beginning of the month, i will bring you a list of my favourite things from the previous month. so here's what we had going on in february...and you should check all of this out.
BOOOOOOOK!
jes baker is a blogger and one of the head figures in the body positivity movement. i know that i probably have some readers that think that the body positivity movement is a load of bull****. but. it's not. it's not about glorifying obesity, or encouraging bad eating habits. it's about embracing your body, no matter the size. all bodies are good bodies. as someone who has been body shamed a majority of my life, i found a lot of encouragement in this book. fat girls are often told that we will never amount to much until we achieve this ideal body type. if i had a dollar for every time i was told "you'll be so pretty when you lose weight" or "you'll be so much happier when you lose weight". i'm pretty and happy now. am i trying to lose weight, yes. but not for happiness or vanity. i'm doing it for me. because i want it for my body. when i first started to lose weight, i did it for vanity and for other people. i'm part of the body positivity movement, because i want girls to know that they are powerful, smart, creative, intelligent, and all of these things without having to worry about their body. (this topic could be and will be a whole other blog entry in and of itself.)
PODCAST!!
i discovered call your girlfriend from another blog. it's two best friends that just talk about things. they record in different places because they are long distant best friends. i was really missing my best friend the day i discovered it, and was instantly hooked to this podcast. they're funny and smart, and i wish terri and i had thought of this idea sooner. because we'd have the most hilarious podcast anyone has ever heard.
MUSIC!!!!
gary clark jr. this dude can play like nobody's business. oh my gosh. i heard about him a couple years ago, then i saw him play at forecastle 2014 and i was blown away. my dad loves him too. gary is going to be the next buddy guy or b.b. king. i can listen to him play all day, every day. i grew up listening to a lot of music, but my dad's favourite has always been the blues. i developed quite an ear for it over the last 33 years. a lot of my favourite bands have heavy blues influence. gary clark is no joke.
YOUTUBE!!!!!
okay. i watch a very unhealthy amount of youtube videos. they help me relax, they help me be creative, they inspire me, they give me different outlooks, or they are simply entertainment.
kickthepj is among my top 5 youtubers. his videos are always so creative and innovative. he has a series called "oscar's hotel" that i love!!! it's so great. my imagination is pretty fantastical, so i can't get enough of this series. you MUST watch. it's available on vimeo, but here's a link to the trailer on youtube.
kickthepj trailer-oscar's hotel
EXPERIENCE!!!!
this weekend, i got to spend an entire day at one of the best pools in cambodia.
spending the day there made me feel the most relaxed i have been since i've been here. i love the water; ocean, lake, river, pool, doesn't matter. water really relaxes me. i got to hang out with my friend, chat, read, get some sun (and not burn!). there are some incredible views in this city. no wonder they call it the "kingdom of wonder". when you're on a rooftop, you can't see all the hustle, all you see is the calm. it allowed me to really appreciate this opportunity and how i want to use it for my future. i appreciate the people that i've met here and the experiences i've had in these few short months.
see you later this week!!