3 Personal Highlights From September

Happy October! I can’t believe it’s already October. Soon, the snow will be falling, Christmas trees will be lit and Matthew and I will be celebrating our first Christmas (and anniversary) together.

I LOVE this time of year.

But, before I get ahead of myself like I always do, let’s rewind on the things I enjoyed about September. Here are 3 personal highlights from the past month.

Moving into my tiny home

If you follow me on Instagram (@thebookofmolly), you will know I moved houses. Finally, I waved the West Kelowna bridge goodbye and I became a full Kelowna resident. I moved into a tiny cottage that has a loft and it’s SO beautiful. I can’t wait to share an apartment tour with you all soon.

I ended up spending a lot of time moving, packing and unpacking, but now my life is all in order. Matthew and I had coffee outside last Sunday morning on my front porch and it was glorious. The mornings are crisp and the sun creeps in through the trees and it’s like I’m in a cabin in the middle of the woods. I feel like I’m away on holiday, then I remember this is my home now.

I’m so happy!

Obi is also enjoying adventuring outside in my backyard and I’m enjoying being so close to downtown.

Working on my fitness

In September I quit my gym membership. I reluctantly did this but I had been thinking of doing it for awhile. I never make it to the gym and I didn’t always feel like I got the most out of it. It was a hard decision because I love all the women there, but I needed to save money. Maybe one day I’ll get another membership. 

? Be Still ? As the leaves begin to fall to the ground, I’ve been making a conscious effort to look around. I’ve been looking at the different colours, I’ve been breathing in the crisp morning air and I’ve been watching the world speed by. It’s amazing what you notice when you watch the space that surrounds you. I often find that it moves too fast for me. Sometimes I find that the world is on fast-forward while I personally enjoy slow motion. Slowing down is something I crave. I want cozy nights inside, wrapped up in a blanket, allowing my mind to relax and take a break. While I’ve been making a conscious effort to look around, I’ve also been focusing on practicing stillness. For the past two mornings, I’ve woken up, made my coffee and popped on a meditation podcast. I’ve been allowing myself to sit still for 5-10 minutes and just be. Mornings aren’t my thing and I found I was pressing my fast-forward button to get out of the door in the morning, leaving my mind blurry all day. Slowing down in the morning and allowing myself to wake up and prepare for the day has done wonders. For just three minutes today, turn your phone on airplane mode, shut your eyes from this horrific world and focus on your breathing. Once the three minutes is up, you’ll feel a wave of relief. Then tomorrow, try being still for five minutes. No one has ever regretted getting to know their mind better.#practicestillness #bestillmyheart

A post shared by Molly Gibson Kirby (@thebookofmolly) on Oct 3, 2017 at 1:41pm PDT

I’ve been focusing on training for my half marathon and doing at-home workouts. It’s been actually great. I’m putting time and effort into yoga, meditation, and short youtube classes. I’ve also been biking to and from work some days, which makes me feel good.

With just biking, I have an hour of cardio a day!

2 Year Kelownaversary

Home sweet home ❤️ #BritishColumbia

A post shared by Molly Gibson Kirby (@thebookofmolly) on Sep 26, 2015 at 1:00pm PDT

It’s been 2 years since I moved to British Columbia! On September 26th, 2015, I stopped my car on the side of the road and took a photo with the BC sign. I was thinking “oh this will be a fun adventure”. I never thought Kelowna or BC would be my forever home, but that’s what it’s become in these past two years.

I’ve grown so much as a person, writer, career woman and partner in the time I’ve been here and I couldn’t be more proud of myself. When I was living in northern Manitoba, I knew I needed a new adventure. I wanted out of the north and I wanted to be surrounded by the mountains.

There’s not a day that goes by that I’m not in awe of my surroundings. So far I haven’t had the urge for a new adventure. I’ve become quite smitten Kelowna and the life I’ve created for myself here.

For my anniversary, after packing up my old apartment and unpacking my new one, Matthew took us out for dinner. We went to Urban Fare and I had a delicious mango curry wrap and he treated me to a blizzard after.

He sure is the best and is always a personal highlight of every month.

So, another month is done and dusted. This month I am focusing on my fall refresh list, which you can read about >> here <<. I’m also working on a full blog post about the whole list and everything I’m doing to make myself feel better this month.

Happy October everyone!