Stop And Smell The Lilacs
Italy, McDonald's protests, and the ensuing art of "Slow Living"
Hey, it’s Alexandra. Welcome to my weekly newsletter where I share my latest reflections on professional development and well-being.
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This week, I share reflections on:
Why coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving
How Italians protesting McDonald's in Rome sparked a concept called “Slow Living”
How different tempos create harmony at different phases in life (so you may as well embrace shifts)
☕️ Read time: 2 mins (best with tea or coffee)
“Why do you go away?
So that you can come back.
So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors.
And the people there see you differently, too.
Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.”
—Terry Pratchett
Four years ago last Thursday, I landed in Montreal from Paris.
After the better part of my twenties abroad, I finally found my way “home” at age thirty.
The pandemic was in full swing, and I was the first of anyone I knew to board a flight since the lockdowns.
Some funny things I remember from that day are:
How dystopian, robotic, and sterile the airport and plane were—as though everyone was moving about a surgical environment.
The temperature gun a flight attendant pointed at my forehead pre-boarding (this was before COVID tests were created and fevers were the no-fly rule).
Everything was eerily closed at the airport and the mere nine of us in the same section of the plane were spaced as far as possible from each other.
Everyone had to wear masks at all times and the airline strictly provided water bottles which we were to sip by lowering our masks for short intervals.
Ironically, my mum—who’s a nurse—told me on arrival that my mask was inside out (and had been for the past ten hours).
It’s crazy how long ago that day feels four years later, and yet it’s still so vivid.
So much has changed since then. I can’t help but marvel at my camera roll-turned-time capsule.
From making my big move to changing careers, starting to write online, becoming an auntie, taking a run at self-employment, burning out, and transitioning back to a 9-5, the majority of the past four years moved at warp speed.
Shifting From Slow to Fast
Ironically, the lead-up to that speedy era of my life was preceded by the slowness—and borderline stillness—of living in Paris during the lockdown.
During that time, some of the world’s most incredible sites served as private oases on my daily walks.
In the last six months, I’ve dialled back my speed—not to the extent of pandemic Paris because that was ultra slow but to a healthier, more intentional mode.
Managing transition periods between fast and slow can be difficult, but in reflecting on this day four years ago, I realize how beneficial it is to embrace the growth that comes with learning how to adjust your tempo to create more harmony in your life.
Shifting From Fast to Slow
“Slow” tends to have negative connotations but can also be construed as not living in haste.
A couple of months ago, I stumbled upon a mindset born out of resistance to McDonald’s arrival in Rome in the ‘80s. Aptly titled “Slow Living,” this unconventional way of life is an antidote to running the wrong races.
The Art of “Slow Living”
“Slow living is a mindset whereby you curate a more meaningful and conscious lifestyle that’s in line with what you value most in life.
It means doing everything at the right speed. Instead of striving to do things faster, the slow movement focuses on doing things better.”
—Slow Living LDN
I know at some point in the future I’ll be excitedly sprinting toward something new, but for now, I’m enjoying a slower pace and finding beauty in the ordinary.
Shoutout to my time abroad for allowing me to see Montreal with “new eyes and extra colors.”
Thanks for reading and have a wonder-full week,
💛 Like or comment if you enjoyed this edition.
☕️ Reach out to grab coffee or tea in Montreal.
Have you read Slow Productivity by Cal Newport? Similar themes to what you're saying here. I'm certainly TRYING to move back to a more slower pace and enjoyed the book.
Travel sure helps us appreciate our everyday homed mire, Ally. I wrote about slowing down by discovering sketching on my current trip.