SHIFTING MY FOCUS (VI): Simplicity

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words. Well, I'm not sure about that word count, but I'd certainly say that each picture has a story to tell...

This week on the blog I'm telling short stories of things that I'm grateful for through pictures that I've taken in the last couple of months. One of my keywords for 2019 is simplicity. And although we are mostly used to giving thanks for the big things that happen in our lives, I'm learning that there are many little, simple things to give thanks for on a daily basis as well.

With that said, here are some of the things I've come to appreciate in the first quarter of the year...

 1. Self Portrait: after many random poses in an attempt to take the perfect selfie, I eventually relaxed my facial muscles and just clicked on the camera button - and this was the result! For some reason, I can't stop looking at this picture. Maybe it's because I actually recognize the woman staring back at me. I've found that, regardless of how many pictures I take of myself - or are taken of me, I'm always drawn to the simplest ones, the ones that I feel most accurately portray what I look like.

2. Tropical Hibiscus Flower: I'm also always drawn to flowers because I find that they effortlessly display beauty in its purest form. I came across this perfectly white (and pink) tropical hibiscus flower the other afternoon, and couldn't help but capture it so that I could keep admiring it later on.🌸

3. A typical day in the neighborhood: I was on my way to church one Sunday evening when I saw this old man riding past me on his bicycle with a sack of charcoal tied to the back of it. It reminded me of something my Dad likes to say, "Kenyans are the most hardworking people in this world".Yes, it's a biased opinion.😄 But I tend to agree with him when I come across people like this man.
​

4. Photo of me: I always appreciate it when other people take pictures of me because I think it's important to see yourself through someone else's eyes every now and then. Who knows? Through it, you might learn something new about yourself. 😉This picture of me was taken by my friend, Samantha; and quite simply put, I really like it! 

5. Veggies: Earlier this year we had a few guests over for lunch, and just before we started cooking my sister put the vegetables in the sink to be washed. I was drawn by their natural, vibrant colors, and couldn't help but pull out my phone from my pocket for a picture.🥕

6. A beautiful setting: Samantha and I had lunch at The Lava Latte recently, and we immediately fell in love with their setup. One of my favorite spots to eat there is the one pictured above. It was clear to me from this setup that simplicity really is key; it clearly doesn't take much to come up with something that works and is also aesthetically pleasing. 

​7. Rainy day: It's been so hot in Nairobi since the beginning of the year that on most days it feels as if we're sitting in an oven. So when I arrived in The Netherlands early last month, I was happy to find that it was raining. The happy feeling didn't last long though, as I soon discovered that it was freezing cold, too. I guess you can't have your cake and eat it... 😄

8. Pink basil: while in The Netherlands, my friend Marie and I decided to go out for brunch. And to my surprise, she suggested that we eat at a Vietnamese restaurant called Little V. Although it wasn't what I'd had in mind when I suggested that we do brunch, I ended up really enjoying the meal we had there (see Instagram stories for more). My drink, the pink basil, was my favorite part of the meal. It's made of fresh orange juice, strawberries, and Vietnamese basil. 

9. The Last Supper: for some reason I was really craving some McD's while in NL. But I just couldn't find the time to pop into a McDonald's and buy myself something to eat. It's funny how life works, though, because I ended up having some trouble at the airport before boarding my flight back to Kenya, and out of it I got a free meal voucher which I could use at any restaurant in the airport. You can guess where I went! (Looking back, I kind of wish I'd chosen a restaurant that I haven't eaten at before, but oh well...) I got myself a Fanta Orange soda & a Big Tasty burger. It's safe to say that it's the best last supper I've had in a while. ​

10. Views: there's only one thing I enjoy more than visiting new places - and that's the actual plane journey there. I find it somewhat magical that for hours we get to fly through the clouds, and also get a front-row view of the sunrise and the sunset - depending on how long the flight is. How awesome is that? After a restless night, I woke up to find us sandwiched between the clouds and the clear, blue sky. And as usual, it wasn't enough just to stare...

11. Palm trees in the city - I only recently started noticing how many palm trees we have in Nairobi - and boy! Do we have a few! The one pictured above is located in the town center. I find that it makes the area around it look less dreary and much more appealing than if it weren't there at all. But maybe that's just me...

12. Lemonade: as I mentioned before, I've had quite the warm welcome back (pun intended) to Kenya since returning last December. On the one hand, just sitting still on my bed has been a physically uncomfortable exercise, thanks to the heat. But on the other hand, it's been a constant reminder for me to stay hydrated. Pictured above is a jar of lemonade - one of two drinks I had when lunching with Samantha at The Lava Latte. It was such a welcome relief in that scorching heat!

Any small (or big) things you already find yourself grateful for this year? If you haven't thought of anything yet, I hope this post challenges you to find the joy and beauty in the simplest things in the coming months - and to not take them for granted. 😉😊

​- ✗O✗O.
​