I moved around a lot as a kid.
Every three years to be exact. Cuz my dad kept getting promoted and transferred with his job.
By the time I was 17, I’d lived in 3 different cities, 6 different homes, and had gone to 7 different schools.
I don’t know know about you, but that sounds like a lot of change to me.
Most people I know lived in the same house for decades and went to 2 or 3 schools at most.
Including my own son (same home for 20 years and only 2 schools).
I’ve often been asked if all that moving was hard on me as a kid.
My answer?
No! Not in the least.
In fact, I absolutely loved it!
(Except for the one when I was 15 and had to leave my high school friends! But I’ll leave *that* story for another day.)
I must confess that as a friendly extrovert I reveled in all the ‘new girl’ attention I got. (Hello 👋🏻 baby of the family over here!)
I loved making new friends and having new experiences. Not to mention meeting lots of new (cute) boys!
(Hey, I was just a kid, remember?!)
All those moves helped to shape who I am as a person. And what makes me happy in life…
AKA, my top values…
Fun, adventure, travel, variety!
And heartfelt connections.
(I’ve lovingly collected friends from around the world the way others have collected stamps). ❤️
It turns out, those same things are also what help me get my mojo back whenever I start feeling stuck or flat.
Years later, I still love exploring and having fun, meeting people, and traveling to new places.
Which is why, after what seemed like the longest Vancouver winter in history (it snowed here in March for goodness’ sakes! ), I was super excited to leave my regular routine behind.
And jet set off to sunny Mexico with my big sister.
While she and I have done some shorter vacays, it’d been years since we’d taken a BIG one together.
(Australia 🦘 2018 with our kids)
Besides the occasional sibling miscommunication (*ehem* didn’t she realize I’d be worrying by the pool when she didn’t show up for a whole hour? But I digress!)…
AND our teeny-weeny hotel bathroom (the door wouldn’t close if the toilet seat lid shifted one tiny bit)!
AND the food poisoning we got on our last night (Wtf? We’d saved the most expensive restaurant til the end! And THAT’S what happened?!)…
Those 11 days together turned out to be…
SO. MUCH. FUN!
We took buses, boats, trams, and taxis, and:
☀️ Watched from a rooftop bar high above the city as humpback whales frolicked below us in Bandares Bay.
☀️ Visited a quaint little beach town that you can only access by boat, the beautiful Vallarta Botanical Garden in the Sierra Madre Mountains, and the lovely surf town of Sayulita (where Bachelor in Paradise is filmed).
☀️ Took long, barefoot walks on the beach every morning.
☀️ Chatted with loads of people…like everyone, everywhere! (yeah, you could say my sister’s a social butterfly like me!)
☀️ Enjoyed wine and appies on our hotel balcony, before heading out to watch the spectacular sunsets every night.
And of course we laughed as only sisters can…
And ate! A LOT!
Warm sugary churros from the street vendor. Spicy tacos. 🌮 Fresh mango gelato. 🍨
The best thin-crust pizza. 🍕 EVER!
It was a food extravaganza! (Did I mention I love to eat?!)
Our ‘sis-cation’ turned out to be the perfect blend of adventure and relaxation.
Sunshine, laughter, connection — everything I needed to get my mojo back and remember how good it feels to just be in the moment
Looking back, if I could sum up, in just one word, what that trip gave me it would be…
JOY.
More joy.
I definitely got my mojo back!
Which made me realize something important…
We don’t have to wait for big vacations or perfect timing to get our mojo back.
Joy can return in the small, everyday ways we choose to show up for ourselves — a walk, a laugh, a cup of coffee shared with someone we love.
“Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.” ~ Henri J.M. Noewen
So what about you..
Are you choosing joy — in small, real ways — every day?
If not, that’s OK.
Sometimes we just need a spark — a reminder of what lights us up.
That’s exactly why I created 101 Ways to Bring More Joy Into Your Everyday Life.
— a free guide packed with simple, doable ideas to help you rediscover what makes you feel alive and inspired again.
You can grab it here 👉 101 Ways to Bring More Joy Into Your Everyday Life
And if my joyful Mexican adventure with my sister resonated with you, maybe it’s time to unlock your own happiness!
Here’s to finding your spark, getting your mojo back, and bringing more joy into your life — one small, joyful moment at a time.
Kerry xo