So beautifully written. Your newsletter has been an inspiration and I love reading your reflections on the places you visit. Thank you and enjoy your holiday.
Sometimes we end up exactly where we are meant to be. I myself wouldn't mind a break in Cornwall. Lucky you. Relax and enjoy your break. A thoughtful post. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. All the best.
Thanks Rosie. I agree, sometimes where we land is exactly where we need to be. I’m grateful for the break in Cornwall, it was lovely. Thank you for reading so thoughtfully, and for your kind wishes. All the best to you too.
“There’s a difference between movement and momentum” really landed for me, especially paired with the idea that stepping back isn’t falling behind. That’s such a hard one to unlearn, particularly after leaving a structured career where motion was the metric.
I also loved how you framed this season not as a consolation prize (no Havana, no salsa) but as an arrival in its own right. Polperro, scones, quiet mornings, bread baking — it reads like exactly the pause the solstice asks for. And maybe the kind of pause that lets creative work catch up to the person doing it.
Your shift to In Transit makes so much sense in this context. It holds the liminal, the in-between, the not-yet-decided — which is where so many of us actually live, even when Instagram pretends otherwise.
Thank you for naming slowness as part of the work, not a detour from it. This was grounding and generous.
Kelly, thank you and grateful for your generous reflections as always. I love your framing of the pause as something that lets the creative work catch up. It feels very true to where I am. 😊
Love your thoughts and your beautiful newsletter, Ibtissam! It was especially fun to collaborate on a piece together this year! I’ll see you in the new year!
Thank you so much Brooke! Grateful for your support and encouragement. I loved collaborating with you too, it was such a highlight of this first year. Wishing you a wonderful end to the year, and I’ll see you in the new one 😊
Aw I loved this so much! Such thoughtful reflections and I was nodding along to everything you’re letting go of and leaning into - I need to do less/more of those things as well. I hope you enjoy your slow paced holiday with lots of rest, books and bread. Sounds blissful!
Thanks Riana, and so happy they resonated with you. I think we’re all craving some of these changes, even if it takes time and courage to honour them. Wishing you a joyful and blissful time with your family in Brighton 😊
Beautiful reflections here Ibtissam. Its been a pleasure diving into your thoughts and experiences and I truly value our interactions on writing and cultural interactions (and I will get back to your last msg on that soon :)). Hope you have a nice break, Cuba disappointment notwithstanding, and I look forward to sharing more ideas with you in '26
Thanks J- that’s so kind. I’ve genuinely enjoyed our exchanges too, and I’m always learning from them. Your presence on this platform is truly appreciated. Looking forward to more shared reflections in ’26 😊
This was so nice to read this morning. Been realizing that slowing down does not mean standing completely still.
Thank you, I ’m really glad it resonated with you and love that way of putting it.
So beautifully written. Your newsletter has been an inspiration and I love reading your reflections on the places you visit. Thank you and enjoy your holiday.
Thank you so much, that truly means a lot. 🥹 I appreciate you taking the time to say so. Wishing you a lovely, restful holiday too.
Sometimes we end up exactly where we are meant to be. I myself wouldn't mind a break in Cornwall. Lucky you. Relax and enjoy your break. A thoughtful post. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. All the best.
Thanks Rosie. I agree, sometimes where we land is exactly where we need to be. I’m grateful for the break in Cornwall, it was lovely. Thank you for reading so thoughtfully, and for your kind wishes. All the best to you too.
Ibtissam — this felt like a deep exhale.
“There’s a difference between movement and momentum” really landed for me, especially paired with the idea that stepping back isn’t falling behind. That’s such a hard one to unlearn, particularly after leaving a structured career where motion was the metric.
I also loved how you framed this season not as a consolation prize (no Havana, no salsa) but as an arrival in its own right. Polperro, scones, quiet mornings, bread baking — it reads like exactly the pause the solstice asks for. And maybe the kind of pause that lets creative work catch up to the person doing it.
Your shift to In Transit makes so much sense in this context. It holds the liminal, the in-between, the not-yet-decided — which is where so many of us actually live, even when Instagram pretends otherwise.
Thank you for naming slowness as part of the work, not a detour from it. This was grounding and generous.
– Kelly
Kelly, thank you and grateful for your generous reflections as always. I love your framing of the pause as something that lets the creative work catch up. It feels very true to where I am. 😊
Love your thoughts and your beautiful newsletter, Ibtissam! It was especially fun to collaborate on a piece together this year! I’ll see you in the new year!
Thank you so much Brooke! Grateful for your support and encouragement. I loved collaborating with you too, it was such a highlight of this first year. Wishing you a wonderful end to the year, and I’ll see you in the new one 😊
Aw I loved this so much! Such thoughtful reflections and I was nodding along to everything you’re letting go of and leaning into - I need to do less/more of those things as well. I hope you enjoy your slow paced holiday with lots of rest, books and bread. Sounds blissful!
Thanks Riana, and so happy they resonated with you. I think we’re all craving some of these changes, even if it takes time and courage to honour them. Wishing you a joyful and blissful time with your family in Brighton 😊
Thank you! 💕
Beautiful reflections here Ibtissam. Its been a pleasure diving into your thoughts and experiences and I truly value our interactions on writing and cultural interactions (and I will get back to your last msg on that soon :)). Hope you have a nice break, Cuba disappointment notwithstanding, and I look forward to sharing more ideas with you in '26
Thanks J- that’s so kind. I’ve genuinely enjoyed our exchanges too, and I’m always learning from them. Your presence on this platform is truly appreciated. Looking forward to more shared reflections in ’26 😊
Good for you! I'm hoping to learn to slow down and enjoy reading and reflecting more, too.