What I am going to share with you today may seem really simple, and some of these lessons you may have already learned. To set the context, I have been working for more than 20 years, and all the competencies I developed were oriented toward my work, not my inner development. It’s like I am discovering life after my 40s, and that’s a bit of a summary of what’s coming next…

I thought I would bore myself to death without a job, lacking the regular routine of getting up, commuting, working, having lunch (sometimes with my coworkers), working, and going back home…

D+1

I sometimes wondered what the next day would be like. I called it D+1.

Nothing is close to what I had imagined.

Life is exquisite.

I am very busy. I am clearly not the type of person who gets bored easily. I always have friends and family to see, plans coming up. I must admit I am well-surrounded and have a great community of friends here, which I am very grateful for.

For example, this blog requires productive time and inspiration, and I am very motivated by it (by the way).

Today, I am writing from Cubelles, having a decaffeinated coffee with oat milk by the sea, letting my mind wander with the back-and-forth sounds of the waves. I am trying to eliminate coffee from my life because it stresses me and increases my anxiety level. However, I cannot give up this Spanish habit of morning coffee with milk. One of the greatest advantages of living here is that Spanish people know how to enjoy coffee and life. Moreover, I love immersing myself in the Spanish and Catalan atmosphere, surrounded by people busy discussing. I love this ambiance and the ambient sounds. It soothes me.

This morning I woke up before sunrise at 6 o’clock after six hours of sleep. I also notice I need fewer hours of sleep; my body is full of energy, whereas when I was working, waking up was a nightmare.

I went to see the sunrise over the sea as usual, one of my favorite activities. I took my laptop, my mobile, and nothing else. I thought I would find a café in Sitges and write from there. I found myself walking towards Vilanova on the coast and then pushed a bit further to Cubelles, discovering new places and walking paths. It was about 14 km, out of the blue, with no water and hardly any battery left on my mobile. This city/village is really sweet, small, and cozy. A nice walking path by the beach, with fewer tourists than in Sitges. One of the places I could live, I think. I have spotted nice houses with tremendous views between both cities. 🙂

I am trying to make the most of my day-to-day life and find my inner rhythm. I haven’t had the opportunity before, as I was burdened with work and imposed a rhythm for more than 20 years. I am exploring myself.

What I have discovered so far:

I like to practice yoga. Either alone with my 20-minute morning routine with Jason Crandell, a soft, energizing, and stretching activity or with my friend M., who offers me private lessons on her lovely terrace.

I like to walk (a lot!), whenever I have the opportunity and the weather permits it.

Quite often, to be honest.

Spring is a delightful season, though unfortunately, Catalonia is experiencing a catastrophic drought this year. I go alone or with friends into nature. I prefer using an old-fashioned map, avoiding the location services on my mobile. I try to discover as many walking paths from home as possible or revisit the ones I love.

I enjoy meeting my friends and former colleagues, having lunch or dinner with them whenever the opportunity arises.

I like to eat healthy food and avoid drinking alcohol, which is challenging when I am out with friends. I can’t resist salty and greasy food, bread, and wine. My next goal is to avoid alcohol when I’m with family and friends. I am not there yet, and it is a bumpy road ahead. I am counting on healthier food in Africa, back to basics, with frugal meals. I also try to spend as little money as possible in my day-to-day life. This includes taking care of myself, cooking, preparing nice meals, and limiting my impact. It is not easy as it seems I am always on the move.

All these changes clearly impact my appearance. Everyone I know has told me that my face has changed. It seems I look much more relaxed and joyful.

My Camera

Lately, my activities have been focused on my camera, which I don’t have with me right now as nothing this morning was really planned. I should think twice next time I wake up. I really needed to get a new camera as everything was stolen during New Year’s Eve at my place. I cannot go to Africa without a camera—impossible. Imagine being close to the most beautiful wildlife in the world and not being able to immortalize the moment.

It was easier than I expected.

With the help of X., who knows everything about Nikon, and my previous experiences with past cameras, we figured out what would be the perfect camera for me after a long morning of talk and research on the Internet. A Nikon Z50 along with a 70-300 mm Tamron lens with a Z-mount. I found it second-hand on Wallapop and decided to take the chance.

Why did I choose this camera?

Here are the main characteristics:

• The Z50 is similar to the Zfc, my former camera, which I was happy with.
• It is lighter; the overall weight of the lens and body is less than 1 kg. This is crucial for me to be able to use a camera. If it’s too heavy, I won’t bring it, which is pointless.
• The body and lens are weather-sealed (built to withstand conditions in tropical countries: heat, humidity, insects…), an important feature for where I am heading.
• The 70-300 mm lens offers a nice zoom capability, which, combined with the DX format factor, gives me 450 mm. The only drawback of this lens is the aperture isn’t great, and combined with no VR (Vibration Reduction), I may struggle in low light conditions at the beginning or end of the day to get good exposure and focus.

I received the lens and camera body quickly. There were no surprises, and the quality was what I expected. Lucky again. I have already started using and practicing with it twice, with my friends in Reus and in Delta del Ebre. I have set it up to my preferences while reading the manual (at last). I am sharing some of the results I obtained. It looks promising. I am happy I managed to get some focused photos of very fast birds and animals.

My plan is to keep practicing over the coming weeks to be ready for Africa.

A Surprise

I wanted to share a recent surprise that came into my life. Unforeseen. Pure beauty. I might be going to Africa earlier than I thought. Kenya might be on my schedule in May. If everything is confirmed, I will be closer to Africa than ever before, traveling earlier than I thought. I will enjoy my first safari trip ahead of schedule. I have never done one. I am so excited, you have no idea!

So let’s cross fingers that everything turns out great next week.