This Quarter, We're Staying Present

After three weeks of traveling through France, Morocco and Spain on my honeymoon, I keep lingering on some of the smallest details of the trip — the scents, textures and tastes that made certain moments memorable.

A reminder that mindfulness really can be found anywhere.

Smell Can Transport Us

I came home from France with four bottles of room spray - including fig, verbena, olive (sounds weird, but wonderful) and fleur d’orange. Apparently, I might have gotten carried away.

And then we got to Spain, where I discovered Loewe’s Orange Blossom. Clearly, I hadn’t gotten carried away enough.

A small souvenir, or five, but scent has an amazing way of holding onto a place. One spritz and suddenly I’m back in Provence or Spain, walking down a street, stepping into a hotel, or remembering a particular moment from the trip.

Our sense of smell is deeply connected to memory. Sometimes something as simple as a familiar scent can bring us right back to a place and time.

Touch Invites Us to Pay Attention

Rugs were everywhere in Moroccan, and here’s one place where I didn’t get carried away.

I didn’t buy a single carpet. I hadn’t come prepared with exact dimensions or photos of the rooms in my home, and without them, I just didn’t trust myself to make the right choice.

Now? I’m remorseful.

I keep thinking about several of those beautiful, one-of-a-kind rugs, the textures, colors, imperfections and craftsmanship. I’m imagining exactly where they belong in my home.

Maybe that’s part of what makes something memorable. I can still picture them, remember how they felt on my bare feet, and wish I’d trusted my instincts just a little more.

Touch has a way of doing that. The texture of a rug beneath your feet, the warmth of the sun on your skin, the softness of a favorite sweater — these small sensations draw our attention to exactly where we are/were.

And sometimes, apparently, they follow us all the way home.

Taste Turns a Moment into an Experience

One evening in Madrid, I had a gin and tonic that I’m still thinking about: Martin Sesse 100% natural gin from Madrid, Le Tribute tonic from Barcelona, ginger essence, fresh mint and one enormous cube of ice.

Nothing about drinking it was rushed. The flavors, the temperature, the scent of the mint — even the sound of the ice in the glass — made it something to notice and enjoy.

And then my server left the bottle of gin on the table in case I wanted to make my drink a little stronger. I actually had to ask whether I’d be charged for a second cocktail.

Nope. Apparently, that’s just how they do it in Madrid.

There was something wonderful about the whole experience — the presentation, the ritual, the permission to linger and enjoy.

It reminded me how different even an ordinary moment can feel when we slow down enough to experience and relish it.

Mindfulness doesn’t always mean sitting quietly with your eyes closed.

Sometimes it’s noticing a scent that transports you. Feeling what’s beneath your feet. Really tasting the first sip of a drink.

Smell. Touch. Taste. Enjoy!

Q3 2026 - Three Things We Love

CHILL in Inspiring Places