Hello 2021!
And hello to you all!
A new year has started and it has been almost 2 years since I launched Lost & Found Memories, but I realised I have never introduced myself here properly. So an introduction (and a re-introduction to LFM) is in order.
I am Gizem and I created Lost & Found Memories to honour the serendipity of life. I am a London based blogger. I specialise in growth strategies of start-ups at work. And for the rest of my life I focus on my passion for travelling, finding peace and happiness, conscious living, eating well, reading, dancing, and growing in every experience!
In 2019, I had a moment of realisation in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. I realised how I built chains for myself and how far I was from the person I wanted to be. I knew I had to let go of the things that drained me and slowed me down, including my job and even some friendships.
Fast forward to today, I am now living in congruence with the person I desire to be. I am feeling happy and confident. Every moment of my life is dedicated to things that help me grow and feel alive. I focus on my life with the support of great coaches, who push me to be my higher self in every possible way. I am no longer afraid to build my own business (even during these difficult times). I also feel that my heart is finally open again to possibilities.
2020 was definitely the year of Lost & Found Memories. Our plans, ambitions, desires were put on hold by an invisible threat. Businesses struggled, people lost their jobs, relationships were tested. We all had to let go of many valuable things and make the most of our days with what we already had.
Will 2021 be significantly different? Only time will tell. But I strongly believe that we all can create a great year if we keep the biggest learning of 2020 in our minds: “Do the hard work, but surrender to the outcome.”
In 2021, LFM will be the voice of hope and the constant reminder to create joy through the ashes of our old lives that no longer serve us. It is all about letting go and keeping an open heart.
Now that you know a bit about me and Lost & Found Memories, I’d love to know more about you. Share your story and how you built resilience in 2020 below!
The Value of Human Connection
Can you put a value on human connection?
If human connection was in the stock market from the beginning of the Coronavirus developments, probably we would have seen a massive drop in value early March, and then a sudden jump -around now- due to scarcity - at least in Europe.
It has been 75 days since my lockdown has started. 75 days... is a long time:
2 months and 14 days
10 weeks and 5 days
1800 hours
108,000 minutes
6,480,000 seconds
It is 20.5% of 2020. 😱
When lockdown was first introduced, it was a welcomed change in my day to day routine.
There was no stress of catching a virus from strangers.
No frustration of every-day rush hour.
No fight to squeeze yourself into whatever public transport you take and feel like you are just another sardine in the can.
Instead all of these were replaced with:
breakfasts in bed
more time for morning meditation
reading more pages in my book in the morning
longer morning stretches
and, if I didn't feel like any of the above, then longer sleep.
That additional 30 - 60 minutes revolutionised my mornings.
But after a while, all that positivity of slow living was shadowed by the plague of uncertainty:
Hearing about colleagues and friends being made redundant
Declining values in all critical business metrics
Lack of clarity as to when the lockdown might end
Intense longing for every basic experience
This is the point when the human connection became more important then ever.
I, personally, am finding it very difficult to get motivated at the moment, unless I made a meaningful communication at some point in my day.
"Meaningful" is the operative word here. No more initial hunger of jumping on calls with everyone or just sending millions of memes every day. No more chit chat or gossip.
Instead, it created space for more intentional catchups, thinking about how each call can be more fun and meaningful for one another, a fine balance of light, fun and thought-provoking conversation. It also highlighted the quality of friendships/relationships, who had circumstantial presence in my life and whose company I truly enjoyed. It also made me reflect on how I could be inspiring, fun, motivating, more present for those who truly mattered to me.
Yesterday it was an old friend's birthday and we had a mini remote birthday celebration. Checking in with one another, drinking, chatting, future planning... After the call, life felt better and easier. Things I needed to do didn't seem so big. And even relaxing became more natural afterwards.
If there is one thing I learned about myself during this lockdown is that I definitely get energised by human connection. And that is priceless.
As long as it is meaningful to me.
Portugal (2) - Ericeira | A Traveller's Serendipity
You must have heard Einstein’s famous saying:
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.”
I am no Einstein, though, as 2018 was coming to an end, I decided to leave my insanity behind and do things that I had never done before. There were two things that topped the list: a) Surfing, b) Scuba diving. Both related to water, which somehow has always had cleansing and rejuvenating impact on me. They also challenge me in different ways, which made them perfect to discover a different version of myself.
So I consulted my best advisor: Google - “best places to learn surfing”
My initial plan was to go to Tenerife in December and celebrate the end of 2018 by returning to water. But life got in the way - as it always does, and other priorities took over. In the meantime, Ericeira started appearing in my search results.
After seeing an Instagram post from a friend on her surf experience in Ericeira, I made up my mind: I was going to Ericeira. At this stage, being the rookie I am, I still had no clue what a little gem this town was.
I first tried to book my stay with the surf house that my friend recommended, but they were not going to be open until 15 March and I wanted to celebrate my birthday surfing the waves on 9 March. So I booked my trip with another school I found online. Yet, another happy surprise came my way and I had to push back my stay by one week, which meant that the first surf house that I heard of on Instagram was going to be open during those days.
Oh life, how much fun do you have when you destroy our carefully designed plans?
“Go with the flow” I said to myself and sticked to the original plan.
So in the end, I was going to celebrate my birthday in London (not on the waves) and go to Ericeira the week after (not during the week of my birthday), staying at the surf house I found online (during the dates when the original surf house I wanted to stay in was going to be open).
I arrived at Ericeira on Friday evening following a day in Lisbon. I took the bus from Campo Grande bus terminal, which costs less than €7.
Ericeira bus terminal at the town centre… Only minutes away from famous surf houses & beaches
When I arrived in Ericeira it was around 10pm. The surf house offered to pick me up from the terminal, which I was grateful for. After settling in, I quickly fell asleep. The next day, I was fully rested and ready for the week ahead at Chill in Ericeira, which, by the end of my trip, became on my favourite places on the planet.
So what’s so special about Chill in Ericeira? Well, it is decorated in a colourful, quirky and artistic fashion, has a great ocean view, a backyard and a small bar. It is located very close to the town. But more than anything, it is the people! The guests, the staff and the surf teachers - every one I have met came from very different walks of life, but were all so very inspiring in their own way.
Ericeira, also called by many as “happy place”, “heavenly home” or “a magical place”, is a beautiful town. I was mesmerised by the shades of blue in the day and the size of starts at night. The town has so many faces - old buildings, surf shops, restaurants, cafes, bars, independent local shops, beaches… Bring your camera and you won’t be short of good Instagram-worthy pictures. I, personally, loved it so much there, my one-week holiday was extended for another week.
What turned out to be a complete serendipity in terms of timing, location and people was the best thing happened in my life for a very long time. It was like reaching heaven and falling back on Earth with the best heavenly experiences.
“How about surfing?” you may ask. Well, I do not need to vouch for this world-known surfer town. I, on the other hand, am at the very beginning of my surfing journey, still finding my balance, falling often, learning slowly… Yet, it is a journey that I am willing to commit to and let’s see where it takes me. Just going with the flow…
I am going back to Ericeira on 27 April, yet I often find myself wondering whether I will feel the magic again. Or was it a one time thing? I shall see…
Portugal (1) - Lisbon | Where the Restless Go for a Rest
As I grew up in a Mediterranean climate/culture, I always find myself at home in other Mediterranean countries. Having said that, for some reason, Portugal has never made it to my list of places to see. I have never felt too keen to see Lisbon, which has become very popular recently. I guess the main (subconscious) reason was my doubt on what new discoveries I would make in Portugal which would be different to Spain.
Oh, how little I knew and how wrong I was!
After seeing an Instagram post from a friend on her surf experience in Ericeira, I made up my mind. I was going to Portugal. I will post a separate post on my surf journey in Ericeira. But now it is all about my first stop: Lisbon.
My trip to Portugal started following a very long and (both physically and emotionally) exhausting period at work. After arriving late at night, I spent the first night and the first day in Lisbon, working remotely from various cafes that Lisbon offers.
My Airbnb was at the historic and commercial heart of the city, which is known as Baixa.
This vibrant shopping/bar destination and tourist attraction is walking distance away from the port. I am a happy person as long as the sea/ocean/river is easily accessible and as long as I can get a glance of blue water from the hills or in-between houses. In that sense I was based in a perfect spot.
On the first day, I wandered around to find a breakfast spot. Dismissing all the recommendations my friends offered ahead of my trip, I have asked Google - best breakfast places near me. And the rest of the day followed a similar pattern - Google and I started strolling around the city, checking out places spontaneously.
My Google-recommended breakfast spot (shown as the third picture on the first row and first picture on the second row above), Fábrica Lisboa was beyond my expectations. With a modern cafe menu and old school decorations it reconnects present and the past in one place. Staff was extremely polite and helpful. One thing to bear in mind is that this (seemingly) obscure neighbourhood cafe gets very popular very quickly. As I was looking for a place to work from during the day, it dawned on me very quickly that I was not at the right spot - people were queueing up to get a table and leaving as soon as they finished their food. So I started cafe-hopping around the city centre to find a better place to work from.
My second best find was Pois Café, located in Alfama. Vibrant colours, relaxed atmosphere, great food for every meal occasion… I spent the second half of my day there, had my work calls (with a beer -or two) and had an amazing salad for lunch.
Once all the work was done, I was in a perfect location to get back on the road again and immerse myself with architectural texture, colour, the blend of old and new, great wine and great food.
I spent the entire day getting lost and discovering new and equally amazing parts of the city. I guess, Lisbon is one of the most open cities I have seen. You don’t have to plan anything, the city offers its beauties to you unconditionally.
The other discovery I made was that the city was secretly conquered by birds. Lisbon birds know where the best spots are, deploy themselves among humans with no shame and potentially plot against the rest of the world. I wonder if this would lead to a modern interpretation of Hitchcock’s The Birds one day. But that’s an idea for Netflix.
One week later I made a second visit to Lisbon and spent another day and night there. While I still had no plans and was just following my “get-lost-and-discover” strategy, I was more focused on the street art. Lisbon is just full of amazing artwork, hidden messages, jokes, beautiful drawings. If you are a fan of street art, you certainly won’t be disappointed here.
If you are going to Lisbon for the first time, here is a brief description of some key area:
Bairro Alto/Chiado: This area is know for its nightlife and shops. Bairro Alto has plethora of restaurants and bars, which makes it perfect for people to take their drinks outside and enjoy warm summer nights!
Belem: This is a major neighbourhood with plenty of monuments dedicated to the Discoveries period. Definitely one of the most beautiful areas in Lisbon – Mosteiro dos Jeronimos and Padrao dos Descobrimentos are must-see places!
Baixa and the Castle: This is where the major hotels, major brands shops and theatres are. It’s beautiful to just walk along the street and check the architecture and experience the vibe of the city.
Parque das Nacoes: The neighbourhood is located in the eastern part of the city and was revamped during the 1998 World Expo. It is worthwhile to visit for its nice buildings and gardens.
Alfama: This typical Portuguese neighbourhood has been my absolute favourite. Steep hills, narrow streets, old houses, boutique shops and fado houses at every corner… Oh, lots of street art.
What else to do while in Lisbon?
Go to a fado house
Try Vinho Verde
Go to the top of Elevador de Santa Justa and enjoy the view
Go to the Pasteis de Belem to buy the best pastel de natas in town
Check out LX Factory for cool and exciting art studios, bars and restaurant and live music
Honouring A Brand-New Day
Welcome to my blog: A Brand-New Day. 🎉
The name has a very special meaning to me. If you are anything like me and building every piece of your life brick by brick, then the strength that got you where you are today may also come with some form of resistance to change.
While changes that the life throws at us are usually unexpected, I am also realising that even after the most earth-shattering change, in the end I always find myself under the bright sky and in the midst of a calm blue ocean, where everything makes sense after all and all my worries seem so small in the vastness of possibilities.
What it took to get to this point of peace and acceptance was losing who I was along the way and rediscovering who I wanted to be: Leaning into the brand-new day and welcoming all the changes it brings.
And now I cannot imagine another moment without change and I feel ready to embark on a completely new path. Every. Single. Day.
So this blog is about this new journey I will be on, what I am building and how I am leading my life. For every day is full of new opportunities and every challenge opens up new paths.
Careless Summer Days, Ayvalik, Turkey