It's time to check our steps and cross some bridges...

No smart watch or structure over water required.

Happy Thursday!

For my obligatory pleasantry-pleasantry opener, I offer this fun fact: as of today (2/22/24), there are 25 days until Spring.

Put that sunshine in your coffee and stir.☀️☕

Enjoy some relaxing music with this nice video that I call “Stuart Smalley Does Spring”

But getting to the topic of this week’s newsletter.

Bridges.

Yes, bridges.

You may be wondering exactly what I put in my coffee. (Actually, you know, I’ve told you before.)

For some reason, all sorts of ideas/quotes about bridges have been coming up for me lately. The other day, the oldie but goodie “Don’t burn your bridges” popped into my head during yoga. (honestly, no idea why…)

This led me to think, “Sure, it's great not to burn bridges, but how about we focus on simply crossing bridges… or even moving toward them?”

As in… let’s do something and not let fear stop us from pursuing a dream because (like crossing a bridge) the other side is so unknown.

This whole mini-head drama made me think of my trip last spring to Zamora, Spain. I was there on a press trip to cover Zamora’s famous Semana Santa or Holy Week. The trip turned out to be one of the top ten experiences (not just trips, but experiences) of my life. But getting there wasn’t a slam-dunk - I had to take risks and work hard to bring it all together. (Read the behind-the-scenes story here.)

My friend Isabel and me in front of Zamora’s famous bridge, Puente de Piedra

In a nutshell, I first got the idea to travel to Zamora in 2023 while I was on a train headed for the first stop on a week-long Camino trip in 2022. When I saw Zamora come up as a train stop, I thought, “I’m going to return to Spain next Spring and go to Zamora’s Holy Week.”

I could’ve brushed that thought aside and let it die because making that happen felt impossible at best - I’d have to secure a media outlet for my stories, get sponsored in some way, find the resources to travel to Spain again etc., etc.

Lots of logistics.

But I kept Zamora in the back of my mind and pursued the dream, little by little. (Revisit this post for more on small steps & Zamora.)

This whole story leads me to What I’d Rather Be Talking About this week, which is actually a quote from another Substack. (new twist!) I have no idea when or why I signed up for the newsletter A Message From The Universe (maybe divine guidance?), but the other day, that newsletter sent me this message, and it HIT HOME:

Appears as you step.

Say that about ten times.

And then start stepping.

(And maybe go subscribe to A Message From the Universe.)

With that, I’ve put together a few things to inspire you as you cross/don’t cross, don’t burn, or just plain build bridges.

XO,

Abbey

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First, one of my favorite songs, BANG! I love the words, the effects, the video… and now I love the story behind making it. Watch the story of how it all came together:

AJR should be the mascot of this newsletter for all they did to bring this song to life.

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Second, I get it that sometimes we don’t head for that bridge (#dream) because we’re freaked out about what people might say or think. (Try doing a newsletter each week😏…) Brene Brown has something to say about that in this speech that broke the internet for a few minutes:

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Third, alright, alright, alright… I know that even if you say, “Yeah, I’m going for this,” it still isn’t always easy. So, take some tips on How to Look and Feel Extremely Confident from Matthew McConaughey. (P.S. Note: I have no affiliation with the ad at the end of the video.)

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Fourth, in case you’re wondering what Holy Week in Spain is like (in general), see this video by Spain Revealed. And here’s a glimpse of Holy Week in Zamora, 2023:

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Finally, a few recipes if all of this talk has made you hungry. Try ten vegan food hacks, refresh with these raw vegan meals for beginners (they look really good!), and how about a health reset meal prep plan?

Bonus: what does a doctor, professor, and gut health expert eat? Take a look:

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I’ll leave you with a quick thought and then a video.

The thought:

As you move forward, taking steps toward your dreams & aspirations/bridges, don’t forget that there are people all around you standing by to help you along the way. We’re all in this together.

The video:

I just realized the video below has been around for a couple of years, but I just stumbled upon it. All I have to say is, wow… it’ll get you. I won’t say anything else but watch it as a reminder of what’s truly important in the midst of all the things we’re doing to live a great life.

Stay on course,

Abbey