Ana Pastore 8/20/19 Ana Pastore 8/20/19

10: Reading

In the past year or so, I’ve been rediscovering my love of reading. As a child, I could get lost in books easily, often finishing a book at 4am because it was simply “too good to put down”. Through high school and university, most of the reading that I was doing was mandatory, and there were more external demands on my time. The pleasure of reading simply because I wanted to faded, and it became more of a task.

It’s been a gradual process to build reading into my life and daily routines more. One quick way that I’ve been working on this is always having a book with me and reading while I’m on public transport- if only for 10 minutes. This year, I’ve also been lucky enough to be able to travel a lot, and for extended periods- some exploring of home soil in Australia, and some through Scandinavia (currently underway), and this has given ample time for my mind to relax and be able to absorb new ideas, information and thoughts.

As I read more, I’ve found my curiosity growing as a flow-on effect. This makes me want to read even more, and learn more, and so the cycle continues. I am currently reading “Atomic Habits”, and really enjoying that the content is about building habits- while I’m building more regularity into how much I’m reading. Some of the books that I’ve also been reading in the past year that have really stuck out to me I’ve put together into the following collage:

*Collage and images with hands are my own, all other images sourced from google.*

This process of re-learning the magic of reading has been hugely rewarding, and the thoughts and information I’ve been gaining from this has been amazing. While over here (predominantly in Sweden, my partners home country), I have been learning some Swedish, and will be taking an intensive language course starting soon. I’m excited about this- however often find that formal language classes can be quite dry and uninspiring. So, in the spirit of making the language learning process more enjoyable, I picked up a copy of Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone, one of my enduring favourites- in Swedish. Reading “Harry Potter och de Vises Sten” has been hilarious, and good fun.

Reading much more in the past year has really been sparking so much more enjoyment in my life. Taking in so much information has also been making me reflect a lot more- partially as a balance to digest all of the information. This often manifests as writing a journal, which continually remains one of my best strategies to relax, unwind and sift through my mind. This blog is an extension of that, and a more refined version of some of these reflections and thoughts.

Until next time!

Ana Pastore 8/3/19 Ana Pastore 8/3/19

8: Norway and Hiking

This blog is coming from my first trip in Scandinavia, where I’m based in Sweden for a little while, and taking the opportunity to explore around as much as possible- both within Sweden and neighbouring countries. It’s been wonderful to have a change of scene and pace, and to embrace all of the experiences that come hand in hand.

Last weekend, I was on a trip to Norway to go hiking with a group of friends. Being on the road and seeing the changes of scenery to mind-blowing mountains and fjords was breathtaking. The typical houses with their cladding painted in red and white, or yellow and white, pop out in the landscape. It was a very cosy roadtrip from Sweden, with good conversations and music- and some little stops at antique/thrift shops along the way for a look.

The hiking was varied- but there were three main hikes. The first afternoon (post a quick settle-in to the cabin) hike led to the top of a waterfall- where a few of the group had a swim in the icy Norwegian water. It was so cold, but the response of the body feels incredible- there’s an intense alertness and warmth afterwards as the body adjusts.

The second day was a far longer hike, where I was lucky enough to be able to pat lots of adorable dogs. This was a more intense mountain, with snow on it still. Having a coffee at the summit while looking out at the view was perfect. That coffee was one of the most enjoyable that I’ve had for a while- despite the fact that it was the polar opposite of what I’d order regularly back in Sydney. The final big hike led us up another mountain, this time we had camp stoves ready to cook up a big lunch with a breathtaking view (pictured). Fresh air made that food taste like one of the finest dishes of my travels.

Throughout all of this hiking there was plenty of time to reflect, to practice Swedish pronunciation and words, and to just be still- taking in the surroundings and feeling the breath in my body. Being outside so much, moving and eating gave so much space, and allowed me to sift through a lot of thoughts to be able to keep moving forward. It was also really inspiring to see how much Swedes make the most of their summer- spending every possible second of sunshine hours outside.

It’s been some time since I’ve sat down to write a blog, and it’s not for a lack of inspiration- rather an overwhelming amount of changes and experiences that have been taking place. Rather than writing here, I’ve been journaling a lot to clear my head, and undergoing a process of self-reflection. I’m feeling a lot more centred and enjoying the way in which these changes have been shaping my everyday experiences, as I navigate these new spaces and moments.

It’s also great to get back into the traveller’s mindset- where everything is new, words on signs are unfamiliar, products in the supermarket have never been seen before. Despite being here on holidays, I’m not keen on “bumming around”. Taking the opportunity of being here to explore more architecture, language, places and meet people, and really enjoying working on personal projects- from building up this blog and website, to researching and planning postgraduate studies.

Until next time!

More photos from the Norway trip can be found here.

Ana Pastore 4/9/19 Ana Pastore 4/9/19

4: Conversation and Coconuts

When I was little, my father would always laugh at how much I chattered away, especially if I swallowed pool water- when he would laughingly tell me “I thought I’d taught you not to talk underwater”

As the years have passed by, the importance of conversations and dialogue in every aspect of my life- from university, professional and personal, has been centric to my ability to express myself.

This dialogue is an integral part of the university architecture studio- a constant melting pot of creativity, experimentation and ideas. This should not simply die off once that period of study has ended.

These dialogues and conversations allow constant exposure to new ideas, challenges, and thoughts. The simple fact that a conversation is shared allows for exposure to another person’s life experience. That fact alone contains a world of possibility. It may be that you live an incredibly similar life, have the same ideas, and remain flatly unchallenged. It can also be a great teacher and growth factor.

Linking through to the values that I started to express last week: I appreciate relationships with other people; communication, honestly, trust, laughter. All of these things are fostered greatly by conversation. Spending time studying abroad in Germany- where (in my experience) there is less chit-chat and fluff, and far more real, deep conversation has given me even more of a perspective on the value of conversation for any kind of growth, be it personal or professional.

These conversations have different cultural undertones and etiquettes- and having the opportunity to study abroad allowed for a really valuable insight into German culture, as well as the distance to reflect on the multiculturalism present in Australian culture.

Here in Australia, we are spoilt for choice in our food options, while privileged enough to have constant exposure to different ideas, beliefs, customs and religions. This can (and often does) manifest negatively into hatred, racism and intolerance. Having these conversations however, allows an understanding and respect to evolve between individuals and cultures.

I have tremendous admiration for German culture- for the no nonsense, brutally honest approach that they have to life. The stereotype that much of the world holds however, is that Germans are cold and unapproachable. There is no easy “How-To” guide on cross-cultural understanding, however there is more research and implementation of cultural competence, one of the key aspects of which is listening.

And while there is no “How-To” guide, it helps just to keep things simple. The following image, from intercultural training that I undertook while studying abroad, may provide some idea of the German culture- when you consider Germans as Coconuts, tough to crack. The image divided these “coconuts” into species, with some key characteristics.

I believe that conversations and dialogues can spark change in the world- with a balance of talking, but more importantly, listening. From the small things- conversations with Uber drivers from other parts of the world or builders on site for the projects designed at work, a respect and understanding grows, allowing for collaboration at a local, national or international scale.

Until next week!

Ana Pastore 3/25/19 Ana Pastore 3/25/19

2: Developing a Manifesto

This week has focused on beginning to develop a personal manifesto. It has been a week of chaos otherwise- with a house move thrown into the mix, but throughout, the fundamental questions of myself have been in the back of my mind.

Within the week, I have been reflecting on my values, goals and ideas- and linking through to develop a manifesto. From this, I have built a skeleton upon which I can add, amend and refer at any point.

In terms of the actual development, I have started with pen and paper- beginning with mini mind maps - allowing my brain to flow freely and make connections:

From these mind maps, I have been able to define a few key dot points that connect my values, goals and identity. Some have emerged as ideas that weren’t written in the mind maps, but still important to me.

· I value time incredibly highly. This can certainly be unpacked further- coming from the context of Sydney, a rushed, busy and expensive place- time equals money, and money allows you to make the most of the city.

· I value relationships- family, friends and romantic.

· I value freedom and independence- to work and live anywhere the opportunities present themselves (and also to order waffles to be delivered to my home late at night for dinner).

· I value honesty and humour, in everyday life, but especially in the workplace.

· I believe that luck grows with hard work.

· I value education, learning, hard work and independence.

· I believe that the best education is not simply a formal setting and find that I have often learnt much more through travel, employment or being in nature.

· When feeling lost, I find nature and being outside to be a vital reset. Bonus relaxation points if it’s the bush or the beach.

My attitude to the development of a manifesto is that of a snapshot. It is the beginning of a deeper reflection of my values at this point, however not a restrictive model. Over time, as my life evolves, I fully expect the manifesto to do the same. As Cheryl Strayed said: “Don’t surrender all of your joy for an idea you used to have about yourself that isn’t true anymore”

Until next week!