She didn't know what she was doing in Tokyo. She had booked herself a flight, packed her bags in an orderly fashion and organised her documents. She had carefully thought through the travel arrangements, just not the 'travel' component, you know, the 'life' part.

I mean, most people go on a trip for a purpose. On those little outgoing/incoming passenger cards you have to tick a box: leisure, business, education, visiting family...
She had no real reason for flying to Japan. So she ticked 'business'. If she didn't know what she was doing there, she intended on finding out and that could be hard work. Yes- definitely 'business'.

"I read so many short, easy things. I read the label on the shampoo bottle, I read e-mail, I read the headings of all the top Google news stories, I read magazines. And this gives me lots of practice for all my short, easy thoughts: Turn left at the light. Bring a sweater. Add salt. There’s nothing wrong with thoughts like these; the world would collapse without them. But I also have longer, harder thoughts, ones that I circle slowly, over months, years, my whole life probably. I return again and again to the same irresolvable questions as I attempt to share my life with another person, to be a good daughter, to be an artist. These slow thoughts often catch me unawares, while turning left or adding salt. I am startled, almost insulted to be reminded of my own depths: This is unnecessary! I’m doing fine! I remembered to bring a sweater! Books hold a place inside of me for the long thoughts. And they also taught me how to think like that in the first place. Their slow cadence, the commitment and silence they require, the way they endure over generations—these are not easy qualities to locate in the world, or in myself. And the best part is, unlike most roads to the unknown, books aren’t conjured by prayer or devotion: They’re real, they’re cheap, and they make a sound when you drop them."

-Miranda July on books

It's 2012. New Years Resolutions abound and aplenty. Peoples are trying to better themselves and their lives. The cynic in me would like to scoff at this notion and the dreamer in me would like to think that we should always be trying to better ourselves, not just because another year has past.

Anyways, I was reading a post on the brilliant, My New Roots about a 21 day cleanse for January. Sarah (from 'My New Roots') is a holistic nutritionist and a vegetarian chef and the real kicker is...her recipes are freekin' delish. For realisies. So I'm trying to undertake this small task of nourishing my body with some healthy eats.

Here are some of my tasty & healthy triumphs so far, thanks to the lovely Sarah:

Kale Chips

Gluten- free Spaghetti with roasted cauliflower, capsicum, parsely & olives

Raw beetroot, carrot, kale, sweet potato & pomegranate salad

Pumpkin & chickpea flour muffin

sassy & satiated Youka