natural high

the magic of music. setting the tone for any environment, music holds the ability to reverse moods, turning rage into passion, tears into smiles. it allows for meditations to set in, personalities to be energized, maniacs to relax, and closets to be opened. all senses are enhanced.  

setting everyone's mood on fire, anything seems possible amongst the melody, allowing the feelings of love and happiness to float through the air. there was nothing better than attending a music festival half way across the world with artists that are admired by millions. running from stage to stage to catch the next best act. musical fire running through our systems, sharing song and dance with people you've never met but now share a common bond. 

music can change anything.

m.i.a, sia, lupe fiasco, ratatat, deftones, birds of tokyo, lcd sound system, john butler trio, edward sharp, angus and julia stone, tool , the list goes on. "big day out" is the coachella of oz and i was lucky enough to attend it!  

"i love you" - i don't know you, but "I love you." 
i wanted to SCREAM. "i know how you feel sia." the same thoughts and feelings have come rushing through my body a millions times over. i often have felt an overwhelming love for complete strangers for no apparent reason. multiple times have willingly handed out my heart to random people in the world. and i've never thought twice about it. i've often been accused for being too liberal with my love, and right now that accusation seems ludicrous. how can one be patronized for loving too much…..? how had i allowed for people's judgements to attack my mind, giving them the ability to change my personality? shame on me. 

i felt so amazing inside, there were people all around the world that were just like me. people filled with so much love that they wanted to share it with everyone. 

it may have been the drug induced state that allowed everyone else to feel what ran through my veins on a daily basis, uncontrollable love bursting at the seams. but if that's what it took i didn't care, it was nice to finally have people on my level.

xoxo - ShannonSmile

music to my ears

i worked as a cocktail waitress for a few years in my playful twenties, and to this day, can still say, it was the job most fit for me. i pranced around the same lounge for three years and acted as if i owned the place, treating every guest as a dear friend or a past lover. anything my guests desired…..whether it be a pillow for their back or a dish not quite on the menu, their wish was my command. 

i came to know my guests quite well. began to think of them as family. i served as a psychologists for many, a long lost daughter for others, the one that got away for some and just a friendly smile for all who entered. learning life stories, familial trails and tribulations, breakup's and makeup's were some of the many joys of my job. i spent holidays with my guest, attended weddings and baby showers, received gifts from then and was welcomed into many of their homes. they enabled my smile to become a permanent fixture within the restaurant. the love for my job and my never-ending happiness was so apparent, that guests often knew i was working cause my laugh could be heard echoing throughout the compound. 

i was walking through the streets of bondi today, heading to visit stephanie at her boutique. when i entered her shop, she said she knew i was coming because she heard my laugh down the way.

my eyes watered. those familiar words sounded so foreign to me, i hadn't heard them in well over a year. to be honest, i hadn't been this happy in over a year. 

xoxo - ShannonSmile

me "minus" one

i had patiently been waiting all week to indulge in these pancakes that i had eyed on the menu of my favorite little bondi cafe. ricotta pancakes, caramelized bananas, strawberries, blueberries, a scoop of ice cream, deliciously topped with whipping cream. pure heaven. 

i basically did everything i could, besides a full blown sprint, to get to the cafe as fast as possible. as i walked the path that i knew so well, i must have been a bit too excited, cause i basically missed the initial step that led into the cafe. i would have fallen flat on my face if a man hadn't caught me.

giggling a bit but also trying to act embarrassed, knowing quite well that my clumsiness gets the best of me, i composed myself and looked up at my coffee shop savior. i was almost speechless, he was gorgeous. "that step came out of nowhere," i stuttered, finally embarrassed at my lack of grace. "seems to me it's been there all week," was his auzzie reply. blushing i hurried to the furthest table in the corner……still only dreaming of my pancakes!

knowing that my meal would take a good 30 minutes to arrive, i pulled out my laptop and started typing. fulling enveloped in the piece of literature at hand, i was a bit annoyed when a male voice interjected my thoughts to inquired about my mac. to be honest, this mac book air gets more attention than brad pitt…..people love it, want it and need to test out the weight. so as i looked up, half expecting to just hand over my tech beauty, i found myself looking into familiar eyes. my australian knight. 

our conversation was brief, but i quickly understood his intention was not to inquire about the apple of my eye. i was honestly flattered that he wanted to take me to dinner, but i politely declined. i had no intention of starting a mindless love affair. if i was being honest with myself, true love was something i was on the run from. at this point in my journey, my focus was geared selfishly on myself.

it felt amazing and oddly liberating to walk out of that cafe alone. i was totally ok…..all by myself.

xoxo - ShannonSmile

ghost

the girls made my stay in bondi warm, relaxed and unforgettable. lucky for me, they had already found their nitch in town. they had accumulated a great bunch of auzzie beauties as their friends, and they kindly welcomed me into their circle. 

i very much enjoyed meeting the girls for coffee every morning. then reconvening at lunch time and spending longer than 30 minutes together because we truly were enjoying each other's company. there was never a rush to what we were doing, never a better place to be than where we were, with friends. 

my two weeks in bondi taught me such a valuable lesson….

back home, even if i was enjoying my present company, in the back of my mind i always knew i had somewhere else to be, someone else i needed to see, someone else that even i needed to be. my friend ryan often referred to this characteristic as "better dealing" the situation. i was never fully engaged and i never appreciated living in the moment, because i was far too busy living in the future. i never knew how truly absent i had been. and i apologize to everyone that ever knew this ghost. 

with these ladies, there was an understood importance on spending quality time with friends. something that i just wasn't used to. i'm such a hypocrite. thinking that people should always understand why i cant attend something or why i haven't seen them in months. i mean, "i'm busy." and everyone knows it. i'm a workaholic. if one job doesn't work me 14 hours a day then you best believe that i got myself a second job, because money ran my world. friends and enjoyment always came secondary. 


i was so busy trying to plan the perfect life, that i had forgotten to live my perfect life. 

i suddenly wanted to get home, as fast as my wings could fly. i needed to make things better, i needed to mend what i had broken. but at this point, escaping yet again, was not as option. i vowed to change things, as soon as landed back in reality.  

this is piece is dedicated to three of my close friends and their children: chloe, pierce and elle. i hope when i return to be the best friend & auntie that you all deserve.

xoxo - ShannonSmile

Shannanigans #1

i drove on the wrong side of the road today, and it was right! =) Or rather it was left, hehe! 

xoxo - SS

life in the fast lane

i landed in sydney australia not fully prepared for the society that i was about to be thrown back into. i had come out of a coma induced state of peace and tranquility. i hadn't done my hair in days, showered only because i needed to wash the salt off, and forgot i had even brought make-up.  bondi was a quick slap in the face. it was a bustling little community just outside of sydney located on the coast, a tourist hot spot for the young and the beautiful. 

i was shacking up with two girls from orange country who moved to oz in october. i admired them so much for their tenacity and boldness. steph is a firecracker who can make me laugh for days. she weighs as much as a toothpick and looks like an exotic bathing suit model. kate basically walked off the cover of a surfers magazine, she has long silky blonde hair to her bum and sparkling bright eyes. it was disgusting hanging out with them =) but their beauty allowed them to fit right into bondi's beachy "poshnessphere." 

it didn't take long for me to remembered what a blow dryer looked like and where i had packed my fake eyelashes.  back to makeup, clothing, and caring what people think…..game on.

xoxo - ShannonSmile

bondi beach, new south whales, australia

let me paint the picture for you…..

its newport beach with less attitude and plastic, radiated with culture and beautiful blue waters. the atmosphere mirrors san diego's kick back perspective, yet still with the emphasis of dark tans and slender beauty that only laguna beach can truly embody. there's a huge does of santa monica cause everyone is obsessed with staying fit and keeping it organic. 

it's quite the gorgeous spot and so is everyone in it.


xoxo - ShannonSmile