Synchronicities of peak summer

And what happens when past and present versions of yourself meet

Hello sexy reader! Thanks for opening this newsletter yet another Sunday. July was a month of rest and relaxation for me, where I prioritized time offline. I always wonder if you will notice the absence of an Apartamento 710 letter when I don’t share it per the regular schedule.

I spent 3 weeks being present, enjoying my best friend’s visit here in my new (ish) home, and then I flew home to visit my parents where I had the most recharging time. A mid-year reset if you will.

As I got back refreshed, feeling grateful and inspired, relaxed enough to be sensitive to the beauty around me, a series of synchronicities started occurring in my day-to-day. And I want to share one of them, that felt quite like divine reassurance. But before I share, I will rewind a bit and tell you a funny story.

souvenirs and memories from my trip back home in july

7 years ago I was living my best life as an exchange student in the Czech Republic. My parents didn’t let me study out of state but promised they would let me travel to different destinations of my choice, so I chose the farthest places from them I could think of: Canada, South Korea, and many different countries in Europe.

After reading that statement you might think that we were rich, but that wasn’t the case. Although my parents didn’t have unlimited bags of money, they always did the impossible and more to support my dreams. I like to believe that I did everything in my power to maximize the opportunities I was given. Before going on trips I would save as much as I could by organizing raffles and selling everything from my shoes to my bike to gather enough money to support my parents.

Prague was the last place I visited as a student and the last trip that was funded by my parents. The last slice of life before joining the reality of the workforce, 1 year later. It was truly one of the best eras of my life and I will be forever grateful that I got to live this experience that was a portal to the main events that unfolded later in my 20s.

During those months, I lived on a very low budget. That allowed me to put my money towards things that matter to me, like traveling around East Europe with friends. It was a dream come true, I was 20, never felt so free in my life. Dated a bunch, drank Czech beer a lot, and ultimately got to meet a version of myself that I will always hold dear to my heart.

One day, walking around the streets of Prague, I stumbled upon a trinket store in the middle of downtown. After exploring the store for a bit I found a store featuring the work of a global artist and illustrator with a very particular style. I had an instant connection with their work, and I fell in love with the silliness of every piece in the collection. The work of this artist is characterized by its deeply vulnerable and funny quotes, paired with minimalist characters inspired by everyday living. I wanted to take every single item of the collection 1, I didn’t have any money, and 2, my roommate Maddy was done with all my hoarding in our dorm during the semester.

Of all the things in the collection, I decided to go for something super practical (lol) and got a yoga mat. I didn’t think much of it at the moment (recovering impulsive shopper here), or the fact that I was leaving in a few months and would need to fit the big mat in my suitcase. I wanted to own something from the collection so bad, so I gathered money from two different accounts and paid for the mat. I left the store, and 3 months later I left Prague.

In the following years, a few of the biggest events of my life occurred. I graduated, started working for many different companies, and quit jobs that I hated and jobs that I loved. I got married. I started from scratch and migrated to Canada to start a new life and now live in the Canadian Pacific Northwest — a place that I swore I would go back to, the first time I visited in 2014.

Lately, I have been thinking of that version of myself, the younger me in my early 20s, feeling so hopeful and excited for life and all I feel is compassion. I am so proud of her. I wish I could back in time, hug her, and tell her everything will be fine. That all her dreams would come true, and even better — dreams that she never imagined she would dream, would also become reality.

Last week, on one of my summer walks around my neighborhood, I felt called to visit one of my favorite third places, our local community center. Picture a tall red brick historical building, that in the 1800s was a train station. Luckily, today is the home of this space that functions as a gallery, hosts numerous workshops, and promotes different cultural events all year round.

As I entered the building full of natural light, the first thing that caught my attention was a small art exhibition. At first, my brain registered it as a bunch of stuff in a wall behind a glass. As I got closer, a world of mini sculptures, postcards, collages, illustrations, and more, became more vivid.

Drawn to this universe of primary colors, shapes, and silly cryptic messages, I stood there, not sure for how long, examining every piece of drawing, collage, and ceramic sculpture.

Everything in the exhibition felt so familiar, I was sure I had seen the characters before but wasn’t sure where. In a way, it felt like every word on each drawing was made just for me to read it.

Suddenly, a click.

My brain was making connections and finally, I was transported to downtown Prague, to the trinket store that I was at 7 years ago. See, not only I was experiencing the work of the same artist whose art I stumbled upon back then. It turns out they are a Canadian-American artist, living in the same city as me, in the same neighborhood I live in!!!!!!! What are the chances?

Some people might think that experiences like this are only mundane coincidences. That there is nothing magical happening in our reality. I choose to believe the opposite. To me, these types of events mean divine reassurance. In this case, reassurance from the universe through the art of H. Goodspeed, that I am exactly where I need to be right now.

A message from the old version of me hugging my present self, telling me that I am exactly where I need to be. A reminder to be open to the messages of the universe, to not be cynical, to always lead with curiosity, and to allow myself to feel awe more often.

May this be a reminder to believe that magic can happen to you every day, you just have to open your eyes and heart to the possibilities 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

Thanks so much for reading!

If you enjoyed reading this letter please consider sharing it with someone who might enjoy it as well! Talk to you very soon <3

More of Apartamento 710 that you might enjoy —

001: The math of adult friendships

002: Journaling as a tool to self-expansion

005: Why we don't value what we buy anymore