In a quiet heart once did reside
A garden beating, its beauty tied
To blossoms exuding a fragrant grace
Yearning for melodies to embrace
With eyes aglow as autumn's ember
See blooms reaching for the sky's tender
In life's embrace and meadows wide
Patience becomes the garden's guide

A blossoming heart, petal by petal


I was born mid-april, when daffodils and aubretia blossoms unfurl, and my mother named me Florrie as an offering of gratitude to the goddess of Spring. I think that is why I have always felt at my happiest when I am surrounded by warm sunlight, barefoot upon the grass. Since I was a little girl, I have delighted in the company of books and flowers. I spent my childhood playing amongst blossoms, imagining myself as a courageous princess of a forgotten land. Mornings were warmed by sponge cake and milk with honey, afternoons were spent in a forest sprint, and the nights were a miscellany of book adventures read under the starlight. Since then, I have dreamt about creating for myself a life that is both peaceful and beautiful.

As an adult, I moved away from home to study early-childhood education. I worked on research about the importance of children's literature to psychological development, and continued reading fairytales in the garden everyday. But there is still much about this world that I wish to explore. I want to learn about libraries, orchestras, flowers and the arts. My objective in this life is to bear witness to as much beauty as I am capable of and leave behind stories about everything I experienced. I am simply a very romantic person, not as the world speaks of romance today, but as an old-fashioned sentimentalist who is always in pursuit of wonder in the ordinary. My dream for this life is live adorned with a childlike sense of wonder, each day unto itself, and to observe life's fleeting pleasures hidden in the quotidian moments.

Through fields of wildflowers


    Things I adore: Birds singing in the early morning. Black tea. Writing notes by hand. Flowers that grow against all odds in harsh places. Watching clouds float across the sky. Oversized cardigans. Evenings at the ballet with my friends. Reading books while sitting by a window. Raindrops tapping gently on the roof tiles. Nurturing plants into flourishing. Public libraries. Music boxes with twirling ballerinas inside. Identifying constellations. Freshly picked blueberries. Old photographs of family members. The scent of rain in the air. Barefoot dancing. Gentlemen that open doors for you. The full moon in a clear night. Cats that lovingly rub against your legs. Berlioz playing on a record player. The pages of a well-worn journal.

    Things I dislike: Homes decorated with plastic flowers. Those who use the word childish as an insult. To-do lists. Unenthusiastic maestros conducting my favourite symphonies. Unread books collecting dust on neglected shelves. City lights obscuring the gleaming of stars. Caged animals of any kind. The absence of curiosity in a world filled with adventures. The deprecation of education disguised as anti-elitism. Windowless rooms. Waking up before the sun itself has risen. Meals eaten without company. Those who perceive the arts as an extravagance. Streets void of wildflowers. Disconnection from the natural world.

Seeds I am currently tending to


・ Keeping journals ꒰ about life, daydreams & everything else ꒱
・ Practicing mindfulness and lovingkindness meditation
・ Reading poems and memorising my favourite excerpts
・ Listening to bird songs and trying to memorise each call
・ Solving crossword puzzles and wordgames in general
・ Finding ways to socially connect with my local community
・ Painting with watercolour as a form of art therapy
・ Visiting the botanical gardens to bear witness to nature
・ Listening to beautiful symphonies, whether online or at the theatre
・ Keeping this garden and creating little pages for my adventures

A tree with many branches


I believe that, just like in nature, people have the ability to blossom. Each of us has a myriad of flowering branches reaching toward the sun, gathering a collection of stories, experiences and perceptions. Every sprig offers a new perspective about life. I often try to visualise myself like a beautiful jacaranda tree, with many different sensibilities and proficiencies within one single being. Just within myself, there blossoms:

・ A Daughter: The one raised amidst the wilderness, who had trees and blossoms as childhood friends.
・ A Learner: The one who understands that learning is an eternal journey with no ultimate end in sight.
・ A Gardener: The one who cherishes both the companionship of plants and people with equal regard.
・ A Writer: The one who believes that transforming experiences into stories is a way of honouring them.
・ A Believer: The one who still believes in the earth's abundance and the human imperative to protect it.
・ Also a traveler, a painter, a listener, a friend, a teacher, and as many dispositions as there are leaves.

Beliefs that I have cultivated


     I believe that human beings are alive in the same way that all of nature is alive: to inhabit the present, to be beautiful, to be a part of a collective, and to merely exist in a fleeting moment. I discern no profound significance or inherent purpose in existence, nor do I subscribe to the notion of a predefined objective. I believe that by virtue of our presence and existence, we already attained the meridian of our humanness.

     I believe that happiness is unearthed through a wholehearted acceptance of the temporary nature of everything we experience, recognizing ourselves as mere visitors of this earth. In accepting this and releasing ourselves from our attachment to expectations, we can abandon the human-made concepts of progress, thereby cultivating an appreciation for the profound gift of being alive in this present moment.

     I believe that, due to our ephemeral tenure on this earth, it is our duty to traverse it with the utmost delicacy and tenderness. I believe that our footfalls upon the earth should be as light as the gentle landing of a bird, and that we should never lapse into complacency regarding the resources which surround us, nor should we ever arrogantly presume them to exist solely for our exploitation. They exist just as we do.

     Lastly, I believe that nature is our greatest teacher. Within the forest lies the solution to every query that we may pose, awaiting revelation through patient observation. I believe that any doctrine diverging from the wisdom imparted by the earth serves only to estrange us from both our communal essence and our individual selves. We are part of nature and, therefore, to connect with it is to connect with ourselves.