Greystones, Ireland

June 14, 2018

There are places in this world that are wrapped in an ethereal otherness—as though existing in a universe entirely on its own. South of Dublin, sitting on the cusp of the Irish Sea, is a place such as this.

Greystones is a seaside town with enough charm and wit to seduce even the sourest of Cinderella’s stepsisters. Picture quaint shops, rich architecture, one hell of a culinary scene, a promenade that slithers along the water for miles on end, and a relaxed atmosphere that demands to be acknowledged. From the moment I stepped off the train, I was a smitten kitten. And I hadn’t even met anyone yet.

Over the last few months, I’ve spent a great deal of time alone. I’ve learned To Be Alone. I’ve learned to thrive alone. Silence and I have become very good friends. But as there is a time for silence, there too is a time for movement and noise. Enter…Zoe. With a burst of energy, an infectious laugh, a smile that chases away the shadows of the deep, and an iconic pink top, Zoe is one of the most fantastic and generous people I’ve ever met. And it was here, in a house perfumed with love and hope, that I learned the greatest lesson of all—how to deal with my anxiety.

I’m a fairly chill person (by LA standards), but I can also very easily be swept up into a nervous ball of icy fear. Panic might as well have been my middle name. My imagination would run wild with endless possibilities of how things could go wrong. It injected me with a keen sense of suspicion anytime I met someone nice or something good happened, because the law of anxiety states very clearly that no one can be trusted. Everyone has an ulterior motive.

*Sigh*

So there I was, being overwhelmed by the Power of Zoe, and having not a clue what to do about it. But over the course of numerous cups of tea, wheatgrass shots, trips to The Happy Pear (more on that later), and oodles of porridge, the Power of Zoe seeped into the very depths of my soul and warmed it. And for that, I can’t thank her enough.

So without further ado: The Power of Zoe

I learned that everything always works out if you truly believe that it will.

I learned that like attracts like. So be careful with what you’re putting out into the world.

I learned to never take even a single moment for granted, because the moment is where the magic lives.

I left Greystones feeling like a new person. A happier person. A healthier person.