Life with Alegria

The Joy and Anxiety of Travel In Times of War

By: Life with Alegria 9th Apr 20269th Apr 2026

Travel BeyondTravel, Travel Beyond, Travel Blog, Travel Blogger, Travel memories, Travel Problems, travel stories, Travel StoryLeave a Comment

I’ve been on a wonderful trip half way around the globe from my home country of Canada. I have so much to share about all that I experienced, much of it quite joyful, some of it burdened with anxiety. Beyond the everyday madness, there are wars being waged and corrupt governments making choices that have…

A seasonal writing invitation. Writing Winter's Breath. For writer's everywhere.

A Seasonal Writing Invitation For You

By: Life with Alegria 10th Jan 20269th Feb 2026

Joyful MomentsCreative writing, For Readers, For Writers, Substack, Winter Writing, Writers, Writers Community, Writing, writing challenge, Writing Community, writing for fun, writing prompt5 Comments

January, in the northern hemisphere, brings with it the kind of quiet that only winter can deliver. It is a beautiful time for writing and reading and expanding our soulfulness as we move inward and then make a subtle turn towards the light. I have an invitation for you, to write with me this season,…

Wholesome Holidays Postcards to December series on Substack

A Slow Soulful December

By: Life with Alegria 4th Dec 20254th Dec 2025

Joyful MomentsAdvent, Calm Christmas, Christmas, Christmas Postcards, December, December Series, Joy, Joyful Moments, slow living, Slow Moments, Wholesome Holidays6 Comments

The arrival of December always used to stress me out. It came with a long To Do list related to all the necessary seasonal preparations and plans for a “perfect” holiday. As we toss out the perfection playbook, and settle into a different mindset, the holidays actually become a time of joy and magic. All…

A Burning World. Mountain Ash with orange berries.

The World is Burning

By: Life with Alegria 7th Oct 2025

Joyful MomentsFinding Equilibrium, Finding joy, Fission, Joy, Joyful Moments, Substack, thoughts10 Comments

I’ve heard those words frequently in the last several months, “The world is burning.” It’s easy to feel that way. There’s a lot happening in our world. Problems are many, solutions are few. And many feel helpless. As a former new junkie it’s easy to fall back into the news cycle that regurgitates the same…

River Tubing on the Layou Dominica Like the Flow of Life

The gentle nudge into open waters reminds me of the birthing process. I’m not sure if children choose to be born, but they are pushed out into this wild world without a paddle or a rubber tube. At least I had each of those on my river tubing adventure down the Layou River in Dominica.…

It is the End and the Beginning

The Tuesday after Labour Day always feels like an ending and a beginning for me. Do you feel the same? There’s something special about this day. The return to school means the end of summer and there is a great feeling of circularity. Every ending promises a new beginning, right? The new year offers a…

Still Stirring and Sweetening for Creativity

By: Life with Alegria 4th Aug 20254th Aug 2025

Joyful MomentsCreativity, journey to joy, Joy, Joyful Moments, Lemonade Days, Summer Series8 Comments

You’ve probably forgotten about Lemonade Days by now. My hopeful summer series where something sour is turned sweet. We are still stirring and sweetening the lemonade. Can you believe this is week 7. The time has passed so quickly, just like summer, which always seems like a blur. I hope you’re having a great one!…

The Eisenhower Matrix for Summer Freedom

By: Life with Alegria 7th Jul 2025

Joyful MomentsCreativity, Eisenhower Matrix, faith, Finding Time, For Readers, Freedom, journey to joy, joy in the journey, Lemonade Days, Life, mental-health, poetry, Substack, Summer Freedom, Writing12 Comments

What is one thing that is calling to you this summer? One thing you really want to do, that will fulfill your soul and satiate your desire for creativity? This past week on Lemonade Days the theme was freedom. We talked about the variety of meanings that freedom carries. And I wrote a little poem…

Lemonade Days: Love and War in Week 1

By: Life with Alegria 28th Jun 202528th Jun 2025

Joyful MomentsChaotic World, For Readers, Inspiration, Joy, joy in the journey, Lemonade Days, love, Love is the answer, Soulful, Soulful Living, Soulled Life, The art of Noticing16 Comments

What a full roller coaster week it has been this first week of Lemonade Days, my summer series that allows me to shine a light on the beauty in spite of the headlines that rage around us, full of strife and anxiety. My initial post here was met with mostly love and acceptance for what…

Lemonade Days for a Chaotic World

Summer has arrived in the northern hemisphere with her beachy hair and flip flops, while bombs fall in faraway places that are closer than we think. Our chaotic world is propelled further into devastation by the madmen who hold the scepter of power. This compels me to begin a new summer series called Lemonade Days.…

To Press or to Stack That is the Question

By: Life with Alegria 17th May 2025

Joyful MomentsBlog, Blogging, newsletter, Question, Substack, wordpress, writer, Writers, Writers Community, Writers Life, Writing, Writing Community, Writing daily, Your thoughts35 Comments

Hi Everyone, Just a quick post to ask for your thoughts on a dilemma many writers face. And no, I’m not talking about pancakes. As you may know I’ve been here on WordPress for about 6 years now. My blog has evolved, as we all do. What started off as a local travel blog, grew…

A Divine Conversation

It has been a difficult few weeks. Time has slipped by due to responsibilities that beckoned and I’ve missed reading your words and writing mine. I have however, been writing short poetry and verses, sometimes rushed, as the words come to me. It is a wonderful way to release thoughts and emotions. Do you find…

The Land of My People

By: Life with Alegria 30th Mar 202516th May 2025

Joyful Momentsfeel the joy, feel the magic, Gratitude, Gratitude Journal, journey to joy, Joyful Moments, love, Stories, Thoughtful Thursday, thoughts, Words18 Comments

My daughter jokes and says, “I need to go to Dubai. It is the land of my people.” It isn’t. But maybe something stirs inside her. Maybe she feels it. And I wonder, which is the land of my people. I am an immigrant with a cacophonous mix of ancestors. All of them different from…

A God Moment

What’s happening in your life? Are you finding the magic? Any synchronicities? This morning Vicki wrote a post about her God moment, entitled Jackson and Grace. And just a few days before, Wynne wrote about her God moment, Connecting the Dots. Both posts, linked below, point to the magic that exists in our lives. This…

Old San Juan Puerto Rico in the Pastel Colourful Streets

Bad Neighbours and Life Lessons in the Pastel Streets of Old San Jan

Oh the pastel streets of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, charming barely describes it. As I wander down Calle San Miguel, I veer off toward the colourful residential streets away from the Malecon. That too is a sight, but wait till you hear these stories, all occurring in the pastel streets of Old San Juan.…

The sun setting on the horizon from 30,000 feet above the planet

Keep Living

By: Life with Alegria 15th Mar 20255th Sep 2025

poetryfeel the joy, Gratitude, Inspiration, inspiring, journey to joy, joy in the journey, Joyful Living, Joyful Moments, Life, Poem, poetry, Storyteller, Words19 Comments

In these tumultuous times, saturated with uncertainty and division, it’s easy to get caught up in all the negative emotions swirling around you. Don’t forget to live. Here’s a little poem that came to me as I watched the sun set over the horizon, from 30,000 feet above our planet. There’s nothing like being at…

Commensalism Orchids at the Museo de San Juan Puerto Rico

Commensalism Imagine the Possibilities

By: Life with Alegria 25th Feb 202516th May 2025

Joyful Moments, Travel BeyondCaribbean Islands, commensalism, Gratitude, Inspiration, inspirational story, inspiring, journey to joy, Joyful Moments, Puerto Rico, The Caribbean, Travel, Travel Blog, Travel Story, Words17 Comments

Nature is a profound teacher. There is so much we humans can learn from her. Commensalism is just one concept that exists within the natural world that adds to our humanity. I walked into the enclosed courtyard of the Museo de San Juan in Puerto Rico. The bright yellow arched walls contrasted perfectly with dark…

El Morro the historical fort in Puerto Rico

The Last Lunch at El Morro

By: Life with Alegria 17th Feb 202517th Feb 2025

poetryEl Morro, Poem, poems, poetry, Puerto Rico, The Last Lunch, travel poetry, travel stories, Words24 Comments

Here’s the poem I told you about in my post on historical El Morro in Puerto Rico. As I rounded a corner on the Paseo del Morro I saw a man sitting on a bench underneath a beautiful old banyan tree. It looked like a Banyan tree to me. It seemed to me like he…

Life with Alegria

The Joy and Anxiety of Travel In Times of War

A Seasonal Writing Invitation For You

A Slow Soulful December

The World is Burning

River Tubing on the Layou Dominica Like the Flow of Life

It is the End and the Beginning

Still Stirring and Sweetening for Creativity

The Eisenhower Matrix for Summer Freedom

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The Joy and Anxiety of Travel In Times of War

A Seasonal Writing Invitation For You

A Slow Soulful December

The World is Burning

River Tubing on the Layou Dominica Like the Flow of Life

It is the End and the Beginning

Still Stirring and Sweetening for Creativity

The Eisenhower Matrix for Summer Freedom

Lemonade Days: Love and War in Week 1

Lemonade Days for a Chaotic World

A Divine Conversation

The Land of My People

A God Moment

Bad Neighbours and Life Lessons in the Pastel Streets of Old San Jan

Keep Living

Commensalism Imagine the Possibilities

The Last Lunch at El Morro