Snogo in the Wild
Mara
Dear Snogo Fam,
Valentine’s Day is today. Happy Love Day from me and your Snogo Crew.
We received this SITW entry a couple of months ago, and for me, it was one of our own sharing self-love. Perfect for today. Reminds me of a brilliant quote by Rupi Kaur, “How you love yourself is how you teach others to love you.” You were born to be real and wonderful.
Dear Snogo,
So, I’m on a train, heading down the coast, with me, myself, and I, annnnnnd my SNOGO. I’m not totally sure why I brought it on this ride because I didn’t bring any treats for it. MAYBE if I make a friend on the train we could go that way… BUT I just felt like bringing it independent of all that.
It feels really good hanging on my neck near my heart.
My vision for the train was me, open pages of a new journal, some fancy pants pens in red, blue, and green, and rolling scenery — and somehow my SNOGO asked me to come along. I’m telling myself it’s my amulet or a talisman or something. My muse. Definitely NOT just a satisfying fidget.
I don’t think I’ve ever taken a trip by myself before. I went full bougie and bought a sleeper, but I’m finding the observation car and dining car is where the action’s at. When I go somewhere to write and ponder, normally I avoid a crowd, but everyone is so serene and easy. Train people are MY people. Seeing the world by train is sending me. And writing by train — I don’t think I’m gonna be productive anywhere but on a train after this.
Maybe I needed the SNOGO because one must pack special things for an adventure. These things are special. They’re more than what they do. Mine is at least. How does it have this charge? Its charm? Is it what I feel, charmed by it? Or maybe it’s the energy of you guys and the love you share. Whatever, it’s my power adventure item and I just had to share and say hiiiii and byyyyyeeeee.
I’m just glad my SNOGO is with me, and just me.
Mara
As far as I am concerned Mara you are setting a stellar example. There’s not enough good self-love in the world, and for a whole bunch of reasons, it seems harder and harder to even know what good self-love is or how important it is.
Seems to me you aren’t searching high and low for a person to define you, but instead Mara you are becoming or already being someone you want to spend the rest of your life with.
Being seen is beautiful. Feeling validated, recognized — it’s all wonderful. But at the end of the day enjoying spending time with our own thoughts makes us whole. So much so that a solo train ride sounds like heaven.
Self-love isn’t just a phrase. It’s an experience. It means enjoying your own company, truly. And that’s a very beautiful thing.
Big LOVE,
AY