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Cheryl

@cheryl.smith.ann

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Bonnie Scot, living in Canada 🇨🇦 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Mountains, Adventures, Plant Powered Food ...and amateur dorky poetry for funsies and feelz!

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So I know I'm late and some of ya'll already have your Christmas Tree up 😂 but I wanted to share my Transylvania inspired Halloween look this year! I travelled with hand luggage only so I was very limited on case space but I made sure 100ml of fake blood made it through security haha! I'll share some pics from the party at Bran Castle soon - it was so SICK 🎃

#halloween #romania #brancastle by @cheryl.smith.ann

I need to stop booking such beautiful lodgings because it makes me not want to leave to explore the sights outside 🙃 by @cheryl.smith.ann

I just finished reading a book today that was set during WW2 (The Whalebone Theatre - absolutely stunning piece of fiction if you're a reader and looking for your next TBR) and it spoke of the resistance in Paris where at one point, had such limited electricity they only had access to it for one hour a day! I was googling this out of awe when I also came to learn that today is the 20th celebration of Earth Hour. And many people globally will celebrate this (between 8:30-9:30pm local time if you want to join) by turning off their lights. Initially I thought that sounded a bit silly because what difference does sitting in the dark make to the planet but it's meant to evidence that small actions from a majority (as opposed to big actions from a minority) can and do make impactful change! Similarly to the theme of my book, small acts of rebellion were just as important in the grand scheme of victory. So I write this to remind myself that all small and seemingly trivial acts when coming from a place of care/compassion are valuable and influential. Small change is palatable, attainable and repeated over and over, it will inevitably be so much more substantial than the big things we may never do!

So if you didn't already know about Earth Hour (as I did not) consider this your friendly PSA ....time to go search out some candles so I can continue my next book in the dark lol! 😂

#earthhour #biggesthourforearth #giveanhourforearth by @cheryl.smith.ann

Happy Valentines Day everyone

(I'm a day late in my local Jordanian time, but it's still the 14th in Western Canada, so I'm cheating the timezone system ...just a bit)

I spent another beautiful day in Jordan exploring the Dead Sea and eating Pita Bread. I'm making my way toward Egypt now and am genuinely sad to be leaving. I would encourage absolutely everyone to visit this country 🇯🇴 it's truly blown my expectations out of the water! So much history, beauty and hospitality.

And if anyone wants a travel partner, I would HAPPILY return so hit me up 😆 by @cheryl.smith.ann

🇯🇴 I've only been here 3 and a half days but already, Jordan has surprised me in the best kind of way. I booked this leg of the trip as a tag along to Egypt but I'm starting to think Jordan might be the main event 🤗 by @cheryl.smith.ann

I leave in less than 6 hours for my next tall pointy structure adventure (Egyptian Pyramids) and if you think I've packed a single article of clothing, charged my electronic devices or gotten all of my Visa paperwork submitted in advance.... well, you clearly don't know me at all 🤷‍♀️

What I have done today is watch the latest episode of the Simpsons though 🤣 by @cheryl.smith.ann

*** ᭙ꪮ𝕜ꫀ ***

7 colors of the rainbow,
deduced down to 2.
Which one do you pledge
between Red versus Blue.

We're easy to manipulate
when its us against you.
We can't both be right,
one side has to lose.

We'll name call you radical
when you express empathy.
Instead, arguing eachother
without concern or dignity.

Rather than mourning a life lost,
we take to debate and blame.
Shoulda coulda woulda,
analyzing actions frame by frame.

Those laws that were written
to protect people's lives,
now merely suggestions
as we lose human rights.

Unaliving another person
with a clap of victory;
maybe an insult of rage,
but 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 an apology.

Outside of the politics,
I want to talk people;
not the numbers or colors,
but our lives as being equal.

For the strangers I'm watching
die on this tiny little screen,
and then asked to move on
as though sight unseen,

Like we're not supposed to care,
and if you do you're called woke.
But, surely we all shed tears
for a humanity that's broke.

And perhaps worst of all
is this isn't even new.
Generations of trauma
we need to work through.

I don't want a better place
that's fit for only you and me.
I stand for a safe world
where we can all be free ♥️ by @cheryl.smith.ann

I used to like the feeling of being small, the insignificance was sort of comforting like it didn't really matter because I'm just a tiny blip in space and time - but recently I've been feeling "too" small. Like the world is too big and my feelings are too big and my capacity to hold this collective grief is overflowing and overwhelming. Feeling small is no longer romantic, it's more like powerlessness and dwindling hope. It's hard to consume death and violence at such a global scale and then just pop on a Teams meeting without the all consuming guilt of logistical privilege and the overwheling blockade that is being unable to change the insurmountable injustices as they unfold. So much anger, rage, despair - I assume there have to be other people out there feeling some of this, too.

So I'm just here to say that if you are also a big feeler, I don't have any words of wisdom, but I see you and I hope you're doing okay (or better). I've been processing in my own small ways - sometimes naming my feelings out loud, talking to those I care about most, telling people I love them, spending time snuggling with animals (thank you will never be enough to everyone who allows me do that). I try to sign petitions or send emails where I think it might have even a minute chance of making a difference because I want to retain a sense of empathy over apathy. I try to stay informed enough to be a witness and advocate for what I believe in while also taking breath and space to recalibrate when needed. I write my low brow poetry (I think creation is a great expression for grief even if it's not traditionally good), and ofcourse, holding on to hope - hope that there is more love than hate in this world yet! ♥️ by @cheryl.smith.ann

*** Poem *** Daybreak ***

Where did it go
The light in her eyes
A gun was drawn
To nobody's surprise

The world starting to feel
A bit black and white
Like the sun went away
It just forgot to rise

The people are scared
Scared for their lives
Being snatched from the street
Illegally detained inside

And behind those walls
People are losing their lives
The governments system
Intent and dangerously designed

Surely we grow angry
And tired of the divide

Tired of the fighting
Between left and right
Hatred between us all
Dark skinned and light

Everyone's thoughts posted
Right now in real time
Watching deaths unfold
As I scroll online

There's a dangerous man
With the strings in his hand
We're the puppets and dolls
He thinks he commands

It's all far too much
for one person to fight
But maybe together
If we could only unite

Start to see through
The propaganda and lies
And stand up together
With dignity and pride

Put a stop to the start
Of humanities demise
And let it all burn
From the ashes we'll rise

Let's wait for the dawn
For the sun to bring light
When her eyes shine again
And history we'll re-write by @cheryl.smith.ann

Happy New Year folks. Today's the day we see all of the achievements people have made over the last 365 days but over here I'm just gonna highlight that I spent a big chunk of my last night of 2025 sat on the dirty floor at the City Impound lot (seriously, there is not a single chair in that place) trying to get my towed car back after parking in a 'no-park' zone (reading comprehension of street signs should apparently be a goal of mine for 2026 haha!) and woke up with Laringytis because I went a little too hard at the pub sing along. And while I can brag that for the first time ever, I appear to have managed a whole holiday without losing or misplacing my passport or phone, I did lose an entire toenail sooooooooo 😂 2026 is off to a good start!

#goodbye2025 by @cheryl.smith.ann

I've not had time to share much because I've been moving around a lot and squeezing in all the fun times but snorkeling in Belize is something else. I was smart enough to cover up my top half but the lower half of my butt cheeks are extremely burnt 😂🙈 worth it though, the ocean is absolutely magical over here!!

#underthesea by @cheryl.smith.ann

Girls be like 'I really needed that' and it was just a solo trip to Central America 🤷‍♀️😅

Guatamala is so colorful in all the best ways! 🌈

#travel #guatamala #sunset by @cheryl.smith.ann