Slow Living in the City - Finding Calm and Beauty in City Life

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Slow Living in the City - Finding Calm and Beauty in City Life
Hey there beautiful! I recently visited NYC to see my friends and family before heading on to California for a visit. New York City is a place I “grew up in” from ages 18-22 and it was this city that made me the person I am now. I have a lot of love, admiration and respect for New York and the experiences I had there…despite me never being able to live there again. I felt compelled to make this video after enjoying the magic and beauty of city life for a few days. In it, I share my honest opinions about city living.
Also, friendships are so important to me, and getting the chance to go back for a few days to see them after so long apart made my heart incredibly happy. 🥰 At the end of the video, I share some behind-the-scenes footage of how I filmed the video and Candice, my best friend from college, vlogged with me. I hope you enjoy it! :)
I’m sending you a big hug and lots of butterflies!
Love,
Helena!
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♥ PO BOX
Helena Woods
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20250 Corte, France
Thank you so much for watching my video! :) I post a new video on slow living, simple living and noticing the simple joys every week but if you're curious to see more of my content, check out my blog! As a writer, I have a full archive of posts written on the Simply Joys blog about how to find more joy in your life as well as slow and simple living, mindfulness, and living in France. I hope it brings you as much joy as it did me making it! :) Have a magical day, lovely! ☀️
#slowliving #simplejoys

Опубликовано:

24 апр 2021

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Комментарии : 115

@helenawoods 3 года назад

I hope you are having a lovely Sunday, kindred spirit ✨🤗 I'm currently in San Diego visiting my mom (Alex and his parents just came out to visit and it's been so fun!) I'm sending you a big hug ❤️

@michellef4645 3 года назад

Those moments where you meet up with an old friend and you're able to laugh and be silly about things are soooooo priceless and heartwarming! Makes me miss my old friends!

@helenawoods 3 года назад

it was so wonderful!! Friendships make my heart so full.

@MARIBERBAGI21 3 года назад

Amazing video.👍🙏

@taylert2509 3 года назад

“Courage is putting yourself through discomfort to come out of it sparkling.” Thank you for being a positive light in the world. Also, for teaching the importance of gratitude and living in the now.

@theprimeoflife9263 3 года назад

Oh man, this is such a pace and side of nyc I’ve never seen on video. Beautifully done

@user-tr6ts5ck6h 3 года назад

I personally feel so alive and energized in cities--so many things of beauty to look at and admire. The comradery of all of the people. It's comforting to me. I also love traveling up north to the North Shore, or anywhere there is a body of water. It's true, you can love both and appreciate and enjoy everywhere. Ironically enough, big, open spaces or extremely rural places where there isn't another person in sight, or some sort of modern element like a store can leave me feeling panicked haha!

@MARIBERBAGI21 3 года назад

👍👍

@nicolegenerale 2 года назад

I feel the same way on cities and rural places. As much as i love the countryside and would like to live out there tbh, it does give me the impression of being all alone on earth and it’s more of a scarier feeling than comforting to me ✨

@kathryn7329 3 года назад

You are such a beautiful story teller with your words & visual art ! 💘 Thanks for allowing us to be a part of it !!

@travel_nature_and_life 3 года назад

dear Helena, usually I have trouble appreciating cities, big cities. For the Europeans, I find that NYC is a bit cliché, the place to visit and it’s a bit of a classic s race. For the very first time, I see NYC through your eyes and it completely changes my mind. Your choices to show off your NYC are surprising, deep, completely intimate and therefore valuable. It shows that it is the soul of life, it is the hope that men have put in it, their way of establishing a quality of life, sincerity and freedom. For me, you would be a guide to visit , exceptional. Because you put the very essence of life in the foreground. Congratulations for this video that I find absolutely touching. You really have a gift for showing the best in life, in the human being. I am delighted to be able to change my mind about this mythical big city.

@bapanana1 3 года назад

"Attaining inner peace and calm in any environment is a true sign of mastery, and I am nowhere near that yet, but the least I can do is try." - so beautifully expressed! It's really hard to go back to places that hold a lot of internal chaos and trauma. I hope returning and creating this video was healing for you. I absolutely LOVE your wise words. I particularly appreciated your section in this visual essay on what "courage" is ... "feeling fear and pushing through it anyway" ... "putting yourself through discomfort to come out sparkling" ... "getting it done and putting it out there instead of demanding for it to be perfect" ... "shooting for B minus work when you are thirsty for A's" ... I admit to rewinding over and over to write that part down, all word for word. I have quoted you today in my journal. Thank you for encouraging me to walk through the discomfort I'm in right now, and to trust it means I can "come out sparkling" eventually. :) You have a beautiful channel. Thank you for sharing your gift. Please continue!

@donnamarsh3474 3 года назад

Wow. It's so good to see you finding joy and beauty in NYC, USA. You, as such a youngish person, are such a great example to us to slow down, enjoy nature and LIFE! I've been intentionally doing this daily since I found your channel. THANK YOU for sharing such beauty!💓💓💓

@karareynolds772 3 года назад

This is such a lovely video. You seem so happy. There is definitely joy to be found wherever you live. I especially love old bookshops and record shops - real treasure troves. Much love and continued happiness to you ❤❤

@deniseH11 3 года назад

Thank you for sharing your time, your filming, your editing, your simple, joyful magic. I loved seeing NYC through your eyes. So lovely to see you really do take ‘yourself’ with you wherever you go😊 I learned a long time ago, we take ourselves with us wherever we go, bringing love and joy into every day makes each day filled with love and joy.😄 Happy travels from Australia.💖

@helenawoods 3 года назад

Thank you Denise! 🤗 That's so profound! I love that 💕Ahhh Australia that is SO neat!! 😍☀️

@snjez2762 3 года назад

A lovely insight into growing in a city through positive and negative experiences. There has been a lot of negative media on NY now with the pandemic, but you have shown that not everyone has to run away.

@margaretalangbackawalker7788 3 года назад

Peace and contentment comes from within, not from a place. Having said that, I love travel and experiencing new places. I spent the majority of my adulthood in the UK where I raised two children, I have lived and studied in Corsica, worked in China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Cameroon, Nigeria and Ethiopia. Now retired in Sweden. I miss my family in the UK and travel further afield due to Covid, but times will come when I can travel again, and in the meantime I enjoy and cherish what's around me here in Sweden.

@crappaeplema 3 года назад

Finding the small things that bring you joy truly is the key to a happier life and as you so wonderfully said: you can find beauty everywhere. That was a good reminder for me to start noticing the details of my daily life again. Your words are so beautifully put and express what I - and probably many others - feel, too. Thank you for sharing your story and your thoughts!

@AntonMaroun 3 года назад

Very Authentic!! I love what you send about people spending money because they don’t think they are worth it! This whole video is a Very powerful message. Thank you Helena!

@abeach5420 3 года назад

Beauutifully shared/edited. Lovely time with your friend of so many years.

@LibbyWithnall 3 года назад

Never thought I'd find a video about New York to be calm and relaxing but I guess if anyone can do it, it would be you :-). Your words and imagines are magic. NY is a place I'm not sure about visiting. With health issues (fibromyalgia) I'm not sure how I would handle the noise, busyness and getting around. Maybe one day.... While I definitely don't want to live a big city , I can certainly see the appeal and love to visit them for vacations. What a fun trip down memory lane with your friend.

@sandypascual505 3 года назад

Awwwwe your friend is so sweet!!!

@sofiacosta1897 3 года назад

You have a huge talent for storytelling. Great video dear Helena!

@yvonneb2 3 года назад

My difficult and beautiful everchanging city. I love you, NYC!❤️ I love New Yorkers. ❤️I love the diversity! ❤️

@AlaraHoop 3 года назад

Thank you for taking us on your journey! As someone who lives just outside a huge city it can be a struggle to slow down and find peace in the hustle and bustle but there are so many wonderful things about city life that I never want to give up.

@OmarAvilesCreative 3 года назад

Great video Helena! I have lived in New York ALL MY LIFE! I have never travelled out of the country - but have visited nearby states. However, I agree with you about the divide. But to find joy in both is the magic! Thank you for capturing New York from your perspective.

@jessicadeering6190 3 года назад

I’ve always thought NY didn’t have enough photo documentation in color. Reminds me of my time there; thank you for this.

@28peruvian 3 года назад

I drove to the city last week and was completely heartbroken to see how ghostly it looks...walked around Canal St looking for my favourite Chinese restaurant just to find out it was gone😢...80% of stores on Canal St were closed. It seemed deserted...hope and pray everyone can hopefully recover someday from this pandemic. Stay safe love. Sending you so much love and light ❤️

@rohdreamer 3 года назад

Thank you!! This is so entertaining😍💕

@PilgrimKat 3 года назад

I needed this today, a reminder of the growth that comes from difficult circumstances. I love how you contrast the city scenes with nature shots, it gives a very beautiful effect and matches the voiceover so well, you're a very gifted writer. My "place" is the city of Edinburgh 🏰

@helenawoods 3 года назад

LOVE Edinburgh 🥰🥰🥰 Such a beautiful and magical city! If I ever lived in a city, Edinburgh is on that list. I performed in the Fringe Festival years and years ago and just fell in love with the energy there. The art scene is fantastic! Thank you for your very kind words Kat 🤗 Sending you such a big hug lovely ❤️

@monashah1810 3 года назад

Hello , I Saw One Of Your earlier Videos & I Think You are headed in the Right Direction , A Journey Of Finding Yourself & YOUR LIFE , There Is Beauty In Simplicity & Simplicity Is The Essence Of Aesthetics .... Life Is About The Simple Moments & SIMPLE IS GREAT .... Wishing You A Journey Of Discovery Beyond Your Expectations .... I Will Be Seeing Your Videos .... Merci Beaucoup 😊

@kimcartwright8111 3 года назад

Thank you soooo much for this. You have a way of explaining things and I'm like yeah that's it. Everything about this is beautiful. I'm going to watch this again and take notes. Hope you are having a wonderful time!

@ursulatraynor 3 года назад

As a city dweller, this is beautiful, perfect to watch.

@chamogul 3 года назад

Thank you so very much for this video my sista! Namaste

@mayennebanda1990 3 года назад

Beautiful video essay of my passions for New York City and travel. Well done!

@TheHappyblacky 3 года назад

So beautiful seeing you take us with you back to New York and how you now see life in retrospect. It’s all part of the journey. You look so happy Helena. Continue to spark Joy 🌺🌺

@helenawoods 3 года назад

I'm so glad you enjoyed it! This was one of my favorite videos to make - just because I love reflection, reminiscing and learning about what I've processed from the places I've lived. Thanks for your sharing your beautiful light with me, lovely! ✨✨

@maria_in_shropshire 3 года назад

Brilliant, beautifully filmed with an insight into the reality of you tube....I have always loved both city and country....

@VerenaSatriani 3 года назад

Helena, I could feel you spoke every word from your heart. And when you said that peace can be attained anywhere we are, it made me paused for awhile. Thank you so much.

@tamaramadelin4831 3 года назад

Great video in this time of transition and discomfort for me...Picking up my life and moving to another country is not easy, but you help me to stay grounded and sane! In the process of moving I am taking time to do all the things I've always loved, taking it slow and actually enjoying the process!! Thank you for my Sunday break!

@saraibr411 3 года назад

Me too have a special spot in my heart for New York City. It's the only please I call home. This video will be my favorite forever... Everything I'd want anyone to know about NYC Thanks for making this video!!

@LiveFree123 3 года назад

What fun! I enjoy rain in the city. It make me feel warm and cozy. Call me crazy. This was a beautiful video.❤️

@helenawoods 3 года назад

The rain is so cozy and romantic!! Not crazy at all! 🥰

@goldnron 2 года назад

Hi Helena, it's the gal using her husband's pic; you're so talented, your voice is soothing and your content serence but seeing how you edit and pull it all together especially to edit out the sounds then create the calm quality; well it's all sublime as are you! Enjoy your 2022 visit that you're most likely planning as I watch this in Jan 2022:)

@helenawoods 2 года назад

Thank you 🙏 🥰 I’m so glad you enjoy it! I really love making them when the inspiration strikes

@tinylions 3 года назад

Love your interaction with your friend! Must be good to catch up!

@helenawoods 3 года назад

SO good! and much needed

@silviafrassineti5214 3 года назад

This is an amazing poem. Thank you.❣️

@seffnichols3790 3 года назад

You are a beautiful spirit. Thank you for sharing your journey.

@ByEmmyHome 3 года назад

Helena! You brought me so many amazing memories from the time i used to live in NY and thank you for that 🙏❤ It was lovely to see a glimps of the university you studied at. Your video is so inspiring and beautiful and I loved what you said, that beauty can be also found living in the big city. Sending hugs x

@DazzleDust32 3 года назад

Hi Helena. Thanks for such a beautiful video. I LOVE NYC- it has a special place in my heart as we went there for our honeymoon and again 4 years later. I would love to visit again when life is more normal. Have a lovely week. x

@kanzul4256 3 года назад

watching this was definitely a wholesome experience. love your laugh 😅💖💖

@whattovisitinromania5044 3 года назад

We can be happy anywhere we feel our soul in peace. ❤️ Beautiful video!

@draugustadorning 3 года назад

Loved the sights and colours of New York!

@dennaamalia3264 3 года назад

Beautiful captivating video!

@Balintrebeka 3 года назад

This was beautiful! In and out!

@nsotara 3 года назад

Loved the content ❤️ The experience is so real. Can really relate to everything you experienced as a young, enthusiastic artist to the person you have grown into❤️

@Inbaroush 2 года назад

I often find that for me, joy, contentment, peace are hard fought for and only seldom achieved, while boredom, sadness, melancholy and desire are far more accessible, as close as my left elbow. More and more, I find I thrive on silence, stillness, and I need these elements to break open the sea of creativity that lies just under the thin layer of perennial ice, the creativity that feeds me, that oxygenates my soul. Sometimes this need itself leads to frustration because in my mind's body, I can take long, quiet, contemplative walks in beautiful pastoral places, feeling the earth packed semi hard under my feet, watch small insects buzzing around flowers, separate universes unencumbered by the things that weigh on me, but in my actual body, I'm tired, in pain, and stuck on an island of hard edges, concrete and brick, where soil and plants and nature are curated, and it's not the same. So today, I took a shower, put a pretty scarf in my hair, got dressed and dragged my folding camp chair out onto the walkway in front of my apartment door. I'm writing this as I sit here with my favorite, new "give thanks" mug full of coffee, and watching the sky over Manhattan darken as night and an early autumn storm move in. It's not quiet, but it's "city-quiet". It's not exactly in the midst of nature, but from where I'm sitting, I can see that a few bunches of leaves in the gingko trees on my block are beginning to turn yellow, and beyond the low hum of distant traffic punctuated by the occasional horn, car door, siren or voices, the trees are rustling gently in the wind, and if I listen closely enough, a dog barks in the far distance, and even here, even now, evening birds, and something that sounds like crickets.

@Rezan-sul 3 года назад

I love your video.. Thanks ❤️💚🙏

@maddscientist3170 3 года назад

cute..enjoyed the end @ Pace

@shaun_star8737 2 года назад

Obsessed is I. With this platform 😭❤️❣️💘.

@mariaborawska494 3 года назад

Very motivating!

@ladyofwildrose 3 года назад

Love the narration. You are a talented story teller as well as cinematographer. You pull it all together in a very professional way. Everything flows. Very enjoyable. Re: Country versus City. Quiet over chaos. No competition or division, just a preference. Mine is the quiet. We are made up of different temperments. Extrovert. Introvert..Ambivert. As we experience life and grow, the experiences we crave change. We all experience life differently. And that's okay. And that is what makes each of our stories colourful and rich. Loved you chillaxing listening to LP's. You seemed very content and looked very much like you belonged there, like you were 'home.' That's how I feel whenever I leave British Columbia. As soon as I see the Rocky Mountains, and the ocean, it feels like home to me.

@KristenMelissa 3 года назад

Wow, I've never been to New York but have always wanted to go. I love seeing it through your eyes! I used to watch Inside The Actors Studio all the time on tv!! I can't believe you got to go in person!!! 😍 Haha I love the silliness with you and your friend 😅💕 So exciting to see you in the states!

@cristinabock1310 3 года назад

Love this one thank you 🌺

@jsavannah123 3 года назад

Look at your channel growing

@dammifalestina9097 3 года назад

So calming and aesthetic ✨

@helenawoods 3 года назад

Glad you liked it!

@LunasLifeToday 3 года назад

I too have lived both city and rural life. I prefer rural, but I can see why people like cities. It’s so full of active and different sources of life, and cities are beautifully sculpted. But you helped me see it that much more beautifully. Perhaps I need to go walk around my home city. Btw thank you for the RU-vid post because I had no idea you posted a video and I would have missed this! >.

@junemacauley7239 3 года назад

@Simple Joys, having grown up in NY, transplanted to FL, but NY never having left my 💗, I can tell by the images you presented that you love NYC.

@junemacauley7239 3 года назад

These scenes lifted a place in my heart that misses NY.

@moragebbin5483 3 года назад

beautiful photography

@anshalakaluarachchi2387 3 года назад

Lovely video.. love from Sri Lanka 🇱🇰 ❤️😊❤️😊

@MARIBERBAGI21 3 года назад

Hello friend.. Like-463 I like the video.👍👍🙏🙏🇲🇨🇲🇨

@EmilyElizabethMay 3 года назад

beautiful video lovely ! xxx

@lourdesangulo413 3 года назад

As you said, MAGIC is everywhere. There is an "invisible door" for human eyes, but visible for the eyes of the soul. The key is Trust. And through Trust, it is opened. 😊💎🌌

@aubreyrameden6443 3 года назад

Helena, you may enjoy “New Slow City: Living Simply in the World's Fastest City” by William Power. The author is more privileged than most, but I love his perspectives on slow living and the pockets of peace & joy he was able to carve out in a place like NYC. I live in a (much) smaller city than NYC, but it helped me realign my priorities. Lovely read!

@wthwoo8811 3 года назад

Love ur vlog and ur perspective....and I love NYC... I grew up in NY/Long Island when i was a teenager and was so blessed to live in the city again in 2017 (left again in 2020 in the midst of COVID).....However, not to drag the mood down,NYC was/is/was(?) a multi-cultural and a dynamic place, I wondered when it will be safe for ME/Asian to return again when there is a spike (literally everyday) on Anti-Asian hate crime....

@mashawickramasinghe2313 3 года назад

This is beautifully done! I am struggling with choosing between NYC life and opportunities it provides vs moving to a rural town to live a peaceful life. It's probably the hardest decision and I am still deciding. What made it possible for you to choose one over the other?

@fogalmazasgatlo849 3 года назад

Great video :)

@helenawoods 3 года назад

Thank you 🤗

@suvamsingh3248 3 года назад

❤️❤️

@sarahraaymakers14 3 года назад

Loved the video, I’ve never been to New York my dream one day

@younis9545 3 года назад

Here I am. 😉😊

@younis9545 3 года назад

Would you believe today I was thinking about you guys. I was waiting for your vlog anxiously. Now that you have uploaded it I am thankful to you. 😊😊

@helenawoods 3 года назад

it's a magical city!! I'm excited for when theatres are open again. 🥰The off-broadway scene has such incredible stories being shared on the stage.

@sarahraaymakers14 3 года назад

Oh I’m sure it is!!

@sabinebonschab352 3 года назад

Hi Sweetheart, i life in a city too, so I'm happy about this Video specialy.

@helenawoods 3 года назад

How wonderful Sabine!✨ There is beauty everywhere 🤗

@sabinebonschab352 3 года назад

@@helenawoods yeeeeeeessss you are right😍📚☕🐿🐇🌲🌷

@Cantwithyou 3 года назад

I live in New York City and I can't wait to Leave!!

@helenawoods 3 года назад

I couldn't wait to leave when I was ready to go too. The first 2 years were magical. When it's time to go, it's time to go. There is a great book that I read just before I left called "Loving and Leaving Manhattan" and that book is such a bittersweet joy to read about leaving that city 🤗

@Cantwithyou 3 года назад

@@helenawoods Hi Helena! I remember your story, so happy for you, you escaped! Lol..... I lived here all my life and would love to experience a much more quiet slower pace life, definitely working on that goal. That book sounds really interesting, will definitely look into it. But it's always nice to come back to a familiar place, Be safe on your trip back home to your hubby🌺

@temismontenegromontenegro9319 3 года назад

If you have Inner peace, it doesn't matter where you are.

@caroltinga4731 3 года назад

I appreciate your videos very much! With thanks from Canada. P.S. If you pinch the metal bar at the top of the mask down over the bony part of your nose, the mask will (probably!) stay in place.

@helenawoods 3 года назад

Oh thank you Carol!! I've been seriously struggling with these 95 masks - they are always shifting after enough use. Appreciate the tip! 🤗💕

@rashiborkar1773 3 года назад

Hey Helena, could you pls share what kind of thoughts you keep noting down in yout diary? Im really curioud to knw

@helenawoods 3 года назад

Yes I will make more videos about my journaling process!

@younis9545 3 года назад

It feels like a lullaby. 😜😂

@helenawoods 3 года назад

I love that! 🤗A lot of my creative writing feels like a lullaby or poem when I'm writing it.

@younis9545 3 года назад

@@helenawoods it actually is. I could have gone to sleep while watching your video but it was my brother who interrupted me. 😉😊

@GenevieveEKelly 3 года назад

You are so precious and cute. 💕💫

@keithbales8242 3 года назад

Great video, but...the climatic consequences of so much flying vis-a-vis the message of simplicity and sustainability?

@helenawoods 3 года назад

I see my mother once every 2 years. So minimizing my flights is actually sustainable. There is no other way to get to San Diego in a practical way than taking a flight. My relationships are very important to me and going out to see them once every few years is a priority for me. 💕

@keithbales8242 3 года назад

@@helenawoods fair enough!