Rebranding in Seville

I recently spent a week in Seville, Spain. The timing was perfect, as the trip came shortly after my diagnosis of ulcerative colitis, giving me a much-needed escape to unwind. Being in a different country, eating new food, speaking another language (shout out to my Spanish teacher, Tomás!), and meeting new people also allowed me to tap into my lateral thinking. It’s interesting how even a brief change of scenery and routine can open us up to new perspectives.

This summer I took a break from this space partly because I was feeling exhausted and dealing with the stress of frequent flare-ups, and partly because I wanted to make some updates to the website but felt limited by my technical skills. I spent a few weeks experimenting with more user-friendly platforms, but I just didn’t like the results. I love the minimalist aesthetic of Ghost, the platform I currently use, as it feels aligned with where I am in life. Plus, I don’t need many features beyond blogging right now, so switching platforms only makes sense when my needs evolve. However, I saw my lack of tech skills as an insurmountable barrier.

Then, one morning in Seville, it hit me: maybe ChatGPT could help me tackle this? After some trial and error and several hours of failed attempts, I finally made the changes I wanted, and, more importantly, I felt more empowered. It may seem like a tiny thing, but it’s incredible how a seemingly impossible problem can sometimes be solved by thinking outside the box. Suddenly, what felt overwhelming becomes obvious.

I also decided to "rebrand"—from Life Unstuck to Mindful Rebooting, as you may have noticed. Life Unstuck felt focused on overcoming obstacles and breaking free from barriers, which is part of my journey, but it also seemed limiting and perhaps a bit "heavy". In contrast, Mindful Rebooting, a term that came to me out of nowhere as I was brainstorming, resonates more with my journey of slowly rethinking how I approach life, people, and the world. It conveys a sense of intentional, mindful change that I think aligns well with where I am now and the kind of content I share.

After all, don’t we all need a reboot now and then—a sort of software update, evolving our sense of who we are and how we navigate our days and our world? What do you think?

And of course, here are a few pics from my trip! I wish I’d had more energy to explore more and visit more sites, but I still got a good sense of the city, took a couple of walking tours in Spanish, met some new people, and ate a lot of tortilla. My two favorite experiences were an afternoon at the aquarium (cultivating my blue mind) and an evening flamenco show in a small, intimate venue (we arrived just in time to grab the last available table) that I found deeply moving.