Stephanie Roles

My forever best friend. When your toddler asks you to snuggle them the whole walk home... you do it! These moments I truly cherish the most. #familytime

DREAMING, ON THIS DREARY DAY I have such mixed feelings when I think about the absence of travel in my these last 8 months... I long for the days that I get to wander the streets of a new city, no plans, no maps, no schedule. I miss seeing my old friends and meeting new ones from all over the world along the way. I crave authentic dishes, from local villages in countries new and old. And I mourn my career I spent 7 years building along with all the trips I had planned for... 2020. On the other hand, these last 8 months due to the absence of travel unexpectedly transformed other areas of my life. I bought not only my first home, but also my dream income property during a pandemic. I stepped outside my comfort zone of 9 to 5 and finally took my career path to the next level. I collaborated with my best friend @breannapw on a new dream business plan. I was forced to slow down, and spend an extended maternity leave (thanks to CERB) focused on family time. I had to think outside the box to make it work, and so far so good. Instead of being miserable about having my passion stripped from me, I found a way to turn it into something beautiful for my fam. That’s not to say I don’t miss my Aussie fam insane amounts & dream about the day I can get back to exploring this beautiful world. Anyone else doing the same?!

This is what living your best life looks like as a toddler @charliecancook... Shrimp Cocktail + Juiceboxes Thank you @sandandpearloysterbar for one last little bite of heaven. It has been such a short but sweet fall season working with this amazing crew! ... See y’all back here in 2021

We will never forget this wild ride through 2020. Honestly, I would have never got to share so many of these simple moments with this kiddo. That’s one of the positives I see through this haze of crazy. We have had so much quality time together with this little man, to truly watch him grow. This has basically been like a 2 year paid mat leave. I can’t imagine how mamas and families survive with sometimes as little as 2-6 WEEKS with their new baby in USA. I just can’t fathom... it. This rare opportunity has me feeling so grateful, as traditionally I expected to be buried in work 9-5 this year back. #familyfun #thebrightside

F A L L + C H A N G E Kicking off a new season of 2020, along with a completely new chapter of our lives ( at home & at work ). Change can be so SO beautiful but it can also be difficult, especially for kids. I feel fortunate that Harrison has always been a very flexible / go with the flow sort of infant. From travelling across the globe at 5 weeks old, to living #VANLIFE across the Australian Outback at 3 months old, attending weddings in european castles at 6 months ol...d, enjoying the Cali Malibu vibe at 10 months old... and the list goes on. He never needed a strict schedule and similar surroundings to thrive like many infants and toddlers rely on. However now that he’s a bit older and so advanced in his verbal communication it’s been really interesting watching him take it this new season of our lives as a family. Watching his mind work as he ran around every inch of our empty apartment in the city, saying ALL GONE and throwing his hands up in the air. Now, watching him explore our new home and settle into what he already identifies as his new room. The hardest part for him is going to be being away from his full time daycare routine + bubble he created there these last 8 months. He loves the learning environment they fostered for him, and I’m excited to do drop ins back there and other new scheduled activities here in the county to continue his development. I know long term this is best for him & our family. Even though I struggle with the idea of him not getting to remain as his daycare in the city. #newbeginning

GOODBYES (are) TOUGH In many cases you don’t know how special something was to you, until it’s gone. This house + chapter of our lives as a family will always remain one of the most transformative and unique to date. Was this the fanciest place I’ve ever lived? NOPE. Most definitely not. First & last time living in a basement apartment I can tell you that. (We got it originally to be 5 mins from the office, but we all know how quickly that didn’t matter anymore ) BUT, the... community we built in this 2 house, 6 unit bubble will forever remain unmatched. COVID19 challenged each one of our families in different ways and made our lives as quirky as the homes we lived in. We all spent much more time together this summer than we would have under any normal circumstances. We got creative, the kids spent every moment possible outside, we struggled together, got frustrated at times with each other, laughed together, and even got to enjoy a new puppy together! We learned every street, house and walking trail within a 10k radius. And we discovered possibly the best daycare in history thanks to this house. Plus Pre-COVID I shared an unforgettable mat leave with @theworldaccordingtokristen, along with fabulous drinks & dinner parties. Goodbye 69 Lawrence, as we set off on our next adventure we will miss you!

B I T T E R S W E E T As we go into our last 3 days of daycare I am incredibly greatful for the last 8 months at Busy Little Beez. I have watched my sons development soar from vocabulary and social skills to his strength and motor skills. He has built friendships and gained a sweet love for both the teachers and his friends. They were fortunately able to remain open with under 5 kids throughout this crazy pandemic and thanks to the outstanding parents who all worked tog...ether to keep our kiddos safe without a single COVID scare. They served as Harrison’s bubble and played a huge role in keeping both him and mum/dad in good mental health with such a small living space not cut out for work from home life. The only hard part about our decision to buy and move to start our new business endeavours in the countryside was taking him out of daycare. I’m devastated for him because I know he he’s not going to understand why all of his best friends are no longer there everyday. He’s an incredibly social kid and didn’t hesitate day 1 to jump right in. I’m afraid he’s going to be sad when he realizes he won’t get to be with the people who became like family to him through the last crazy months. The thought of picking him up Wednesday brings tears to my eyes. But I know this is the right step for our future as a family.

So proud to be this little dude’s mama. That is all.

N A M A S T E Missing these early morning beach yoga vibes today, as I make it through pre-move week. How can you fault an early morning yoga session, with this view + the sounds of waves crashing? @thejunemotel ... #spoiler YOU CAN’T! What is your favourite place in the ( w o r l d ) you’ve practiced #yoga?

H A P P Y M O N D A Y Thanks Sauble beach & @thejunemotel for the perfect weekend. Exactly what I needed to relax & reset for a crazy ( good ) couple of months coming up. Girls weekend success! Good luck to @katelynne_lo returning to the classroom tomorrow... & @_meganroles starting her second year Uni. ... #goodbyesummer

That feeling of a freshly turned over ( HOTEL ROOM ) Boy have I missed this. May not have needed an airplane to get here... Or a passport... ... But boy does it feel good. @thejunemotel #travelexpert #openingweekend

The first morning in 19 months I woke up sans bebé. Snooze button Free bottomless coffee Light reading ... Hammock Beach Yoga Yep, not mad.