My Favorite Person
Who are your favorite people to be around? My son has been my most favorite person to be around for the last 18 years. You may say this is obvious, but less than you can imagine. I am now realizing I much prefer to be around him than to share a house with him, something…
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The nut
Share one of the best gifts you’ve ever received. Very few people have surprised me with gifts—and even fewer surprised me with something extremely thoughtful. Decades ago, I had the privilege to learn trad climbing from one of the best climbers in Brazil, Alexandre Portela. I took a course with him and my partner was…
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Fifteen Years Looking for Home
In 2003, I left my city, Rio de Janeiro, to move to the mountains of Rio, to a city called Teresópolis, at the entrance of the Serra dos Órgãos National Park. It was my first time leaving Rio as an adult, and it was the hardest thing I did: leaving behind my most favourite city…
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The Privilege of Clocking Out
Last week, I started working in direct support full-time again, after 15 months away. Yes, it needs some form of adaptation to get used to the “boxed” schedule, but it also helps with cadence, routine, and organization. It requires a shift in mindset. I now prepare my lunch the night before. I get ready to…
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Bigger Than My Fear
A climber with a fear of heights is more common than you’d imagine. For half my adult life, I climbed—and I had a terrifying fear of heights. But I did it anyway. Why? My passion for the great outdoors was bigger than my fear. Still, the fear could paralyze me from time to time. I…
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The Roads You’ll Never Travel Again
I love travelling. When I was young, I wanted to go places, but the opportunities didn’t come easily. As I grew older and found my independence, I made my own way—sometimes by travelling for free, sometimes by paying my own way—but I made it happen. In my early twenties, I ended up in northern Argentina,…
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The Books I’m Reading Now
Instead of listing all the books I want to read—there are too many for that—I’ll tell you about the last two books I read and am reading right now. The Golden Spruce: A True Story of Myth, Madness, and Greed by John Vaillant Around 20 years ago, I moved to Alberta and started attending the…
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Discovering Vernon’s Hidden Stories at the Greater Vernon Museum & Archives
Land Acknowledgment I acknowledge that I am gathering on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the syilx / Okanagan people, who have lived on this land since time immemorial. I also recognize the Sinixt people and their traditional lands. I honour the syilx / Okanagan people and the Sinixt people as the original stewards…
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Five Things I Do For Fun
Who doesn’t love a good list? Here are mine—five things that bring me joy (not in any particular order): 1. Reading Reading is my oldest habit. I’ve been devouring books since I was a little girl, sitting on urban buses winding through Rio de Janeiro. A good book in my hands means I’m never really…
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The Beauty in the Ending: Why I’m Becoming an End-of-Life Doula
I started my year studying a new subject—or maybe an old one, depending on how you look at it. I enrolled in a course to become an end-of-life doula with Douglas College in Vancouver, BC. Thirteen years ago, my husband passed away. Since then, I’ve thrown myself headfirst into grief—reading dozens of books, studying the…
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When You Need the North
As I write this, it’s the end of 2025, and I have been reflecting on the past, thinking about the future. I recently made a fundamental change in my professional life, returning to being a full-time Happiness Engineer after over a year as a lead. There are many reasons for this shift, but probably the…
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A Man Who Shaped How I Work
Describe a man who has positively impacted your life. This is my last post of 2025, and this question couldn’t be more perfect! As I explore my career choices inside Automattic, one essential thing comes to mind: I certainly want a role that will spark joy and profound satisfaction in my professional life. Working long…
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Helena artmann - life coach 