Hi, I’m Simon.
I recently drew 50 days of happiness shared with my boyfriend, as the second part of my 100 Days of Happiness Project (Day 51 to 100).
The year 2020 has been a difficult year for many of us, especially because of the coronavirus. In order to stay positive, I decided to create a visual gratitude journal on my Instagram page.
The objective of this project was also to give visibility to LGBT couples and normalize sweet moments shared between gay couples. Throughout the illustrations, you will also witness the progression of our relationship, from maintaining a long-distance relationship between Copenhagen and Stockholm to finally moving in together.
Scroll all the way down to view post 100 from my 100 Days of Happiness.
More info: Instagram | simonip.com
#1 Day 63: Enjoying A Nice Bowl Of Ramen
What’s your favorite food on a rainy day? Mine is a cold noodle soup (물냉면) with some LA kalbi and a beer. Unfortunately, it’s been a challenge to find it in Stockholm, so the next best thing is a big bowl of ramen with a beer or some soju, always in great company.
#2 Day 96: Moving In Together
It has been a busy few weeks since Patric officially moved to Copenhagen. We are still going through a few boxes and more shelves to put up, but we are happy to work together towards our new home.
#3 Day 80: Which Local Area Did You Discover During The Pandemic?
Last weekend we visited Venngarn Castle, north of Sigtuna.
Less than an hour drive from Stockholm, we’ve spent the day walking in a beautiful garden, visiting an antique shop, and enjoying a traditional Swedish lunch.
This drawing was inspired by a painting of two knights with head cut-outs (swipe to see reference picture). I decided to take a more modern approach by updating our wardrobe.
#4 Day 98: Enjoying Our Seaside View In The Morning
My boyfriend and I recently moved to our new apartment. The highlight is definitely the beautiful seaside view and sunrises we get to experience every morning from our balcony.
#5 Day 99: Celebrating The Lunar New Year Together
February 12 marked the new year on the lunar calendar. I’ve always loved the lunar new year for the large gatherings and the ridiculous amount of food.
This year is a bit different as we are not able to meet in larger groups. I’ve decided to draw us eating 汤圆 (tang yuan). These glutinous sweet rice balls are also a homonym for reunion 团圆. That’s my wish for this year of the Ox, to be able to have large gatherings around the world with my family and friends.
#6 Day 94: Enjoying A Cozy Christmas Night
What I love about Christmas is being surrounded by your loved ones. This year, we might not be able to travel back home or spend time with our parents, but we are fortunate to celebrate with close friends. We are very grateful for the new friendships we have created and for nurturing the old ones.
#7 Day 66: When It's Time To Shave His Beard
#8 Day 84: Creating Memories Together
#9 Day 90: Cooking Together
#10 Day 72: What’s Your Fondest Childhood Memory?
While visiting my family in Paris, we had some delicious Chinese food. It reminded me of that sweet memory when my mother and I used to make jiao zi (饺子) together.
My mom would spend the whole morning prepping the dough and meat. As a family, we would spend almost the whole day folding them together. She was never really impressed by my folding skills.
#11 Day 64: Have You Ever Been In A Long Distance Relationship?
The silver lining of the corona was that we were able to confine together for the last 100 days in Stockholm..
Now that I’m back in Copenhagen we have resumed our long-distance romance with a lot of FaceTime and text messages.
#12 Day 85: Getting Used To Day Light Savings
Last Sunday in Europe, we turned back our clocks to gain an extra hour.
I love the feeling of sleeping in the next day and realizing that it’s still only 8:30 o’clock in the morning. On the other hand, my boyfriend doesn’t seem to be a morning person despite the bonus sleeping time.
#13 Day 71: Cheering With A Beautiful View Of The Eiffel Tower
#14 Day 65: Snacking On Shrimps Before Going Out For Dinner
#15 Day 61: When’s The Last Time You Called Your Mom?
Yesterday was the first time my partner was able to see his mother after 2.5 months of distancing. They gathered in their garden in the suburbs of Stockholm to celebrate Mother's day.
#16 Day 68: Falling In Love With Every Dog We See
#17 Day 70: When We Meet Up At The Airport
#18 Day 76: When He Is Proud Of His Farmer's Tan
#19 Day 69: When We Order Food At The Restaurant
#20 Day 87: Going To An Onsen
Last week we celebrated my boyfriend’s birthday by treating ourselves to a spa getaway. A 20-min ferry ride away from Stockholm, the Japanese-theme spa included ryokan, saunas, and a variety of heated outside pools.
#21 Day 67: Do You Ever Have A Bad Hair Day?
#22 Day 60: Enjoying My Picnic Birthday Celebration
#23 Day 59: I Have Quite An International Group Of Friends Scattered Around The Globe
With the travel ban, it’s sad to not be able to see them in person. My good friend Gloria from Hong Kong recently mentioned how much she misses Sweden. I decided to bring her back to her happy place through my illustration in rosenträdgården, Stockholm. She provided the picture and I transported her there, with a nice flower crown to celebrate spring and a crisp glass of Prosecco.
#24 Day 78: Enjoying Our Pumpkin Spice Latte
Every September I have to grab a pumpkin spice latte. It’s not because I particularly like the taste of it, but it has become more of a fall tradition. I get very nostalgic during that time of the year, especially being away from Canada.
#25 Day 89: The First Snow Day
Growing up in Canada, the snow made our cold and dark winters more enjoyable. Especially when our school would call us to let us know that it was closing due to snowy weather. We got a few flakes here in Stockholm, enough to make me appreciate the colder months.
#26 Day 91: What’s Your Favourite Filter?
My two-year-old nephew loves to FaceTime with me, mostly because he can play with the different filters. His favorite ones are the pizza face and the foot face.
#27 Day 56: The Other Day, My Good Friends Went To Water My Plants And Check On My Apartment In Copenhagen
I have been in Sweden for more than two months now, and I do miss my friends and life in Denmark.
I wanted to take the time to thank them by including these two in my #100daysofhappiness. I didn’t have a nice picture of my current apartment so I included old pictures from when I was living in Paris... the furniture is still the same though.
#28 Day 55: Working Out
#29 Day 81: What’s Your Favorite Flower Or Plant?
#30 Day 92: Celebrating Sankta Lucia
My boyfriend remembers as a kid, having to wake up very early on that day to perform songs to the parents dressed in stars, candles, and white gowns.
With the short days in Sweden, it’s very nice to light candles at home and to walk by all the fairy lights on the streets.
#31 Day 54: Happy Mother's Day!
#32 Day 73: When We Watched A Horror Movie Together
#33 Day 88: Relaxing All Day In Our Yukata
Last week we were at a Japanese-theme spa outside of Stockholm. Upon arrival, we received a yukata and slippers. It was so nice to walk around the hotel, spa, and restaurant in comfortable clothes.
#34 Day 79: When I Published My First Skillshare Class
#35 Day 52: Enjoying The Full Moon
#36 Day 74: Feeling Fashionable In Paris
#37 Day 75: Walking By The Canals In Copenhagen
We are now back in Copenhagen and have been experiencing a few very warm days, which is amazing for this part of the world. This means that we’ve been dressing quite casually lately, wearing shorts and T-shirts.
#38 Day 95: Celebrating New Year
First of all, I’d like to thank you all for encouraging me in my creative journey. Earlier this year, I splurged on an iPad Pro and decided to draw again after several years of inactivity. It was the best investment I have made in a long time. The Instagram community has been so welcoming and I’m so thankful for your kind words and engagement.
2020 has been tough for many of us. I wish you all a wonderful 2021 full of love, friends, and happy moments.
#39 Day 53: Enjoying My First Ice Cream Cone Of The Year
#40 Day 51: Smelling The Flowers On Our Walk
#41 Day 100: Completing A 100 Days Of Happiness
On February 29th, 2020 I kick-offed my #100daysofhappiness. A year later, we finally reached day 100.
This has been a great way to stay grateful every day, especially during these uncertain days of the corona. This visual diary has also shown me the progression of my relationship with my boyfriend. From traveling back and forth between Copenhagen and Stockholm to finally moving in together.
Thank you for being part of this journey.
#42 Day 86: A Friendly Shuffle Board Match
#43 Day 57: Taking A Walk In Stockholm
#44 Day 58: I Love Being Able To Eat Different Types Of Food, Without Being Judged By My Partner
#45 Day 62: What’s Your Coffee Order?
The perks of working from home include enjoying different coffee shops. Sometimes the internet connection is great, often it’s not. The unpredictable WiFi means that I may need to rush back home in 5 minutes to make it to my next Zoom meeting.
With all this back and forth, I recently misplaced my sunglasses. I wasn’t sure where so I was quite bummed. The next day, I found them at the local Starbucks where I must have left them.
#46 Day 83: What Are You Grateful For?
#47 Day 77: When You Plan His Photoshoot
It’s great to hang out with my boyfriend as he’s not shy in front of the camera. I can get a lot of really nice shots of him especially when we travel.
Now, if only he could take more flattering pictures of me and not only whenever I’m eating, that would be great...
#48 Day 97: When We Let Our Imagination Run Wild
#49 Day 93: Finding Some Misltetoe
Big steps happened this month as we are planning our move together to Copenhagen. We look forward to creating our own traditions around the holidays.
#50 Day 82: Who Are You Proud Of?
Today I’d like to give a shout-out to my boyfriend and his brother. Their band @wearecallus reached 100,000 listens for their song Heart ii Heart!
Being happy is also about celebrating others’ accomplishments! I’m so very proud of them.
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