🫙 Cleaning the Pantry 🧹 | Organizing the Kitchen | A Calming Story About Organization

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00:00:02,100 --> 00:00:07,620
Welcome to The Slow Life.
I'm Jennifer Vino and I create,

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00:00:07,660 --> 00:00:12,070
narrate and design the
soundscape of this village of

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00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:15,830
cosy stories to relax and
unwind.

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00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:20,260
Each week I share an original
story.

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00:00:20,340 --> 00:00:25,370
Read 2 times so you can relax
even more during the second

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reading.
I also create micro experiences

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inspired by the stories you
hear.

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00:00:35,630 --> 00:00:40,920
These are short, gentle reading
moments designed to help you

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slow down and rest in the
village for as long as you like.

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00:00:47,020 --> 00:00:52,230
They're available now to enjoy
on screen or on paper,

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00:00:52,390 --> 00:00:59,530
individually or in small bundles
through the slow life.ca under

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the Shop tab.
Let's settle in with some easy

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00:01:05,570 --> 00:01:11,960
breathing at your own pace.
With each inhale, let fresh air

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fill the space around your
heart.

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With each exhale, feel the calm
air spread through your body and

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flow out through your arms and
legs, gently in through your

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heart.
Gently out through your body, in

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through your heart, out through
your body.

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And now let's begin.
This story is called Cleaning

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00:01:53,430 --> 00:01:58,640
the Pantry, and it's about
clearing shelves, new

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00:01:58,650 --> 00:02:02,360
containers, and a cozy storage
nook.

22
00:02:05,990 --> 00:02:12,020
The kitchen counters are
cleared, the sink empty, coffee

23
00:02:12,030 --> 00:02:14,380
finished and rinsed from the
mug.

24
00:02:15,730 --> 00:02:20,700
Sunlight comes in through the
window above the sink and

25
00:02:20,710 --> 00:02:25,840
stretches across the floor,
stopping just short of the

26
00:02:25,850 --> 00:02:32,500
doorway beside the fridge.
The pantry sits just beyond it,

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00:02:33,030 --> 00:02:38,170
a recessed space with shelves
running on all three walls,

28
00:02:38,830 --> 00:02:45,120
visible from where I stand.
I reach beside me and flick on

29
00:02:45,130 --> 00:02:49,130
the light.
The bulb overhead comes to life

30
00:02:49,140 --> 00:02:54,480
with a soft click casting and
even glow over the shelves.

31
00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:59,130
Everything is as it has been for
months.

32
00:02:59,950 --> 00:03:06,430
Boxes stacked behind boxes half
used, bags clipped and folded,

33
00:03:07,530 --> 00:03:10,330
Cairns churned in different
directions.

34
00:03:11,500 --> 00:03:16,350
Nothing messy exactly, but
nothing intentional either.

35
00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:22,380
It functions well.
I find what I need when I need

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00:03:22,390 --> 00:03:26,180
it.
Still, I stand here, scanning

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00:03:26,190 --> 00:03:30,840
each shelf, as though I've come
across a place I've never quite

38
00:03:30,850 --> 00:03:37,220
studied before.
I step inside the space, aware

39
00:03:37,230 --> 00:03:42,500
of how the kitchen remains just
behind me, open and bright.

40
00:03:44,140 --> 00:03:47,920
The air smells faintly of paper
and spices.

41
00:03:49,570 --> 00:03:55,540
I begin with the top shelf,
lifting down a bag of oats and

42
00:03:55,550 --> 00:03:57,960
setting it on the floor beside
me.

43
00:03:59,180 --> 00:04:03,970
A bag of rice follows, then
flour, then sugar.

44
00:04:05,610 --> 00:04:10,580
Soon my arms are full and I
carry the small pile out to the

45
00:04:10,590 --> 00:04:16,730
kitchen island, returning again
and again until the top 2

46
00:04:16,740 --> 00:04:22,580
shelves are bare.
With those ones empty, I take a

47
00:04:22,590 --> 00:04:24,960
cloth and wipe along their
length.

48
00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:31,360
There are fine grains of sugar
in the corners, a little dust

49
00:04:31,370 --> 00:04:34,250
where boxes have sat
undisturbed.

50
00:04:35,940 --> 00:04:41,630
Yeah, act of clearing is slow
and satisfying, the surface

51
00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:49,760
emerging smooth beneath my hand.
I work methodically, one section

52
00:04:49,770 --> 00:04:55,930
at a time, not rushing to
finish, only following a rhythm

53
00:04:56,280 --> 00:05:04,290
of lifting, carrying, wiping,
returning odor.

54
00:05:04,300 --> 00:05:08,760
On the island, I gather the
glass jars and containers I've

55
00:05:08,770 --> 00:05:14,840
been saving.
Some once held sauce, others

56
00:05:14,850 --> 00:05:20,010
Pickles or jam.
I re wash them and smoothed the

57
00:05:20,020 --> 00:05:23,430
glue from the labels away with
warm water.

58
00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:29,870
When they're dry, I pour oats
into the largest jar and watch

59
00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:34,940
them cascade, filling the space
neatly to the shoulder.

60
00:05:36,380 --> 00:05:41,630
The top is wide enough on this
one for a measuring cup to scoop

61
00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:46,200
into it.
Rice slides into another

62
00:05:46,210 --> 00:05:53,130
container, creating a sound as
it settles in, flowers next,

63
00:05:53,280 --> 00:05:58,510
becoming even softer and cloud
like against the clear sides of

64
00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:03,380
glass.
I line these in a row and step

65
00:06:03,390 --> 00:06:06,940
back.
Even before the return to the

66
00:06:06,950 --> 00:06:11,960
pantry, they seemed more calming
than the crumpled bags they came

67
00:06:11,970 --> 00:06:16,690
from.
I take out a roll of labels from

68
00:06:16,700 --> 00:06:21,660
the drawer and write each name
carefully in steady letters.

69
00:06:23,260 --> 00:06:30,180
The ink dries quickly.
Oats, rice flour, sugar.

70
00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:37,460
When I carry the jars into the
pantry, I place them at eye

71
00:06:37,470 --> 00:06:42,330
level where they can be reached
without bending or stretching.

72
00:06:43,950 --> 00:06:47,380
The light from the bulb catches
on the glass.

73
00:06:48,450 --> 00:06:54,480
I turn each jar slightly so the
label faces forward and aligns

74
00:06:54,490 --> 00:06:59,330
with the next.
Beneath them I arrange the

75
00:06:59,340 --> 00:07:04,730
smaller jars.
Lentils, pasta, dried beans,

76
00:07:05,750 --> 00:07:10,780
Grouping them by use rather than
by where they happen to fit

77
00:07:10,830 --> 00:07:15,680
before baking ingredients
together.

78
00:07:16,470 --> 00:07:21,560
Snacks corralled into shallow
baskets so they don't scatter

79
00:07:21,570 --> 00:07:27,420
across the shelf.
The middle shelf holds tins and

80
00:07:27,430 --> 00:07:30,990
cans.
I remove them all and wipe the

81
00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:36,180
smooth wood, enjoying the way
the surface looks freshly

82
00:07:36,190 --> 00:07:41,110
painted.
When I set the cans back, I

83
00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:45,400
turned their labels outward and
line them in rows.

84
00:07:46,830 --> 00:07:54,240
Tomatoes beside tomatoes, beans
beside beans, coconut milk in a

85
00:07:54,250 --> 00:07:59,640
neat cluster.
I don't have a ton of each, but

86
00:07:59,650 --> 00:08:03,610
seeing them together makes the
pantry feel abundant.

87
00:08:05,380 --> 00:08:10,790
I do notice how often I have
bought one more can because I

88
00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:13,390
couldn't see the one tucked
behind.

89
00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:20,710
I nod to myself that the time
I'm putting in now will save me

90
00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:27,540
time and money from now on.
On the lower shelf, bags of

91
00:08:27,550 --> 00:08:31,680
potatoes and onions have rested
in loose arrangement.

92
00:08:33,260 --> 00:08:39,030
I bring in two simple bins and
place them side by side, one for

93
00:08:39,039 --> 00:08:43,380
each.
This lifts them slightly off the

94
00:08:43,390 --> 00:08:50,140
floor and keeps them contained.
I shift the basket of garlic

95
00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:55,420
closer to the front and move the
spare oil bottles toward the

96
00:08:55,430 --> 00:08:59,930
back corner, where they're less
likely to be knocked over.

97
00:09:01,620 --> 00:09:06,730
I test the space by reaching and
pulling things in and out,

98
00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:13,030
making small adjustments until
my arm moves easily without

99
00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:18,470
brushing against anything else.
The longer I stand in the

100
00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:22,150
pantry, the more I enjoy the
logic of it.

101
00:09:23,610 --> 00:09:27,350
What I use most, of course,
belongs at hand.

102
00:09:28,330 --> 00:09:32,510
What I use occasionally can live
higher or lower.

103
00:09:34,710 --> 00:09:37,870
I rearrange the extra spices.
Next.

104
00:09:38,810 --> 00:09:44,820
I carry them all to the island,
wipe the small glass jars and

105
00:09:44,830 --> 00:09:47,440
sort them by colour, just for
fun.

106
00:09:48,520 --> 00:09:51,970
Paprika and chili powder glow
warmly.

107
00:09:52,890 --> 00:09:59,540
Turmeric sits golden and bright
dried herbs gather in shades of

108
00:09:59,550 --> 00:10:03,700
green.
When I returned them to their

109
00:10:03,710 --> 00:10:07,670
spot, I put them in alphabetical
order.

110
00:10:08,530 --> 00:10:12,960
The colours are mingled now, but
it's pleasing to look at.

111
00:10:14,770 --> 00:10:20,760
The sun shifts while I work,
inching across the kitchen floor

112
00:10:20,920 --> 00:10:23,960
and reaching the edge of the
pantry opening.

113
00:10:25,880 --> 00:10:31,210
The small room feels less tucked
away as I go in and out of its

114
00:10:31,220 --> 00:10:36,110
doorway, but it will stay its
own hideaway of sorts.

115
00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:42,080
When I'm finished, there are a
few items I decide not to

116
00:10:42,090 --> 00:10:46,290
return.
An unopened box I know I won't

117
00:10:46,300 --> 00:10:51,380
use, A duplicate bag of
something I forgot I had.

118
00:10:52,430 --> 00:10:57,580
I set them aside, acknowledging
that they don't need to take up

119
00:10:57,590 --> 00:11:02,930
space here.
When everything is back in

120
00:11:02,940 --> 00:11:09,610
place, I stand inside the pantry
once more and let my eyes travel

121
00:11:09,620 --> 00:11:15,570
from top to bottom.
The chairs sit neatly showing

122
00:11:15,580 --> 00:11:20,750
what's inside.
The labels are legible and calm.

123
00:11:22,270 --> 00:11:27,190
Pecans form rows stacked only
one or two high.

124
00:11:28,750 --> 00:11:32,060
The bins keep their contents
contained.

125
00:11:32,710 --> 00:11:38,040
The space feels purposeful, but
it is still a cozy storage nook.

126
00:11:39,570 --> 00:11:44,040
I rest my hand briefly against
the door frame before turning

127
00:11:44,050 --> 00:11:48,720
away, satisfied with the quiet
transformation.

128
00:11:50,430 --> 00:11:55,160
I picture measuring flour
without a puff escaping from a

129
00:11:55,170 --> 00:12:01,120
folded paper bag.
Small efficiencies, perhaps, but

130
00:12:01,130 --> 00:12:07,670
it already feels better, I know.
Welcome back into the space many

131
00:12:07,680 --> 00:12:12,650
times today.
Not for anything in particular,

132
00:12:13,140 --> 00:12:21,000
only to look cleaning the
pantry.

133
00:12:24,540 --> 00:12:30,570
The kitchen counters are
cleared, the sink empty, coffee

134
00:12:30,580 --> 00:12:32,940
finished and rinsed from the
mug.

135
00:12:34,280 --> 00:12:39,250
Sunlight comes in through the
window above the sink and

136
00:12:39,260 --> 00:12:44,390
stretches across the floor,
stopping just short of the

137
00:12:44,400 --> 00:12:51,060
doorway beside the fridge.
The pantry sits just beyond it,

138
00:12:51,590 --> 00:12:56,720
a recessed space with shelves
running on all three walls,

139
00:12:57,370 --> 00:13:03,670
visible from where I stand.
I reach beside me and flick on

140
00:13:03,680 --> 00:13:07,680
the light.
The bulb overhead comes to life

141
00:13:07,690 --> 00:13:13,030
with a soft click casting and
even glow over the shelves.

142
00:13:14,390 --> 00:13:17,680
Everything is as it has been for
months.

143
00:13:18,500 --> 00:13:24,980
Boxes stacked behind boxes half
used, bags clipped and folded,

144
00:13:26,090 --> 00:13:28,880
Cairns churned in different
directions.

145
00:13:30,060 --> 00:13:34,910
Nothing messy exactly, but
nothing intentional either.

146
00:13:36,310 --> 00:13:40,930
It functions well.
I find what I need when I need

147
00:13:40,940 --> 00:13:44,730
it.
Still, I stand here, scanning

148
00:13:44,740 --> 00:13:49,390
each shelf, as though I've come
across a place I've never quite

149
00:13:49,400 --> 00:13:55,770
studied before.
I step inside the space, aware

150
00:13:55,780 --> 00:14:01,060
of how the kitchen remains just
behind me, open and bright.

151
00:14:02,690 --> 00:14:06,470
The air smells faintly of paper
and spices.

152
00:14:08,130 --> 00:14:14,100
I begin with the top shelf,
lifting down a bag of oats and

153
00:14:14,110 --> 00:14:16,500
setting it on the floor beside
me.

154
00:14:17,730 --> 00:14:22,530
A bag of rice follows, then
flour, then sugar.

155
00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:29,130
Soon my arms are full and I
carry the small pile out to the

156
00:14:29,140 --> 00:14:35,300
kitchen island, returning again
and again until the top 2

157
00:14:35,310 --> 00:14:41,130
shelves are bare.
With those ones empty, I take a

158
00:14:41,140 --> 00:14:43,510
cloth and wipe along their
length.

159
00:14:44,660 --> 00:14:49,910
There are fine grains of sugar
in the corners, a little dust

160
00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:52,800
where boxes have sat
undisturbed.

161
00:14:54,510 --> 00:15:00,930
The act of clearing is slow and
satisfying, the surface emerging

162
00:15:00,940 --> 00:15:08,310
smooth beneath my hand.
I work methodically, one section

163
00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:14,500
at a time, not rushing to
finish, only following a rhythm

164
00:15:14,830 --> 00:15:20,330
of lifting, carrying, wiping,
returning.

165
00:15:22,490 --> 00:15:27,310
Out on the island, I gather the
glass jars and containers I've

166
00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:33,400
been saving.
Some once held sauce, others

167
00:15:33,410 --> 00:15:38,560
Pickles or jam.
I re wash them and smoothed the

168
00:15:38,570 --> 00:15:41,990
glue from the labels away with
warm water.

169
00:15:43,270 --> 00:15:48,440
When they're dry, I pour oats
into the largest jar and watch

170
00:15:48,450 --> 00:15:53,490
them cascade, filling the space
neatly to the shoulder.

171
00:15:54,930 --> 00:16:00,180
The tarp is wide enough on this
one for a measuring cup to scoop

172
00:16:00,190 --> 00:16:04,750
into it.
Rice slides into another

173
00:16:04,760 --> 00:16:11,670
container, creating a sound as
it settles in, flowers next,

174
00:16:11,840 --> 00:16:17,050
becoming even softer and cloud
like against the clear sides of

175
00:16:17,060 --> 00:16:21,940
glass.
I line these in a row and step

176
00:16:21,950 --> 00:16:25,500
back.
Even before the return to the

177
00:16:25,510 --> 00:16:30,520
pantry, they seemed more calming
than the crumpled bags they came

178
00:16:30,530 --> 00:16:35,240
from.
I take out a roll of labels from

179
00:16:35,250 --> 00:16:40,210
the drawer and write each name
carefully in steady letters.

180
00:16:41,810 --> 00:16:48,730
The ink dries quickly.
Oats, rice flour, sugar.

181
00:16:50,540 --> 00:16:56,020
When I carry the jars into the
pantry, I place them at eye

182
00:16:56,030 --> 00:17:00,880
level where they can be reached
without bending or stretching.

183
00:17:02,500 --> 00:17:05,930
The light from the bulb catches
on the glass.

184
00:17:07,010 --> 00:17:13,040
I turn each jar slightly so the
label faces forward and aligns

185
00:17:13,050 --> 00:17:17,880
with the next.
Beneath them I arrange the

186
00:17:17,890 --> 00:17:23,280
smaller jars.
Lentils, pasta, dried beans,

187
00:17:24,300 --> 00:17:29,330
Grouping them by use rather than
by where they happen to fit

188
00:17:29,380 --> 00:17:34,230
before baking ingredients
together.

189
00:17:35,040 --> 00:17:40,110
Snacks corralled into shallow
baskets so they don't scatter

190
00:17:40,120 --> 00:17:45,970
across the shelf.
The middle shelf holds tins and

191
00:17:45,980 --> 00:17:49,540
cans.
I remove them all and wipe the

192
00:17:49,550 --> 00:17:54,740
smooth wood, enjoying the way
the surface looks freshly

193
00:17:54,750 --> 00:17:59,660
painted.
When I set the Cairns back, I

194
00:17:59,670 --> 00:18:03,950
turned their labels outward and
line them in rows.

195
00:18:05,380 --> 00:18:12,800
Tomatoes beside tomatoes, beans
beside beans, coconut milk in a

196
00:18:12,810 --> 00:18:18,190
neat cluster.
I don't have a ton of each, but

197
00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:22,160
seeing them together makes the
pantry feel abundant.

198
00:18:23,930 --> 00:18:29,360
I do notice how often I have
bought one more can because I

199
00:18:29,370 --> 00:18:31,950
couldn't see the one tucked
behind.

200
00:18:33,790 --> 00:18:39,260
I nod to myself that the time
I'm putting in now will save me

201
00:18:39,270 --> 00:18:46,080
time and money from now on.
On the lower shelf, bags of

202
00:18:46,090 --> 00:18:50,230
potatoes and onions have rested
in loose arrangement.

203
00:18:51,820 --> 00:18:57,590
I bring in two simple bins and
place them side by side, one for

204
00:18:57,600 --> 00:19:01,930
each.
This lifts them slightly off the

205
00:19:01,940 --> 00:19:08,690
floor and keeps them contained.
I shift the basket of garlic

206
00:19:08,760 --> 00:19:13,970
closer to the front and move the
spare oil bottles toward the

207
00:19:13,980 --> 00:19:18,480
back corner, where they're less
likely to be knocked over.

208
00:19:20,170 --> 00:19:25,280
I test the space by reaching and
pulling things in and out,

209
00:19:26,030 --> 00:19:31,580
making small adjustments until
my arm moves easily without

210
00:19:31,590 --> 00:19:37,010
brushing against anything else.
The longer I stand in the

211
00:19:37,020 --> 00:19:40,700
pantry, the more I enjoy the
logic of it.

212
00:19:42,180 --> 00:19:45,900
What I use most, of course,
belongs at hand.

213
00:19:46,880 --> 00:19:51,060
What I use occasionally can live
higher or lower.

214
00:19:53,280 --> 00:19:59,120
I rearrange the extra spices
next I carry them all to the

215
00:19:59,130 --> 00:20:04,920
island, wipe the small glass
jars and sort them by colour,

216
00:20:04,930 --> 00:20:09,740
just for fun.
Paprika and chili powder glow

217
00:20:09,750 --> 00:20:14,190
warmly.
Turmeric sits golden and bright

218
00:20:15,300 --> 00:20:18,730
dried herbs gather in shades of
green.

219
00:20:20,360 --> 00:20:25,670
When I returned them to their
spot, I put them in alphabetical

220
00:20:25,680 --> 00:20:29,730
order.
The colours are mingled now, but

221
00:20:29,740 --> 00:20:35,940
it's pleasing to look at.
The sun shifts while I work,

222
00:20:36,330 --> 00:20:41,180
inching across the kitchen floor
and reaching the edge of the

223
00:20:41,190 --> 00:20:46,920
pantry opening.
The small room feels less tucked

224
00:20:46,930 --> 00:20:52,670
away as I go in and out of its
doorway, but it will stay its

225
00:20:52,680 --> 00:20:58,330
own hideaway of sorts.
When I'm finished, there are a

226
00:20:58,340 --> 00:21:01,300
few items I decide not to
return.

227
00:21:02,230 --> 00:21:07,860
An unopened box I know I won't
use, A duplicate bag of

228
00:21:07,870 --> 00:21:14,280
something I forgot I had.
I set them aside, acknowledging

229
00:21:14,360 --> 00:21:17,200
that they don't need to take up
space here.

230
00:21:19,570 --> 00:21:24,820
When everything is back in
place, I stand inside the pantry

231
00:21:24,830 --> 00:21:29,850
once more and let my eyes travel
from top to bottom.

232
00:21:31,670 --> 00:21:35,250
The jars sit neatly showing
what's inside.

233
00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:44,080
The labels are legible and calm.
Pecans form rows stacked only

234
00:21:44,090 --> 00:21:49,670
one or two high.
The bins keep their contents

235
00:21:49,680 --> 00:21:54,090
contained.
The space feels purposeful, but

236
00:21:54,100 --> 00:22:00,650
it is still a cozy storage nook.
I rest my hand briefly against

237
00:22:00,660 --> 00:22:05,980
the door frame before turning
away, satisfied with the quiet

238
00:22:05,990 --> 00:22:11,280
transformation.
I picture measuring flour

239
00:22:11,290 --> 00:22:15,310
without a puff escaping from a
folded paper bag.

240
00:22:16,650 --> 00:22:23,710
Small efficiencies, perhaps, but
it already feels better, I know.

241
00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:27,340
Welcome back into the space many
times today.

242
00:22:28,140 --> 00:22:33,190
Not for anything in particular,
only to look.

243
00:22:36,300 --> 00:22:38,700
I wish you sweet dreams.