Daniel Reyes Cocka – Do The Daniel

June 29, 2025July 9, 2025

That’s Just The Way The Cookie Crumbles, or Whatever…

I did that thing again. The one I said I wasn’t going to do anymore. Because I’m “supposed to be” the happier, healthier, better off without the past. A “so-much-stronger version” of me. I am not those things, and I’m tired of being a measure of healing, so I did it again and I can’t deny it.

I’ve been avoiding you and I got really quiet. But more so, I’ve been avoiding me. I try so desperately to believe that everything happens for a reason. That’s what they all say, right? So when does that ethereal and magical acceptance and release start?

Navigating divorce, the dreams and goals I loved being set one fire, all while trying to navigate the complex emotions and transitions that come with it has not been a kind process to me. I have quite literally clawed my way back from the brink of destruction at the ending my the life I fought so fucking hard for, only to feel more lost and confused than ever.

April 22, 2025April 22, 2025

One Of The Best Summer Travel Destinations Might Surprise You

As the weather (slowly*) warms in Canada and Spring showers start, encouraging flower buds to start making their appearance known, I am feeling very much ready for the warmer months ahead. As many of you would have seen via social media, I hit the ground running in 2025 when it came to local travel. I still wholeheartedly believe that now more than ever, we absolutely should focus on local travel and exploring more of Canada when we can.

That being said, when it comes to warmer destinations that offer the mental break from the business of our lives that isn’t within the boarders of this beautiful country, my best summer travel destination might surprise you. I love it so much so, that I’m doing everything in my power to get back for a second time this year if I can make it happen. 🤞

April 21, 2025April 21, 2025

New Chapters and What’s Next

On a Monday afternoon I am sitting in Mama Sue’s kitchen on my computer, looking at my to do list, and wishing I was in my new home in Toronto unpacking. This past weekend was a bit of a quiet one for me, and while I sat back and watched as creators I love, friends and family celebrate Easter, I took stock of all the things in my life that are going well.

The practice of gratitude is one that I am still quite new to, because most of my life, I have become accustomed to focusing on what is going wrong, what I have lost, and what I have not yet accomplished. I think in the world we live, that’s actually (and unfortunately) become the easier option because we have built on a reality that is hyper focused on hustle culture and comparison. I guess what I’m trying to say – and I hope I remember in the coming days, weeks, months, and years – is that maybe the point of life isn’t about always working ourselves to death and worrying. Maybe it’s the little moments like mine right now, looking at a bouquet of orange tulips, sipping coffee, and planning my final return home that matter more. Let’s break that down a little, shall we?

April 17, 2025April 17, 2025

Navigating The Reality of Being 2SLGBTQIA+ in 2025

I don’t think that this is a subject I have leaned into enough amid my recent life experiences as of late. I have to admit that I have been feeling reminiscent to the pandemic, during which time I became hyper fixated on the news and allowed it to negatively impact my mental health and overall anxiety.

For those of you reading this, it is important for me to make the following statement as clear as I can. I am speaking from my own experiences as a white skinned gay man on a new journey of indigeneity to reconnect with my Métis heritage. I cannot and will not speak on behalf of the Trans, BIPOC, Indigenous, and others in my community as their lived experiences are their own. I simply feel it’s important to perhaps touch on this subject in light of the world we are living in so that you might give the subject some thought if you are on the outside looking in.