I can’t believe almost 4 weeks have passed since I last posted…
I’m not the first gal with a blog to admit that sometimes, it’s difficult to come up with new content. I’m not a “mommy blogger” that can post photos of my kids, and I’m not constantly trying on new outfits to peddle to the masses. My career isn’t one that has a lot of excitement day-to-day, and- at the moment, anyway- we don’t have a project going on at the house that can keep your attention for too long (unless you’re just dying to see us going through our closets).
I knew I needed to buckle down and reset my mind, and I’m fortunate that last Saturday, we left for our now annual jaunt to Southern California, where nothing but time with friends, sunny skies and good food- lots of good food- came our way. I’ll have a full run down of our time in Palm Springs coming your way shortly, but wanted to touch on some of our trip so that you understand why I was finally able to take a deep breath.
Having been slightly bored one night a couple of weeks ago, and having run through all of the shows we wanted to binge again (Letterkenny, Breaking Bad, Frasier…), we watched the first episode of Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. While I was a little inspired at the idea of finally putting our home in order, I was more inspired at Ms. Kondo’s reverence when it came to “greeting” a space. She knelt in the middle of her clients’ living room and gave thanks to the house. It was a quiet, unexpected moment, and almost brought me to tears.
I bought her book before our trip, and knocked it out in a day or two. A little overwhelmed at the thought of going through every item I own, and doubting it’s something I’ll do, I found myself more excited at the idea of the mindfulness she practices… Thanking your home each day when you walk in for the protection it gives, giving thanks for the warmth you get from the clothing you wear, and the convenience you have from your vehicle driving you place to place… It’s a mindset of gratitude; one that we hope to practice daily in my workplace, but one I hadn’t really given much thought to in my home life.
While away, I made it a point every morning to wake early, go through a guided meditation for 15-20 minutes, and practice a short yoga session. It took a little time, but I found myself flooded with peace.
When Bryan and I made our way into Joshua Tree National Park on Thursday, I discovered I felt the same way. While there were paved roads running through the park, we arrived early in the day and barely saw anyone else. Facing away from parking areas and paved streets, with nothing in front of us other than rock formations and these funky Yucca trees, I was overcome with silence. We heard nothing but the wind around us and the occasional wildlife. The sunlight was beating down on us, the ground was warm, and the environment- unlike anything I’ve ever seen- overwhelmed me enough that for the hours we were there, all I found myself thinking was of how fortunate I am.
I hope to get back to posting on a normal basis and have some fun plans coming up around the holidays, but to get me motivated again, some time with my guy in the middle of the desert was just what I needed to get motivated to sit down at my keyboard again.
Thank you, friends, for always being here.
