Back in January, I was thinking to myself that I have never once in my life been responsible for road kill (at least that I knew of). A fact, by the way, I was quite happy about, given that the mere sight of an animal lost to the road makes me incredibly sad EVERY time.
Well, on my second trek down from Seattle to Orange County in 2 weeks (never again...), it happened. I was driving a big, yellow rental truck, singing along to the Smashing Pumpkins when something hit the windshield. Terrified, I glanced in the rearview mirror to see the aftermath of my horrible act. I gasped, incredibly saddened by what had just transpired, my perfect record tarnished forever by this senseless murder. I turned to my cousin, nearly in tears, and uttered the words I had hoped I would never have to "I think I just killed a bird!"
He could have just apologized, given me a frown and a "chin up kid, it happens" but instead, he spun a story so imaginative, so fabulous, that it could only have come from someone I have known my entire life. "Nah," he responded, nonchalantly, "he was just practicing, ya know, for that big movie role."
These words, obviously nowhere near what I had expected, took me very much by surprise. "What on Earth are you talking about?" I was still in shock over what had just happened, and was now even more thrown off, not a great combination when trying to navigate a vehicle containing all of your possessions (in addition to yourself & your kin). My cousin smiled: "I think he was a stuntbird."
We spent the next half hour of our seemingly endless drive creating the life story of Stuntbird that brought him to the moment when he hit my windshield. "He just landed this amazing role", "He is the Tom Cruise of the bird world!", "I know you saw him in the rearview, but that was just part of the stunt - he had to make it look real didn't he?"
My emotional state turned from partial heartbreak to brimming with hope and a childlike state of imagination. I liked this version of the story SO much better, even if it was complete bollocks. I didn't care - I couldn't change that past event, and in that moment what mattered was creating a better present for me to be a part of.
No matter how far-fetched, the Tale of Stuntbird reminded me of fairytales and of being snuggled up in bed with a teddy bear waiting to hear a bedtime story before drifting off to dreamland. It was pure comfort in a moment when I felt sad and vulnerable and upset. It was a verbal hug, and it made all of the difference. All of it.
It reminded me that sometimes all you need to be brave is for someone to tell you you are. So much of this life is what we make of it, and what a better reality to exist in. One where the bad things seem a little better, where the monsters in the closet are figments of our imagination and where the world welcomes us with a warm embrace instead of a cold shoulder.
Don't be afraid to believe in the Stuntbirds of life. We can't always live with our heads in the clouds, but sometimes, it's the only way to live.
♥mb.
About Me
- Meghan Brittany
- just a 20-something trying to make sense out of life by over-thinking all the little things & baking when things turn blue
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
A watched pot never boils.
For anyone that has ever cooked pasta when they are REALLY hungry, you know this to be true. Even when you make sure to fill the pot with water that is already warm and add a pinch of salt in hopes of facilitating those elusive rolling bubbles, the longer you stare at it, the louder that second hand seems to tick. In those 5-10 minutes that stubborn piece of stainless steel takes to reach the desired temperature, you feel like an entire chapter in a history book stands between you and your marinara-coated dinner.
Isn't it funny though, how much faster that water seems to boil when you step away and watch some tv or strum a few chords on the guitar or try on those fabulous (yet extremely painful) shoes you just got for a killer price? It seems like time just sails by. In those minutes you weren't sending all of your will power onto that stove hoping that water might boil faster, and you weren't salivating about the meal that would soon fill that empty bowl already set out on the table. Because you stepped away and did something different, it seemed more like a fleeting moment than an eternity.
Yes, I agree - that description of the preparation of pasta is a bit dramatic. But don't act like you haven't been there. And even if you aren't a pasta eater (which if you aren't, please jump on the next flight to Italy) I can guarantee that you've been there in life - staring at that water, hugging your knees, wishing it would just boil already and making yourself miserable by only thinking about the outcome and not the present, precious moment.
There are many situations where this happens, most notably this "water watching" occurs when it comes to looking for a romantic relationship. Most of us who are single spend a lot of time , dreaming of that faceless, nameless person, wondering about who they might be and wishing beyond all wishes that they could be brought into existence by sheer willpower. Unfortunately, life doesn't always listen to us.
In fact, most of the time it ignores us. The things we pine over are often not ours until we stop worrying about them and move on to focusing on the things we can control. When we truly, really, so-SO-badly want something that it hurts, the best thing to do is to wrap it in a dust cover, put it up on a shelf and replace it with something else that isn't quite as old, worn out and overused.
Walk away from that stove (it was getting a little too warm over there anyway) and ignite yourself. View that unemployment not as a failure, but as an opportunity to train for a 5K like you've always wanted to. View your relationship status not as "single" but as the freedom to meet as many people (and have as much fun) as humanly possible. View missing your friends not as sad and lonely but as a great way to build relationships with the people who are close to you now (and by remembering that "distance" is only a physical thing).
Whatever you do, STOP watching that water. It isn't going to boil any faster with you staring at it. I guarantee you that the second you step away it will seem like no time at all before that first bubble reaches the surface.
♥mb.
Isn't it funny though, how much faster that water seems to boil when you step away and watch some tv or strum a few chords on the guitar or try on those fabulous (yet extremely painful) shoes you just got for a killer price? It seems like time just sails by. In those minutes you weren't sending all of your will power onto that stove hoping that water might boil faster, and you weren't salivating about the meal that would soon fill that empty bowl already set out on the table. Because you stepped away and did something different, it seemed more like a fleeting moment than an eternity.
Yes, I agree - that description of the preparation of pasta is a bit dramatic. But don't act like you haven't been there. And even if you aren't a pasta eater (which if you aren't, please jump on the next flight to Italy) I can guarantee that you've been there in life - staring at that water, hugging your knees, wishing it would just boil already and making yourself miserable by only thinking about the outcome and not the present, precious moment.
There are many situations where this happens, most notably this "water watching" occurs when it comes to looking for a romantic relationship. Most of us who are single spend a lot of time , dreaming of that faceless, nameless person, wondering about who they might be and wishing beyond all wishes that they could be brought into existence by sheer willpower. Unfortunately, life doesn't always listen to us.
In fact, most of the time it ignores us. The things we pine over are often not ours until we stop worrying about them and move on to focusing on the things we can control. When we truly, really, so-SO-badly want something that it hurts, the best thing to do is to wrap it in a dust cover, put it up on a shelf and replace it with something else that isn't quite as old, worn out and overused.
Walk away from that stove (it was getting a little too warm over there anyway) and ignite yourself. View that unemployment not as a failure, but as an opportunity to train for a 5K like you've always wanted to. View your relationship status not as "single" but as the freedom to meet as many people (and have as much fun) as humanly possible. View missing your friends not as sad and lonely but as a great way to build relationships with the people who are close to you now (and by remembering that "distance" is only a physical thing).
Whatever you do, STOP watching that water. It isn't going to boil any faster with you staring at it. I guarantee you that the second you step away it will seem like no time at all before that first bubble reaches the surface.
♥mb.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Why it's ok to be selfish.
The word "selfish" has gotten itself a bad rep. Whereas society attributes this word to the likes of the Jersey Shore cast and Paris Hilton, I attribute it to happiness and the ability to embrace life. I truly believe that one of they keys to being happy is being able to accept that it's ok to be selfish. Dictionary.com defines selfish as:
devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one's own interests, benefits, welfare, etc., regardless of others
Taken literally, this pertains to people most of us don't want to be around. The kid behind the wheel of a new BMW in high school, the professor in college who didn't grade your papers because he was lazy, the people who talk on their cell phones about personal matters in public...[insert example here]. "Selfish" isn't generally something you hear used as a compliment. You don't love your best friend because she is so darn selfish or admire that celebrity because they are so obsessed with number one. But if you aren't letting yourself be selfish, you aren't being true to yourself.
I have news for you: we are all human and because of that, we are ALL inherently selfish. It is arguable that everything we do in life comes back to selfishness - I am reminded of an episode of Friends I saw a while ago where Phoebe and Joey got into an argument that no human act is truly selfless, because in doing something nice for someone else, you get a good feeling from it, so in a way it is serving you as well. Which, by the way, is totally true.
What separates the truly "selfish" people from the important people in all of our lives is simply the way they choose to apply selfishness to their own lives. One person may choose to use this word to steal from someone, another may choose to use it to make themselves feel good by doing the right thing. Some selfish acts are one dimensional, others are two dimensional - the added dimension being the happiness of someone else on top of yourself. If you can bring someone else into your selfishness and make their day better as a result, you are doing it right.
I am in my mid-twenties (terrifying!) and I always advise my friends that this is the time in life where we really get to be 100% selfish and that by golly, if you don't take advantage of it you are going to regret it. For the most part, we don't have spouses, we don't have dependents to claim on our taxes or obligations that mean we can't take off for a weekend to Santa Barbara or San Francisco or New York City. Our money is ours, our time is ours and as long as we are going to work 9-5, the rest of our lives are completely and totally up to US. Pretty powerful no?
The concept applies to people all across the board:
If you are a 20-something like me debating whether or not to make a move, DO IT. The only things we regret in life are the chances we don't take. Travel. Learn to cook. Spend entire Sundays by yourself working on making your apartment a place you are proud of.
If you are a student, blow off studying every once in a while. The things you remember from college are never the tests that you take or the classes you are half-awake through. Watch your roommate sing in a school-wide contest. Go stargazing in the quad instead of writing a term paper.
If you are a mom and stretch yourself so thin that you start to lose yourself, take a step back and think about you. Go get a pedicure. Get a latte. Read a magazine. Take a half hour to yourself for everyday to do what YOU want. Not what someone else wants you to do.
If you are a dad and work hard all the time to support your family, spend Saturday mornings reading with a dog by your side. Play Nintendo Wii for 3 hours. Drink some Maccallum's 18.
No matter who you are, be selfish with other people. No relationship is going to function properly if there is an imbalance - make the things you want known and make them happen. I can guarantee that no relationship is stronger than one in which both of the people are getting exactly what they want out of life, but doing it together.
I am not suggesting that you only think about yourself every moment of your existence, but I am saying that if you don't think about yourself at all you are selling yourself short. It's ok to eat Ramen noodles because you spent too much money on that Marc by Marc Jacobs bag you've been coveting for months. It's ok to sleep in until 12:30 because you stayed up watching How I Met Your Mother until the wee hours of the morning. It's ok to say things other people might not like if it's what you truly believe.
Everything in life is about balance. And putting yourself first sometimes is part of that balance.
So do it.
♥mb.
So do it.
♥mb.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
"Cancer"
One of my favorite things about living in Southern California is finally being close to my family. I have missed out on a lot by always being so far away, and it feels pretty good to be able to make up for lost time and get to see everyone often. This Sunday, my cousin's beautiful baby girl was having a dedication ceremony - I have been waiting anxiously ever since she was born in October to meet her, and of course jumped at the chance.
The dedication was in Ontario, about 40 minutes from where I live. I arrived there a little early, wandered around the church for a few minutes trying to find the entrance before running into my cousin (not the one with the new daughter, if you don't know, I have about 75 cousins.) I said hello to everyone, gave them hugs and answered questions about my new home and my new job...the usual greetings you'd expect to be exchanged between family who haven't seen each other in a while
There were, however, a couple faces I didn't recognize in the small crowd that had gathered for the event. One of whom was introduced to me by my aunt as her stepdaughter. She was leaning on crutches, so making conversation I casually asked "what happened to you?" Her answer completely blind-sighted me - nonchalantly, without skipping a beat, she replied: "cancer"
I immediately regretted asking the question and started kicking myself for not remembering those posts on Facebook I'd seen a while back about my cousin asking everyone to pray for her ill stepsister. I was horribly embarrassed having no idea what to say. "I'm sorry!" was the only thing I could think of that was even close to appropriate. "It's ok!" she said "I built a bridge and got over it." In that moment I truly admired someone I had known for approximately a minute and a half.
It got me thinking - we all have our crosses to bear, why can't we all be that upfront about it? What are we so afraid of? And why can't we all be that at peace with the situations life gets us into?
For me personally, my food allergies are my largest insecurity when it comes to meeting new people. I always assume that once someone learns what I can't eat, they will have no interest in learning anything else about me. Which is completely ridiculous. I'm not defined by those things - they are just a part of me. And in no way, shape or form do they shape who I am.
Her bold answer to my seemingly insignificant question really inspired me - I think there is a hugely important lesson that I, as well as anyone else, can take away from her fearless proclamation to a complete stranger. And that lesson is that not one of us on this Earth is without insecurities or issues or illness, and why not just own the things that we have to deal with? There really is no advantage in hiding those things from the world, other than a feeling of loneliness and self-pity. We only get one life, and to waste it feeling sorry for ourselves and being scared of what other people will think of us is no way to live it.
From now on, I'm going to try to be more upfront with people about the things that I'm scared to tell them. I'm going to embrace the things that give me pain, emotionally and physically, because we are given the struggles we are given for a reason: to become stronger and to help the people in our lives become stronger as a result. And even when those things really suck, wishing they were different won't make them better, it will only make you crazy.
Life isn't about being scared and timid. It's about telling the world who you are, letting it love you for you and knowing that you left the field having played your heart out.
Don't be afraid to live. We are all a little damaged, and that's what makes us so beautiful.
♥mb.
The dedication was in Ontario, about 40 minutes from where I live. I arrived there a little early, wandered around the church for a few minutes trying to find the entrance before running into my cousin (not the one with the new daughter, if you don't know, I have about 75 cousins.) I said hello to everyone, gave them hugs and answered questions about my new home and my new job...the usual greetings you'd expect to be exchanged between family who haven't seen each other in a while
There were, however, a couple faces I didn't recognize in the small crowd that had gathered for the event. One of whom was introduced to me by my aunt as her stepdaughter. She was leaning on crutches, so making conversation I casually asked "what happened to you?" Her answer completely blind-sighted me - nonchalantly, without skipping a beat, she replied: "cancer"
I immediately regretted asking the question and started kicking myself for not remembering those posts on Facebook I'd seen a while back about my cousin asking everyone to pray for her ill stepsister. I was horribly embarrassed having no idea what to say. "I'm sorry!" was the only thing I could think of that was even close to appropriate. "It's ok!" she said "I built a bridge and got over it." In that moment I truly admired someone I had known for approximately a minute and a half.
It got me thinking - we all have our crosses to bear, why can't we all be that upfront about it? What are we so afraid of? And why can't we all be that at peace with the situations life gets us into?
For me personally, my food allergies are my largest insecurity when it comes to meeting new people. I always assume that once someone learns what I can't eat, they will have no interest in learning anything else about me. Which is completely ridiculous. I'm not defined by those things - they are just a part of me. And in no way, shape or form do they shape who I am.
Her bold answer to my seemingly insignificant question really inspired me - I think there is a hugely important lesson that I, as well as anyone else, can take away from her fearless proclamation to a complete stranger. And that lesson is that not one of us on this Earth is without insecurities or issues or illness, and why not just own the things that we have to deal with? There really is no advantage in hiding those things from the world, other than a feeling of loneliness and self-pity. We only get one life, and to waste it feeling sorry for ourselves and being scared of what other people will think of us is no way to live it.
From now on, I'm going to try to be more upfront with people about the things that I'm scared to tell them. I'm going to embrace the things that give me pain, emotionally and physically, because we are given the struggles we are given for a reason: to become stronger and to help the people in our lives become stronger as a result. And even when those things really suck, wishing they were different won't make them better, it will only make you crazy.
Life isn't about being scared and timid. It's about telling the world who you are, letting it love you for you and knowing that you left the field having played your heart out.
Don't be afraid to live. We are all a little damaged, and that's what makes us so beautiful.
♥mb.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Why yoga is the best thing you can do for your body.
With yoga, its a love-hate relationship.
Sometimes I could not be more excited to get my sweat on, and other times my lazy position on the couch watching tv with a spoon in a pint of ice cream seems like SUCH a better plan. Until of course I remember that I am shelling out $16 a class, in which case I (usually) overcome my desire to glue myself to a blanket, change into some Lulu and get on my game face.
Some classes are great - I'm focused and the poses come easily. Others, like tonight, everything seems impossible and I wish that I had the ability to teleport myself out of the humid, sticky room and into a freezer. Or glacial valley. Or the Arctic.
But the best part, whether or not my body is feeling it, is that I always finish. I always end up in final shivasina listening to all of my muscles relax and thank me for giving them a workout. There are many reasons that I believe yoga is the greatest single thing you can do for your health. It's low-impact, you can do the poses anywhere, if you're doing hot yoga you sweat out all the nastiness, etc. etc. etc. But there is one thing that sells me on yoga more than anything else: it's the best way to check in with your body and see if you are being kind to it.
During yoga, your body really lets you know how it is feeling. If you spent the whole weekend drinking cocktails by the pool and eating chili fries, you are going to feel sick. If you chug a milkshake three hours prior to class, you feel sluggish. If you don't sleep enough, you feel exhausted (more than usual!) But, if you have been drinking enough water, eat well and get enough rest, your body is going to feel awesome. Anytime I go into a class well-prepared, I come away feeling like I have really been treating myself right. And that is a great, great feeling.
Not only is yoga great for your muscles, your immune system and your health in general, it also encourages a healthy lifestyle. It makes you choose apples over cookies and water over soda and 8 hours of sleep over that television show you always watch at 11 PM. Yes, it is expensive - but just change the way you look at that price. Instead of looking at it as a debit to your bank account, see it as an investment in your future. In your health. In your life.
Because, even though we are all young (or young at heart), this life is precious. It won't last forever. And you have to make an investment in yourself now if you want to live happily and healthfully until you're old, gray and fabulous.
♥mb.
Sometimes I could not be more excited to get my sweat on, and other times my lazy position on the couch watching tv with a spoon in a pint of ice cream seems like SUCH a better plan. Until of course I remember that I am shelling out $16 a class, in which case I (usually) overcome my desire to glue myself to a blanket, change into some Lulu and get on my game face.
Some classes are great - I'm focused and the poses come easily. Others, like tonight, everything seems impossible and I wish that I had the ability to teleport myself out of the humid, sticky room and into a freezer. Or glacial valley. Or the Arctic.
But the best part, whether or not my body is feeling it, is that I always finish. I always end up in final shivasina listening to all of my muscles relax and thank me for giving them a workout. There are many reasons that I believe yoga is the greatest single thing you can do for your health. It's low-impact, you can do the poses anywhere, if you're doing hot yoga you sweat out all the nastiness, etc. etc. etc. But there is one thing that sells me on yoga more than anything else: it's the best way to check in with your body and see if you are being kind to it.
During yoga, your body really lets you know how it is feeling. If you spent the whole weekend drinking cocktails by the pool and eating chili fries, you are going to feel sick. If you chug a milkshake three hours prior to class, you feel sluggish. If you don't sleep enough, you feel exhausted (more than usual!) But, if you have been drinking enough water, eat well and get enough rest, your body is going to feel awesome. Anytime I go into a class well-prepared, I come away feeling like I have really been treating myself right. And that is a great, great feeling.
Not only is yoga great for your muscles, your immune system and your health in general, it also encourages a healthy lifestyle. It makes you choose apples over cookies and water over soda and 8 hours of sleep over that television show you always watch at 11 PM. Yes, it is expensive - but just change the way you look at that price. Instead of looking at it as a debit to your bank account, see it as an investment in your future. In your health. In your life.
Because, even though we are all young (or young at heart), this life is precious. It won't last forever. And you have to make an investment in yourself now if you want to live happily and healthfully until you're old, gray and fabulous.
♥mb.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Mugs are more than something to hold your coffee.
I cherish weekend mornings. I always have, but now that I have a 9-5, I cherish them even more. I like to wake up slowly (even if it's early), throw on sweats and a cardigan, create a delectable breakfast treat (today it was the pumpkin muffins from the Babycakes NYC cookbook) and most importantly, brew up a big pot of coffee.
I drink coffee everyday, but during the week it's out of a travel mug during my first hour of work when I'm trying desperately to wake up. I have realized in recent months that my addiction to caffeine (yes, espresso is my drug of choice) mostly manifests itself in dull headaches and burning eyeballs - so needless to say, that travel mug of coffee is essential. Coffee on the weekends is different though. Saturday and Sunday mornings give us the opportunity to actually savor this wonderful drink that nature has so generously given us. Instead of hurriedly pouring the entire pot into that durable plastic container with a spill-proof top, we can reach into our cabinets, select the perfect mug, and leisurely sip away at the steaming, vanilla creamer enhanced morning cocktail.
I have a slight obsession with mugs. They are the one thing I always buy, because I can ALWAYS justify the purchase price. (Unlike a t-shirt or a magnet or some other worthless souvenir object, I can pretty much guarantee I will use a mug.) I have mugs from all over the world - Paris, Turkey, Australia...most of these are the city mugs from Starbucks that I started collecting in Sydney when I was 21 and continued to gather from my travels studying in Europe. I also have gotten several as gifts - a couple of my favorites being a purple mug with paw prints that reads "Dog Mom" and another with a picture of a T-rex skeleton from the Natural History Museum in New York City. (Both from the same person, I think someone knows me too well...) As a result, I need an entire shelf for all of them:
I drink coffee everyday, but during the week it's out of a travel mug during my first hour of work when I'm trying desperately to wake up. I have realized in recent months that my addiction to caffeine (yes, espresso is my drug of choice) mostly manifests itself in dull headaches and burning eyeballs - so needless to say, that travel mug of coffee is essential. Coffee on the weekends is different though. Saturday and Sunday mornings give us the opportunity to actually savor this wonderful drink that nature has so generously given us. Instead of hurriedly pouring the entire pot into that durable plastic container with a spill-proof top, we can reach into our cabinets, select the perfect mug, and leisurely sip away at the steaming, vanilla creamer enhanced morning cocktail.
I have a slight obsession with mugs. They are the one thing I always buy, because I can ALWAYS justify the purchase price. (Unlike a t-shirt or a magnet or some other worthless souvenir object, I can pretty much guarantee I will use a mug.) I have mugs from all over the world - Paris, Turkey, Australia...most of these are the city mugs from Starbucks that I started collecting in Sydney when I was 21 and continued to gather from my travels studying in Europe. I also have gotten several as gifts - a couple of my favorites being a purple mug with paw prints that reads "Dog Mom" and another with a picture of a T-rex skeleton from the Natural History Museum in New York City. (Both from the same person, I think someone knows me too well...) As a result, I need an entire shelf for all of them:
I really probably need a whole cabinet to display them properly. Seeing that I am in marketing, aesthetics are very important to me. (Yes. Even my mug shelf would be well merchandised in my ideal world.) I get so much joy out of selecting a mug on a weekend morning or a weekday night when I want a cup of herbal tea, which most nights I indulge in. I enjoy the stories behind them, the joy that they bring me and most of all the comfort that inevitably comes when you fill them with a hot cup of Tazo Calm or Starbucks House Blend mixed with Hazelnut coconut creamer.
I once described coffee to a friend as "comforting - like drinking a hug", and I to this day fully believe in that. (I also would like to see this on a future Starbucks cup, but I'm not sure that the high-up executives would find it as endearing as I do.) It sums up the fact that warm beverages are so much more than a means to an end; much more than a pick-me-up when its freezing outside or as a method to get caffeine flowing through your veins.
It's comfort in a cup. Something to turn to when friends, family and puppies aren't available. A reminder to take things slower. To savor the moments in life that matter and forget, even if just temporarily, the ones that don't. So many of our greatest conversations and bonding times occur over hot drinks - you might not think it, but its true. You meet a girlfriend at Starbucks to catch up; after Christmas dinner your family sits around the table sipping hot chocolate laughing about old stories; you and your sister cry over a breakup while sipping peppermint tea and watching reruns of Friends
It's almost never just a cup of coffee. Just keep that in mind :)
♥mb.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Alone Time.
It's Friday night. In the world of 20-somethings, this usually involves the following:
a. a HUGE sigh of relief that the work week has finally come to a close
b. a couple friends
c. something alcoholic - pick your poison
For me, tonight only involves option A. I have the heavy task in front of me of cleaning my very messy apartment (and thus feeling the cleansing peace of mind that tidy surroundings inevitably brings) and simply enjoying some time by myself.
"Me-time" is a funny thing. It hinges on a very delicate balance between too much and not enough - if you tip too much to one side of the scale, insanity almost certainly follows. Spend too much time alone and you feel a painful yearning for company, and spend too much time with people and you find yourself melancholy over the fact that you haven't checked in with your emotional barometer in a while.
Moving should be defined in the dictionary as "chaotic; a verb that renders most subjects it effects to go partially crazy and feel abruptly uprooted with nary a moment to think a single thought that doesn't revolve around itself". There is always a box to be unpacked or a piece of furniture to procure - the list seems to grow tenfold everytime you check something off. Needless to say, the last month and a half of my life has been filled with various unrelated tasks that all lead to a common goal: finally feeling settled in a new place.
The first few weeks were especially busy. I went from an 8-hour workday to some moving-related line on my to-do list, leaving myself barely enough time to enjoy the basic human rights of sleep and food. It kind of felt like finals week of college, but one that went on for about a month. Now that the couch has been ordered and walls have been painted and my belongings have all found a place (in some form or another) I finally have a moment to inhale and let the reality of my new life sink in.
I have always been a social person, but a social person that needs enough time in a day to check in with myself for a minute or I start to go a little nuts. In the sorority, sometimes that me time consisted of just sitting in my closet to get away from everyone; not because I didn't enjoy their presence in my life (quite the contrary) but because I truly believe that a basic human need many of us ignore is the importance of spending time by ourselves.
It isn't anti-social. It isn't a sign of depression. It doesn't mean you don't love the people in your life. It just is what it is: necessary. It can be something as simple as reading for 10 minutes, writing in a journal, baking cookies or if you're feeling really ambitious running a couple miles. We all need to simply shut off our volume for a little while each day and turn our attention inwards, make sure that you are doing ok; taking a few moments each day that is completely centered on being selfish. I can't stress the importance of this enough.
That's why, after a month filled with emotions, changes and a busyness I haven't experienced in a long time, I couldn't be more excited to spend tonight cooking myself dinner, giving my new home a much needed spa day and reflecting on how happy I am to be in this moment, just hanging out with me.
Take my advice on this. Make the last few minutes of your day revolve around a cup of herbal tea and a back-issue of Vogue. Run for 15 minutes listening to your favorite new song. Meditate. Eat chocolate. Do something that makes you happy, relieves your stress and makes you feel ecstatic about living.
Just promise me you'll do it alone :)
♥mb.
a. a HUGE sigh of relief that the work week has finally come to a close
b. a couple friends
c. something alcoholic - pick your poison
For me, tonight only involves option A. I have the heavy task in front of me of cleaning my very messy apartment (and thus feeling the cleansing peace of mind that tidy surroundings inevitably brings) and simply enjoying some time by myself.
"Me-time" is a funny thing. It hinges on a very delicate balance between too much and not enough - if you tip too much to one side of the scale, insanity almost certainly follows. Spend too much time alone and you feel a painful yearning for company, and spend too much time with people and you find yourself melancholy over the fact that you haven't checked in with your emotional barometer in a while.
Moving should be defined in the dictionary as "chaotic; a verb that renders most subjects it effects to go partially crazy and feel abruptly uprooted with nary a moment to think a single thought that doesn't revolve around itself". There is always a box to be unpacked or a piece of furniture to procure - the list seems to grow tenfold everytime you check something off. Needless to say, the last month and a half of my life has been filled with various unrelated tasks that all lead to a common goal: finally feeling settled in a new place.
The first few weeks were especially busy. I went from an 8-hour workday to some moving-related line on my to-do list, leaving myself barely enough time to enjoy the basic human rights of sleep and food. It kind of felt like finals week of college, but one that went on for about a month. Now that the couch has been ordered and walls have been painted and my belongings have all found a place (in some form or another) I finally have a moment to inhale and let the reality of my new life sink in.
I have always been a social person, but a social person that needs enough time in a day to check in with myself for a minute or I start to go a little nuts. In the sorority, sometimes that me time consisted of just sitting in my closet to get away from everyone; not because I didn't enjoy their presence in my life (quite the contrary) but because I truly believe that a basic human need many of us ignore is the importance of spending time by ourselves.
It isn't anti-social. It isn't a sign of depression. It doesn't mean you don't love the people in your life. It just is what it is: necessary. It can be something as simple as reading for 10 minutes, writing in a journal, baking cookies or if you're feeling really ambitious running a couple miles. We all need to simply shut off our volume for a little while each day and turn our attention inwards, make sure that you are doing ok; taking a few moments each day that is completely centered on being selfish. I can't stress the importance of this enough.
That's why, after a month filled with emotions, changes and a busyness I haven't experienced in a long time, I couldn't be more excited to spend tonight cooking myself dinner, giving my new home a much needed spa day and reflecting on how happy I am to be in this moment, just hanging out with me.
Take my advice on this. Make the last few minutes of your day revolve around a cup of herbal tea and a back-issue of Vogue. Run for 15 minutes listening to your favorite new song. Meditate. Eat chocolate. Do something that makes you happy, relieves your stress and makes you feel ecstatic about living.
Just promise me you'll do it alone :)
♥mb.
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