Life Lately // Taking a Hiatus {August 2018}

Hey guys! I feel like it’s been a HOT SEC. So let’s chat.

Life has been FULL lately, as I briefly explained in this Instagram post. But I thought I do owe you a bit more of an explanation here on the blog. Basically, the past week has been me balancing a whole bunch of plans with friends and family who are only in town for a short while plus a challenging but SUPER FUN babysitting job with the best kids ever. Which left little time for things like blogging or engaging on Instagram…and sleep got kicked to the wayside too.

And while I have most definitely made some amends in the sleep department (hello 11 hours of sleep two days in a row), the other things are just not my biggest priority at the moment. I still love this blog and Instagram and all of you guys so much, and like I’ve said before, I am planning on coming back with a vengeance…when the work begins to flow again.

I’m not planning on leaving anything entirely barren; I have some posts that are almost fully ready to go up and some podcast episodes that have been pre-recorded. However, I just cannot devote a whole bunch of time to thinking up new post ideas or spending a ton of time on Instagram, and honestly, it’s feeling really good to give myself that permission to take a step back.

For the first time in my life, I am feeling zero judgment toward myself for choosing to go with the flow and screw self-discipline. So here’s what’s been going on in my life lately…

Spending lots of quality time with friends, new and old. In the past week, I’ve gone to two jazz shows, met several friends for coffee, movie-watching, and conversation, and stayed up far too late talking to people that make my soul so dang happy.

My brother is visiting from out of town, so one particular evening was spent hanging out with him and his wife and their most adorable baby ever. We sat in a neighborhood dessert spot, and I was downing decaf coffee like nobody’s business while soaking up the sweet present moment. We ended up staying there until almost midnight, and even though I had to get up really early the next day, it was so so worth it.

Last weekend, I met the lovely Willa, and we spent several hours talking about the wellness space and everything we love and also have issues with, and how to reconcile wanting to speak out with giving others the space to speak their truth.

Babysitting the best kids ever

I was so lucky to babysit these kids for the second year in a row. They are 10 and 6, and they are honestly the funniest, most insightful, and sweetest kids ever. I love them to bits, and every day I would leave feeling like I had this fresh burst of energy from spending time with them, even on days that I was severely sleep-deprived.

I’m not usually super great with kids, to be honest, but for some reason, these kids and I just GET each other. I feel like they see me as one of their peers who they also want to listen to, and I see them as slightly smaller friends hehe. But spending time with them this week has been one of my favorite parts of the summer. 🙂

So. Much. Coffee.

So I still wouldn’t say I’m a daily coffee drinker because I can still easily go a day or two without any, but my coffee obsession is definitely reaching some new, previously untouched heights. On days I went out in the evenings, I would order a decaf coffee every time (like at the jazz clubs), and it was the best feeling to just sit there cradling that warm mug of heaven and listen to fantastic music. Like can you feel the bliss? 🙂

New Forms of Movement

Exercise has been interesting! I think this is a new phase in my relationship with exercise that I am really enjoying. Basically, it’s an important part of my life that I try to fit in regularly, but my definition of exercise has definitely shifted. These days, 30 minutes of intentional movement is perfect for me, and a long walk or a long yoga session is often exactly what my body craves as my movement for the day. And especially since I can often combine hanging out with a friend with taking a long walk, I see absolutely no reason to spend more time in my day on doing a “real workout.” For some more thoughts on why walking absolutely counts as a workout, check out this post!

What’s Coming Up?

So personal news first.  I am super excited to tell you guys that…I’M GOING TO NANTUCKET!

Many of you might know this has been a huge dream of mine for AGES, so I couldn’t be more pumped. I’m also supposed to meet Georgie while there, which would be another dream come true, and I may or may not become a blubbering mess when I meet her, but oh well. 🙂

I’m also going back to school for my junior year at Georgetown in the middle of next week, which gives me little turnaround time, since as soon as I come back from Nantucket, I basically need to kick my hiney into gear and pack everything up, which is no easy feat.

All that to say, the blog and Instagram are definitely going to be a bit quieter.

One more thing. I want to do something RADICAL and basically go off the grid for the entire time I am in Nantucket. I haven’t officially done that since I started my blog, as I always try to post on Instastories or put up an Instagram post.

And while part of me wonders if it would be really cool to document this adventure in real-time, I also realize that what I really need is to experience something magical just for the purpose of fully soaking it up and not documenting it.

So while I will certainly have a post up recapping my vacation, I cannot promise exactly when that will be.

So I just ask you guys to be a little patient and understanding with me, while I take this reset before launching myself into the new school year. It feels like exactly what I need, and I know that because part of it feels so uncomfortable and scary to me. Part of me is scared that in my absence, I’ll lose my hard work. I’ll lose readers, followers, growth. But then I remind myself that one, it’s only a short time, a tiny blip on the radar. And two, if I was able to reach the point I am at right now, then I can do it again. That power lies within me, not within my circumstances.

 

So with that, I will see you guys before long, and I hope you too do something challenging but that you know you need this week. Love you to the moon and back. <3

Linking up with Meg for Week in Review

Ever been to Nantucket? Tell me what’s been going on/what’s coming up for you this week!