how I slow down my life and find peace

This past weekend I jumped off the hamster wheel. 

Usually Saturday is packed with everything that I want to do during the week or need to prepare for the next week and then after a very full day we try to end it all with a fun date. (Not always easy after so many errands.) Sundays are for recovery but then Monday kicks me in the face with it’s bright sunny face long before expected.

This time though I got sick on Friday and slept (actually tried to sleep because the people above us either have very small feet or children who patter in the room above our bedroom) until I had a mission reunion; where I got to see some of my favorite people in the world, who I worked with for a year and a half volunteering as a representative for my church. It was a weekend of friendship and reconnecting. On top of that I didn't worry about work, homework, or home, which was a big change and very relaxing. (I did do a little photo shoot for my photography class, but that was just plain fun!)

The reason this weekend was so different for me was that little tab on my navigation bar that says "Beliefs". I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Or a Mormon, since that's usually easier for people to say ten times fast.. Twice a year we get to hear inspiring and revelatory talks and this past weekend was one of those times. This was one of my favorite talks.

breathe deep

The last few weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind. Nick had most of the week of the fourth of July off and we made good use of it baking pies, visiting more of Boston, spending too much time in federal buildings getting his emergency passport, and then traveling to Rhode Island for a day trip. This past week we went on our separate travels to D.C. (me) and Belize (him) and then over the weekend we journeyed to Maine. Summertime is made for adventuring and our trips have been so much fun but I also have enjoyed the quiet moments in between our travels.

I sometimes feel like a whirlwind myself. Flowing over, around and through everything near me. It takes a lot to calm me down and stop my mind from racing and my hands from moving. We went to the Boston Temple a few weeks ago and it was wonderful. After a day of exploring and laughing and subway surfing we got to be in a place made to invite peace. Sometimes you don't need peace from something difficult or negative, you need peace in the midst of all the other good, happy, but more fast-paced things in your life. Breathing in fresh, sharp air is like the feeling I get when I'm truly peaceful. My lungs can expand fully and the air seems to make everything else I see and feel clearer, brighter.

Afterwards we got sorbet, which is sort of a throwback to when I was young and we would go as a youth group to the Chicago Temple and then get ice cream from the Baskin Robbins across the road. It was a tradition that we kept even during big bad Chicago winters and that I wholeheartedly support to this hot, summer Cambridge day. One major bonus of being married is the snuggle buddy I get now that I definitely didn't have then.

Vision Board 2012

1. Make decorations for upcoming holidays in advance (to avoid shabby craftsmanship and panic) and celebrate every occasion together.

2. Practice daily, weekly and longterm planning to accomplish goals but still make time for fun and adventures.

3. Go to France in the fall!

4. Make a case for my new laptop.

5. Keep on writing, journaling and blogging daily. (Bonus points if I enter a essay contest. There are a bunch I could do well in.)

6. Go to the temple twice a month.

7. Study the scriptures every day on my own and with Nick.

8. Floss every day. (This one is cupcake flavored, but I prefer the bacon one I saw.)

9. Travel around Europe, at least to England, Wales and Spain, while we are there during the fall. (This means we need to plan and budget this into our trip beforehand.)

10. Get an internship with Pinterest or another social media network during the summer.

11. Assist a professional photographer and improve my own photography skills through practicing each day.

12. Master the Adobe Master collection in my new job and minor.

13. Train for and run another half marathon and get these shoes as a reward.

14. Learn more Mac shortcuts on my laptop and use it to build my design skills.

15. Do well in all my classes this semester. (Which can be measured by going to all my classes, doing all of my assignments and meeting with my professors throughout the semester.)

16. Make some sweet projects with my new sewing machine!