Tuesday Tip--Take it Easy

Have you ever taken an unintentional blogging break and then felt both more attached to life but also really missed blogging? That's how I've felt these past several days. I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and are enjoyed a little time off to be with your families, eat turkey for any and every meal, and catch up on some (probably unnecessary) TV and films. We did Thanksgiving with a few friends at our place and it was awesome. But more on that later.

Only one week and two days left of classes and then some finals and this semester is over. I have a small mountain of assignments to finish, but I am actually looking forward to working on most of them (perhaps school has already melted my brain.) Coming back from the Thanksgiving break makes getting things done a bit of push though. I'm a girl who likes to stay active even on vacation but sleeping in and staying up late is a pretty addictive habit. So my goal over the next few weeks is to get everything done but in the least stressful way possible. Reading is one of my biggest escapes/rewards during busy times.

What do you do to relax?

P.S. In case any of you have fallen prey to the sickness of the season, try lemon honey tea. No recipe, just water, lemon and honey to taste. My mom used to make it for me and now Nick does.

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.