I was reading a very good article tonight about 5 lessons of life. Most of which you don’t figure out until you are older yet seem very obvious. A dear family friend sent it to me. And while all definitely are true and resonated, one stuck out to me this evening.  It is the notion that everything is temporary. And it is so true. Everything is temporary. As I wind down from two weeks in Croatia…which was absolutely breathtaking….I really come to appreciate this lesson of temporary. I had a few temporary moments. That beautiful sunset, swim in the Adriatic Sea, and the sun hitting my face as I ride on a boat in Montenegro….those were all moments in time. And I feel so very lucky for those moments. It also reinforces staying present! I will never get to experience those exact moments again. On the opposite spectrum, this notion gives me comfort in some ways that everything is temporary. Any pain, hurt, or loss you feel in life is also only temporary. Life keeps …

As we head into July, my goal is to really focus on travel and adventures the rest of the summer to refuel. Sometimes with a partner, or a sister, or a friend….and sometimes by myself. The next two months, my goal is to devote to new adventures. “Travel sparks our imagination, feeds our curiousity, and reminds us how much we all have in common.”– Deborah Lloyd I’ll post pictures along the way to share my travel tips and adventures. More to come. Get out and travel this summer. And share your adventures too. Refuel your soul through adventures and experiences.

  Lazy Summer days….. (Picture courtesy of my iphone while on the cape a few years ago) What are you doing to enjoy your summer? A reminder (for me more than anything!) to slow down and enjoy the summer. I realized today that June is almost over and it feels like any other month. It is time to get offline, slow down and enjoy the summer. So I hope today, you just enjoy being outside in the sunshine and slow down. That is my plan the rest of the day. Enjoy!

As I sit here in my favorite chair, as the afternoon sun pours in and I look at the fresh flowers in the vases around me, I come to appreciate the curve balls and surprises life throws at you. I am relaxing and enjoying this moment on Memorial Day.  Memorial Day is such a great way to really kick off the summer. And to me spring and early summer is all about renewal. A rebirth of sunshine, warm sand in your toes, possibilities, and long lazy summer nights where the sun is still up until 8-9pm. And I also reflect on surprises that come in your life. Sometimes good surprises, sometimes bad surprises and sometimes moments that take you off guard (good and bad). And in all those, you grow. You figure out a piece of yourself by your reaction. The reason I am combining the two is, in the summer surprises seem so much more vivid. I don’t know why. I think I’m more aware of my surroundings, colors, smells, and sunlight. I seem …

This week it is short and sweet! I hope you are so exhausted from making memories and laughing that you are filled with happiness but also ready for sleep. This weekend was about making memories with old friends. And sleeping on Sunday evening when we return. Some weekends are for being lazy and resting. And some are for adventures and big memories. This was one of those types of weekends. I hope you have a few like that soon too! Ready for another day to sleep! But what a great weekend with old hometown friends, their partners, and a fun city (Nashville). Here is to more summer memories to come!

 I have some serious case of wanderlust as summer approaches. I am ready for summer adventures. Adventures that help me grow, give me energy,  refuel me, and teach me new perspectives.   Adventures that fill up my soul. Even if you can’t afford a big international trip, a road trip to a new town, a trip to a new state (the US is so diverse in landscape, climate, and culture), or a day in another part of your city can do wonders. It can really refuel you. It also brings you closer to the people you travel with along the way. Any recommendations for trips this summer? Where are you doing to fulfill your wanderlust? I’m up late finishing my wanderlust dreams for the summer. On my list this summer: Nashville, Croatia, Carolina Coast, and a few weekend roadtrips. I only wish I had more vacation time and money to travel for a few months!!

I was doing some spring cleaning this weekend (tis the season), and came across a quote I wrote down on a piece of paper like over ten years ago after watching an Ally McBeal episode. It said “We all want love to come along, yet we put all these restrictions on how it can come and how it should evolve once it comes.” Still a relevant quote even today Calista. We do put restrictions on our loves- our friends, our parents, our siblings, our lovers. All with expectations about how we should interact, how our relationships should evolve, the steps and phases they must go through, etc. Just an interesting thing to really think about. The more I just allow myself to be spontaneous and ride with it, the more it surprises me. Forgiveness becomes easier. People I never thought I’d forgive or reconnect with somehow come back around and end up being dear friends. The opposite of “my type” ends up being the love of my life.  How I (and my family) was defined …

I’ve been thinking a lot about home recently. And where is home to me as an adult? I have my childhood town….in a different home from when I grew up but still the same town. And my Dad and aunt are there. That feels like home when I’m back. I also have the cities I’ve lived in along the way as an adult. Some more than others felt like home when I was living there. And then I have our current condo…which is homey and also feels like home for the most part. And yet for a long time with all these options I was searching for that sense of something that really truly felt like my home. Why? As I think more about this, I realize home (truly home) for me is where I have loved one’s close to me and also when I feel settled with my life.  And that is why for so long I just couldn’t truly feel complete. I never fully allowed myself to feel established somewhere. I’ve always been …