instant relax

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As Bay Area girls, there is nothing like rolling hills and a little fog to set in a perfect, middle of the day respite session. So, here is to a Tuesday afternoon deep breath. As the NYC hospital hustle starts to infiltrate it’s way back into my body – and the miles on concrete into my feet and calves – it does a girl right to think about the wet foggy air, dirt packed hiking, and endless sight seeing, view taking spots that our homeland provides.

Thank god for magic! power of our imaginations, so able to sweep us up for a moment, leaving us in the perfect spot. I’m okay with a little fantasy today.

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Hi.

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Well, hello.

I know, it’s been a minute. But for now, I’m back, with a new resolution to visit this little internet place of sharing a bit more often. The past few months have been one heck of a birth canal (literally, the frequency of birthing babies dreams was out of control) and I find myself sitting at my desk, post vacation, more present and grounded than I have felt in some time.

This was no usual trip to the Bay. No daily circles through SF-OAK-Marin. No excessive bridge tolls, gas costs, multiple dates a day. Instead  this trip involved a lot of respite, few plans, a bit of anxiety about disappointing people, and ultimately, my own ability to let go of what I think I should be doing when I am home.

I rested. I ate more steak than I have in a year. I layed in the sun. And, I let myself be in the place that I try to avoid missing.

For the first time since I moved, I asked myself why I don’t live in the bay area. I mean, that place is heaven, and minus a few people in NYC and a certain someone in Seattle, my people are there. It was nice to tap into the place I love. To slow down enough to ask some questions about what I want and what the plans, er really dreams are, over the next few years.

A theme that wove itself through many a conversation was the moments in our lives that show up and invite us to new places in ourselves. Sometimes we miss the moments. Sometimes, if we are so very lucky, they find us, with our eyes open and hearts a beating for an adventure, and we step through a threshold. This can be towards a smaller thing – simple changes in food or exercise or other habits that keep us feeling good. Or, they can be a bigger thing – like clarity about our roles, work, loves.

A door opened up on this trip. And, I am happily dancing through the threshold.

More on this soon.

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it will be nice to go to Nice


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I got super overwhelmed this weekend.  We had a Europe planning session on Sunday afternoon, we covered quite a bit, and yet it was only the tip of the iceberg.

I am not complaining – this is going to be spectacular.  However, we are squeezing a lot into two weeks.  I know this because honey has created a full blown Excel workbook of our trip.  This is not a joke.  We have now calculated every awake hour of every day in each location.  I’m surprised I don’t yet know what time I’m waking up on July 13th.

Still not complaining.  I read somewhere once that couples typically have one planner and one “wing-it”er(?), I just never expected myself to be the latter. It’s kind of amazing.  My only real concern happened when I realized we only have about 24 awake hours in the South of France.  The relaxing part of the trip.  My favorite part of the trip.

This part of the trip…

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i hella heart home.

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It just feels so good to walk through that front door sometimes.  No, my shower isn’t as fancy as the W, and no, I won’t have a king sized bed to myself.  But.  My doggy jumps up and down when I come home, my honey laughs harder than me when New Girl comes on, I can have coffee as soon as I wake up (and it’s Philz – duh), and I always have the right makeup brushes handy.

It was an energizing week of meetings and conference, but I also think my blood pressure spiked at least three times each day (ahhhh, the “to do” list grows so fast when you’re surrounded by great ideas).  I couldn’t be more happy that I have a day to pull the last seven together – think massive Outlook cleanup – and then, the weekend.  I get to plan date night tomorrow, so we are going on the Great Wheel. And no, he doesn’t read this blog, so it’ll be a lovely surprise.

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Fried food

Tastes so good!

It’s a very happy and healthy thing for my body that I don’t live in the south because I can get down with fried everything. When in Rome…. As they say.

Amazingly, my body is responding ok to a steady flow of booze and fried fish, oysters, hush puppies and the like. Not to mention, more wheat than I’ve had in 6 weeks.

My 20s were an incredible maze through different types of eating. Most of it, ultimately, spent restricting in some way. It’s nice to be in a place where I know that I can eat what I want, and that generally, I will come back to my middle place that is mostly healthy.

Isn’t it also amazing what we can eat on vacation? If I was eating like this at home, my stomach would probably hurt and more psychologically speaking, I would probably feel gross. Not in New Orleans. No no no. In New Orleans, even the pop eyes fried chicken commercials look good. And I feel great.

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