Sweet Dreams

{an extra hour of sleep for dreaming tonight}

Memories

It’s funny how our minds recall memories.  I have been thinking a lot lately about Mexico.  Today I was craving udon noodles like the bowl that I had at Barushi in Fabrica La Aurora.  Then I remembered this song that I heard that same night.  A craving triggered a memory which brought back all sorts of emotions.  I realized six months later that the people of San Miguel are still in my heart.  If I close my eyes, I can almost feel the air on my face again.  I can almost feel the dust in my shoes and I can almost taste the food.  Some memories are best repressed, this is how we protect ourselves from pain.  But what happens if we accept everything as part of the journey and laugh in the face of the bad memories allowing them to make us stronger and return to a place we still love?

The View from Here

A friend of mine reminded me last night that you can take the girl out of Iowa but you can't take the Iowa out of the girl.  I guess I am a little bit country.  I like the view from my 'penthouse' apartment but I prefer to explore the city early in the morning when it's quiet.  You can still feel energy in the stillness, light in the darkness.  You can cup your hands and peek into store windows like a little kid.  You can be a little less inhibited and a little more curious, a little less country and a little more big city girl.

Acceptance

I laid in bed last night and thought about how I have come to accept that I will never have a flat tummy.  I will always have wobbly thighs and my skin is not flawless.  But that's ok.  I'm not the kind of girl who will have every hair in place.  I am the girl whos hair will be blowing about, probably sticking to my lip gloss, if I actually have on lip gloss.  But when I lay in bed at night, I can wrap my arms around myself and give myself a big hug.  I can feel the love of my family and friends, and God. 

Geek Chic

I am going through this geek chic phase right now. I woke up this morning (well I was awoken by Lola) and decided to take advantage of the early morning quiet by taking a walk with my camera.  I love to photograph graffiti, there is so much soul in this art form.  I joined the Facebook revolution today, along with millions of other people and my mom.  Next I may even get cable and internet hooked up in my apartment.  My neighborhood is kind of on the fringe, or ‘up and coming’ as some might say.  I say it is overpriced and poorly managed.  Anyway, I’ve been invited to a tree house blessing this afternoon so I’m pretty sure I have arrived in Colorado.

Home Sweet Home

I'm getting settled into my new place, just under 800 square feet and just over 800 miles away from home.  This is my home now.  Each day I celebrate small victories, like getting Lola to potty outside.  She is used to green grass but she will figure it out.  I changed up my blog a bit and some people have commented that they were sad to see the photos of Mexico were gone.  For me, it's about the words.  Just as I had to do before my move, I purged some things from my blog.  It's so liberating to let go of stuff.  I had so many miles to drive, roll down the windows and toss out all that was holding me back.  My yoga guru recently said we have to let go of assumed outcomes to become free.  How zen of her.

Not all who Wander are Lost

I have had some reservations about continuing with this blog, as evidenced by the lapse in posts.  It wasn't until I recently wrote a personal statement for consideration into the Aveda Institute that I realized how much I missed writing.  Here is an excerpt of that letter:

I am a Libra, so balance is very important to me. I was never too much into astrological signs until I made the decision to sell my home and a portion of my belongings, resign from my position with a major home mortgage company and buy a one way plane ticket to Mexico. My life somewhat resembles Eat Pray Love. For nearly five months, I spent my days learning to speak Spanish (really more Spanglish), wandering the cobblestone streets, interacting with the people both Mexican and expats, falling in and out of love, and most importantly searching the very depths of my soul.

For a long time I felt my life was out of balance. There had to be more. I had wanderlust. So I started on this journey. Even though I’m back in the States now, I feel like my journey continues. I have previously worked in retail, banking, real estate and mortgage. They were all good jobs but I wanted more. I began to seek out like minded people, get back into yoga and church and made a commitment to myself that I would change my life.

Change is difficult at any age, but as each year passes we become more resistant. As I kept in touch with family and friends during my time in Mexico, someone wrote me ‘not all who wander are lost’. I didn’t think a lot about it until I recently saw it again stamped into a piece of recycled jewelry.

I often seek solitude through yoga, church, or at my local Aveda salon and spa, Jiva. Many times, as I sink into the massage table, I find myself thinking ‘I should just work here’. To be able to be surrounded by relaxation all day, ahhh. And the Aveda philosophy aligns with my personal beliefs about giving back and sustainability.

Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime. My former boss Ivonne used to like to say this. I believe this to be true. I also believe a good eyebrow wax can change a person’s whole perspective.