Hello hello, and welcome to Episode 55 (and Season Three!) of Life On the Brink!
How have you been? Busy, I imagine.
May was a crazy, exciting, and very busy month for me, and brought with it so many beautiful moments:
-My husband Josh graduated with his Master’s Degree in Engineering!
-My little sister Nina graduated from high school (my mom also retired from homeschooling after 16 years).
-I put on my first official concert as the choral director at my school.
-On that note, I also conducted at the school’s graduation in full academic regalia and never felt more grown up or empowered!
-I saw Aly and AJ in concert, my first concert experience like that since Covid.
-Oh yea, I went to Disney World with my family! It was our first big road trip in a while, and we figured it was a year to commemorate. Such a great trip.
-I got bangs!
I also embraced a new attitude since my birthday at the end of April that I am LOVING.
26 is my year of FEARLESSNESS, so welcome to our FEARLESS SUMMER!
Today I’m going to share a few key experiences from this past month that have really encouraged me to let go and really enjoy this summer season.
What’s in my teacup? I bought this Queen's Blend tea from Wonderland Teas when I was in Disney World. It's fruity and fresh, but with a hint of maple that grounds it a little.
1. I’m not afraid anymore! (a la Macaulay Culkin)
The thought occurred to me at the aforementioned Aly and AJ concert, when I was moving with the music, dancing to every song, just loving the feel of the bass in my feet and the energy in the room. I hadn’t been to a real rock (ok, indie rock) concert in over 2 years and I forgot how it feels to be in an environment where the music is loud enough that nothing else really matters. And the coolest thing was that I just let myself enjoy it!
I think in the past I would have been concerned with how I looked, whether those around me were as into the music, whether I was standing out. But this time I truly didn’t even think about it, and it was the start of a realization I had about myself: some things I used to fear simply don’t scare me anymore.
I was able to completely enjoy a concert without even thinking about myself. It might not sound like much, but to me it was such a freeing experience.
2. It’s not that big of a deal! (in the best way)
At the beginning of May I did something that at one time I might have seen as reckless:
I got bangs! I have curly hair and haven’t had bangs since I was 7 years old, so when I started pondering getting the cut, I was truly so torn and freaked out. I feel like hair is one of the few areas where everyone downplays its importance (it’s just hair, it’ll grow back, that kind of thing), but actually does make a big difference in your day-to-day.
Anyway, as I deliberated (and I really did, lol), I asked those close to me for their opinions. Surprisingly to me, everyone, including Josh, was all for it. They said I should just go for it, and I did! Because yes, it will grow back if I need it to, and ultimately it’s not as big of a deal as I made it out in my head.
And, I gotta say, I really enjoy them! It’s new and fresh and feels just right for where I am right now.
3. I can be me! (and you can be you!)
During this recent trip to Orlando, I brought perhaps the best possible book one could read on vacation: “People We Meet On Vacation” by Emily Henry. Everyone was raving about this book last year, and I finally got ahold of a copy from the library just in time for my own vacation. As a side note, I completely loved it and would highly recommend it, but I’d like to share a quote that appears right at the beginning of book that really stuck with me:
“On vacation, you can be anyone you want. Like a good book or an incredible outfit, being on vacation transports you into another version of yourself.”
It’s true, I love that feeling of freedom that comes with being in a faraway place with people who will probably never see you again. I feel free to be more impulsive and less calculating, more willing to speak to people or try something new. It leads me to have really special interactions with other people and with the natural world because I’m, again, less worried about how I am perceived.
This summer, though, I’m looking to infuse that same spirit into my daily life.
I want to seize opportunities, be more spontaneous, more kind and easy-going. In summary, it’s shaping up to be a Fearless Summer, one where we can just be ourselves and realize the ways that we’ve grown for the better. This summer the world truly feels normal again and we can embrace all the things we maybe didn’t even know we missed.
As far as this podcast goes, you can look forward to weekly episodes all throughout the summer! There’ll be episodes on travel, cooking, summer reading, gardening, more tea (of course), and some very special interviews. My goal is to soak up everything this season will offer and to share that inspiration each week with you.
Thank you so much for joining the community for Season Three!
This Week’s Little Joy: On my latest grocery trip to Trader Joes, I skeptically bought a bag of peaches. It’s a bit early for them to be in season, but they smelled so sweet and had the right amount of squishiness, so I took a chance. So glad I did! All this week I’ve been able to enjoy my favorite summer breakfast:
-1 peach, split in half
-a nice blob of plain Greek yogurt
-a drizzle of honey
-my homemade vanilla almond granola
-a cup of tea
Honestly, it’s such a gorgeous indulgence and it’s amazing to start my day with it. I’ll be sharing my granola recipe in the weeks to come, so be on the lookout for fresh peaches!
What I’m Listening To: There’s a point every summer when I end up listening exclusively to reggae, and this year that point has come pretty early! I fell back in love with Hawaiian reggae when Josh and I visited last year, and this summer as I start to miss Hawaii again, it’s the music that helps transport me a little bit. Fortunately I do live on the East Coast and can take advantage of lots of beach time, and this album is the perfect soundtrack for those sunny summer moments. It’s called “The Circle” by Natural Vibrations. It’s just full of laid back, summery tunes; I can start at Track 1 and just let it play.
Thank you so much for listening! I love hearing your thoughts, so if you like just leave me a comment below.
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Have a lovely week!