Being Content

It has been a hot second since I did a personal blog post. I have just been putting in a lot of time in the business and playing catch up. Next week, real life starts to happen as I go back to teaching ( that just means fall is right around the corner). So I figured I would write a blog about something special and important to me.

I feel like the last year, I became a little disconnected to myself and what I really need, We had a very good year with the business and in life in general, but with that success, we had to put our camping trips on hold, which is alright since we have to make sacrifices here and there. I have never really been a materialistic person. Sure I like to feel pretty and dress up from time to time but it doesn't last. My true self is being outdoors and connecting with nature. I love hiking, kayaking, and now rock climbing (I am not very good at it but everyone starts somewhere.) I am just one of those people that rather be moving and I don't mean desk to desk. I am much happier if I continuously move.

Before we left for our trip to Maine, I was a little worried that I would be disappointed. You hear all about their coastal towns and how cute they are. But I was worried that they would be covered in tourists. We do not do touristy places very well. It kind of annoys us. We like to find those untouched places. To our surprise, Maine was more than I could ask for. We drove in after 15 hours of straight driving, so we were a little tired when we arrived but holy crap, is it beautiful there. Even when you are driving in the middle of nowhere, wild flowers are everywhere and I mean everywhere. I will blog more about each adventure we took, but I will save that for later.

Everywhere we went, even when I was driving and Christian was asleep in the passenger seat, I made sure I took it all in. I reflected on life. I looked at the pine trees in awe at their beauty. I made sure that I would remember everything that was happening. I have the worst memory but I made mental thoughts along the way so I would never forgot.

I realized that throughout the year, I have been forgetting to just take everything in. Even in my classroom, I forget that I should take in those precious moments of my students when they say something clever or when they are kind to one another. Those are the things I should be paying attention to. I have been letting life's dramas get in the way. You know what I mean, office drama, family drama,politics. It's not good for anyone.

While we were hiking one of the hardest hikes during a pretty bad storm in Maine, I realized that I need to think more like this. I don't need to worry about others and what they think. Just do what's best for me and my family. All I know is, is that I am my complete happiest when I am camping and hiking the beautiful lands of this earth. All social media and life's pressures don't matter as much when I am out there. I am able to put life in perspective. Even when we ate at the local eateries in Maine, we meet the best people. They were the type of people who truly enjoyed the conversation and didn't look once at their phones while we were talking. I kinda felt bad that I was talking to them even though their dinner arrived but they just continued talking. It was so great. Mainers are the nicest people that I have ever met.

So I made one goal for myself, and that is to relax and take it all in. I don't always have to be crazy busy and in control all the time. I need to make sure I take a deep breathe here and there. The funny thing is is that we came home two days ago, I have really just want to be out of the house. I am even sitting on my porch typing up this post. Even though I am sweating like no other in this humid Virginia weather, I need to appreciate it more. I need to appreciate those things that are already given to us. All I have to do is walk outside. I don't need a glass of wine to help me relax (even though I will still take a glass here and there). I am someone who likes to explore. As a kid, we never really went outside of Virginia and West Virginia, but I was able to explore during our camping trips. Especially while we fished off of my dad's boat. It was so calming.I can't believed I recognized this when I was so young. I can even remember riding the bus in high school, during a crisp fall morning, being completely content. That is how I felt during this trip. Content. It's my happy place. I realized that we are not supposed to happy all the time. But I will strive to be completely content.