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Monday, April 17, 2017

Thrown Face First Back Into the Real World

Wow, talk about falling off the map... 

I returned safely to the States exactly a month ago. After almost two months of traveling, it is wonderful to be home and also a bit sobering. The last few months taught me one thing: time really does fly when you're least expecting it.

For weeks, I counted down the days until my trip. In each destination, I was anxious for our next location. Why do I find it so difficult to live entirely in the moment? Instead of focusing on what was coming up next, I could've embraced my time 100%. This is how a majority of my stress is born. Something small happens, I spend the rest of my day concerned with potential outcomes.

I'm what you may call a certified "worry wart" (this is likely a very southern term). Thanks to my dear friend, Google, I can supply you with the below:


wor·ry·wart
ˈwərēˌwôrt/
noun
NORTH AMERICANinformal
noun: worry-wart
  1. a person who tends to dwell unduly on difficulty or troubles.




Here I am, halfway through April 2017. What happened to winter? Better yet, what happened to fall 2016? Now that I think about it, where did the last few years go? It feels like only yesterday I was graduating college in 2014. Here I am, three years out, still pretending to have it all together. #adulting

One of the truest things I've ever read is that we spend the first 22 to 23 years of our lives wishing time away. You're 14, wishing you had your permit. You're 15, wishing you had your license. You're 17, wishing you were of legal age. You're 18, wishing college would hurry up. You're 19, wishing you were turning 21. You're 21, wishing college would hurry up and end.

Once I graduated college, I looked around and thought when the hell did I get here? 

I spent my year wishing for the time when I would be one step ahead, I never really took the time to appreciate the moment I was in. Even as an adult, I still find this to be a problem.

Do not get me wrong, my travels were exactly what I needed. I enjoyed my time to the fullest and if I could go back, I would do it all over again. My next adventures are already perfectly mapped out and I cannot wait to share them with you all. But in the meantime, I'm trying to encourage myself to not worry about tomorrow. To focus on today.

What an appropriate message to share with you all on a Monday after a holiday weekend. We spend our weekdays wishing for the weekend. When the weekends finally arrive, it's only 48 hours until we find ourselves back in the never-ending cycle.

Personally, I am focusing on the good of everyday. Instead of making plans for this weekend, try something new at the beginning of the week. If we always have something to look forward to, you'll never wish away the time you currently have.

Here's to enjoying and embracing all moments--the good, the bad, the exciting, the boring. We're lucky to have the present and the time we are living in now.

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