Hanging Up

I often ask myself if there is anyone in the world who looks at themselves in a mirror and doesn't immediately begin to pick apart their body, criticize their own face, or wish away their hairstyle. And that question doesn't just apply to body image. We all get on our own case for not making it to the gym, for eating that third (or fourth) slice of pizza, for not getting to everything on our desk today. It's an exhausting and debilitating habit. How can any of us ever make progress or feel truly happy if we're always doing the whole negative self-talk thing?

I have been particularly negative over the last couple weeks. This long, drawn-out Minnesota winter is finally getting to me and making me feel like an angst-y teen. I'm so tired of cloudy skies and cold temps, and it's drastically affecting my mood and motivation to take care of my body, mind, and soul. My roommate and dear friend, Maria, sat me down last night and had to practically shake me out of my funk. Her solution to my problem was simple:

Stop listening to the voice inside your head that tells you, "You can't. You'll never get there. You don't look the way you want to." And start telling a different story. 

DUH! Such simple advice. I imagined the negative voice inside my head as though it were a pesky telemarketer who keeps calling and never gets the hint. Every time that voice comes into my head and tries to knock me down a few pegs, I'm going to tell her to stop calling and simply HANG UP THE PHONE! It is so easy to talk to ourselves or to others about things that drag us down and make us feel like less than our radiant, beautiful selves. 

I love the attached quote by Rita Schiano. Let's work on breaking that habit! Next time someone asks you how you're doing today, avoid the bad stuff. Talk about your biggest joys, your greatest accomplishments, how excited you are that you finally got to wear that new pair of shoes, or try a new workout for the first time. If you start sharing the things that make you happy, rather than those that make you feel crummy, you'll be amazed by the changes that begin to happen!

Love, Love, Love

Valentine from Lumineux on Vimeo.

I hope you all had a lovely and enjoyable Valentine's Day! I meant to post this yesterday but spent my evening enjoying takeout and baking some delicious cookies instead. Don't worry, I'll post the recipe to those soon!

There are many opinions about Valentine's Day - some people love it, some people hate it. I personally am pro-Valentine's if for no other reason than to tell people in my life that I love them. And while we're on the topic, I'm in love with this little film put together by Lumineux for the Small Fry blog. If you're all for V-day, I hope you enjoy this as much as I did (even though it's a day late). And if you're anti-Valentine's, well this just might make you a convert...

I hope yesterday brought lots of love to you all! Enjoy!

Vacation Nation

So, I just returned from what will forever be known as "The Best Vacation of My Life" (for the foreseeable future, at least). I spent a week in Puerto Rico with some dear friends of mine and cannot believe how much fun I had. We walked through the old city. I learned how to surf - or at least got a good start at learning. We stayed up until almost sunrise every night. I learned some great Puerto Rican slang. And I met some of the most hospitable and kind people ever. But before I go any further, I really have to back it up a bit. 

Just over a year ago, my friends Shannon and Kelly moved to Puerto Rico. They really weren't my friends but rather people I had met through my friend Jake. I hung out with Shannon a few times and had eaten at the restaurant Kelly worked at - always when Jake was around and usually when there were libations present. Though we had some choice memories of time spent together, we remained sort of distant friends - the kind of friends you think of at Christmas, but only fleetingly. And certainly not someone you'd actually send a card to. So, imagine my surprise when, at their going away party, they fervently suggested I come visit them in PR.

Now, I don't know many people who would turn down an invitation to a warm, tropical destination with a place to stay, but I sort of dismissed their request thinking, "That could be fun, but I don't really know these people. I'll politely accept the invite and decide later if it's worth the trip." Sure enough, the sub-freezing temps typical of a Minnesota winter and a follow-up email from Shannon re-extending the invite proved to be persuasion enough for me to buy a ticket. And off to San Juan I went on January 23rd.

Upon my arrival, Shannon greeted me at the airport with a giant hug (and the best, cheap Puerto Rican beer money can buy) and we headed to his and Kelly's little barrio on the beach just East of the airport. While we were enjoying the warm ocean air on their patio, Shannon confessed that he was interested to see how the week played out. We both chuckled at the fact that we were a tad nervous to find out if we actually enjoyed each others' company without our mutual friend present. With that, he and Kelly wished me good night and we all headed to bed.

The rest is history. Turns out I was a splendid guest and Shannon and Kelly were formidable hosts. We spend the week playing in the water, relaxing in the sun, eating amazing food (Kelly is the next big thing in San Juan foodie history, if you ask me) and really enjoying our time together. I have never laughed so hard, slept so little, or swallowed so much salty, ocean water in my life. Turns out we didn't need to have Jake around in order to get along, although he was sorely missed. I also met some incredible new friends who are already helping me plan an extended return trip. 

All in all, this vacation re-ignited the undeniable joy that traveling brings me. It is so easy to get wrapped up in the hum-drum routine of life that an experience like this vacation is a kind of match-strike to the soul. It allowed me time to play, to be a kid and a tourist, to take pictures of everything, to read an entire book in one sitting. I was so overwhelmed with excitement and happiness that I found myself a little emotional as the plane taxied down the runway on its way back to Minneapolis. And my tears weren't only tears of dread that I was heading back to -22F weather. They were tears of gratitude. I will always be grateful to Shannon and Kelly for their invitation. The trip that it resulted in reminded me that I am an adventurer. I am a world traveler. 

And someday, I might actually be able to call myself a "surfer".