Everything is Not Perfect and That is OK

This was supposed to be a travel review blog but my mind turned into something different. It's been over a year so it's been a hot minute (funny, as I really don't like that saying). So many thoughts swirling around but if you have followed me in the past, you understand that when I write, I write to write- not to meet SEO ratings and all of that other crap. I do it to express myself, to share with my heart genuinely  

and to hopefully help someone out there that can relate on some level. I typically don't stretch out my blogs but what can I say- life is life. It got busy. It had ups and downs but I realized that sometimes, life let's you know that old habits do not have to remain the same. Just because your consistency diverts, it is not an end to that path but just a new one at a different pace. With the new moon tomorrow, I felt a longing
to write again to embrace new paths on all levels. Let me dive in-

Travel Review- I want to share a very shortened version of what and where because this place was like heaven on earth, truly. It's been a very long time since I went somewhere that felt like I had stepped into a magical dimension within our busy little world. It has been awhile since a true vacation was had because, well, you can absolutely say my life has gone in 100 directions in a very short period of time (moving, engagement, marriage, increased job responsibilities for the best, etc.). My husband took great time and effort to scout this place out for us and honestly, it was like a bubble of peace. 

Hocking Hills, Ohio I will share a few photos but words do not explain enough of it's beauty. The photos that we took, the stunning natural surroundings and the realization of how small you are compared to life itself was an awaking... and simply breathtaking. Waking up in a cabin in the woods, breakfast on the deck while we felt nature all around us followed by challenging and absolutely amazing hiking finished with a nightcap in a hot tub.... perfection. We made a point to silence all notifications for work, asked our families to understand our need for quiet time and we made our own pace. The beauty of life just being life was like exhaling after the longest breath ever. All of us have responsibilities every single day. On this trip, our only responsibilities were to us, to our health and well being and it was established. Extra shout out to Cindy at Visit Ohio Today for all of the additional information that gave us both a great experience 😊We dined out only one night at Kindred Spirits which is a cozy, dimmed place nestled among that wilderness. We enjoyed every single bite of our meal, took our time with wine and dessert and meandered back to our cabin in bliss with full, happy stomachs. 

Life is Not Perfect There have been many challenges for me over the past few years. I have not lived a cookie cutter life nor would I want too. Regardless of what society has told me should be expected of me, I was always consistent with one thing- being authentic. This may sound simple but as I matured, I realized that I am not to be understood by everyone. For some, I am too much. For others, too little and maybe even a tad bitchy. I give the same energy that I am given and I realize that I do not owe anyone any of my time or energy if I do not feel that they are not worthy of it (sounds bitchy, right?). You are allowed to critique me for how you perceive me but understand this- if your perception of me is negative, that is all on you. I do not dwell on negativity but rather, I grow and expand and move on most likely at a pace that leaves most in the dust. And again, I am ok with this. When you realize that you cannot please everyone according to their expectations of you and that frankly, you don't have too, your world will see and feel a lot more calm and peace. Bitchy to some but enlightened to others. 

Not Cookie Cutter...Explain Please When I met my husband after a mess of a previous life, he was the first person to tell me to be more of me and not to apologize for it. For him, I was not too much- for us, we are zero to 100 in all aspects filled with love and passion for life. We feel everything, now, every moment in case there are no more moments. We sleep way past the time that everyone is already up and being productive. We indulge in the meals that we want to have and we never eat earlier than 8PM. Our home is filled with cooking and music and dancing and lazy days on the deck in the sunlight. We love each other beyond anyone's rules because that does not apply to us. We are the light and the dark, the

moon and the sun and if Morticia and Gomez Addams could be real, that is us. Love is in all that we do but mainly, life is what we decide to make of it by our rules and our rules only. 

Imperfection is Perfection Yes, it all sounds amazing because it is. But as with anything else, in reality, it is not perfect all of the time. There are disagreements and challenges. But life is not supposed to be perfect, that is not true to life. Reality is that we both know that all of these tests are making us stronger together, not pulling us apart. We continue to learn about each other, with each other. There is no giving up- there is only understanding the ups and downs while knowing that we simply have to do these things together. I was told most of my life that I have to remain independent and that I need to keep my own space and distance in order to be my own person, that you should not be too needy or too clingly. But it turns out, that is wrong (at least for me). It turns out that I actually like spending time with my husband and I admittedly love being "clingy" because I am not actually clingy, I am madly in love with him. I am in love with the attention that he showers me with daily. I am in love with the effort that he puts into me and us so that we can remain "us" just as we want to be. I am selfishly unapologetic about my life now and I have no intentions of changing. To better explain it and as was shared in our wedding:

"We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love." 

- Dr. Seuss

Be yourself. Be brave enough to be yourself. Challenge yourself to live the life that you want to live and manifest what you see to be perfect, not what others see it as. Happiness comes from within not from what others allow you to feel. Nobody ever left this world wishing that they had gotten more approval from others, only that they never found approval within themself. Your heart will tell you what you need to be happy, all you have to do is listen to it.