Camping in Shenandoah National Park
Hi Friends! Hope everyone has enjoyed their 4th of July holiday. Devin and I took a few days off for a staycation. It has been a much needed few days to relax and check a few to-do items off our list. A few weeks ago, we headed out to Shenandoah National Park. It wasn't our first time there, as we went this past fall and stayed in a beautiful cabin that overlooked the valley. Now we wanted the true National Park experience, which means camping. We're pretty lucky since the park is only a little over 2 hours outside of DC, making is very accessible for a weekend trip. Devin did some research to learn about the camping options as there are a few campgrounds located within the park. We chose Big Meadows Campground and reserved 2 nights (a Friday and Saturday). It was going to be my first time tent camping and I was pretty nervous about 2 full nights! However, once we got to our campground and saw the view, I was sold! Devin found the most perfect camp sites, which … Read More
The Comparison Trap
“Comparison is the thief of all joy.” When you hear this, what comes to mind? For me, I always thought “don’t compare yourself to anyone else.” And in this day and age of social media, and everyone’s lives being posted around us, this is oh so important. However, I think we forget that we also are guilty of internal comparison. Comparing ourselves to….ourselves. Maybe we compare our bodies to how we looked on our wedding day or pre-baby. Maybe it’s our race times or our mile splits. We seem to see the past sometimes through rose colored glasses. I think we need to be just as mindful of our ability to compare ourselves to others as our ability to measure our current reality by previous experiences. I recently turned 30 and to many this age is still very young (and I would agree with that too). However, it’s now an age where I’m conscious of aging and the passing of time. It’s also a really good time to start a practice … Read More
Living with Anxiety
Did you know that up until 1980, anxiety was not a diagnosable condition? 1980 wasn’t all that long ago! That means those who lived with anxiety weren’t able to seek treatment or understand what they were experiencing. Or in my case, being able to go to doctor to confirm “you’re not crazy”. Before I dive in, I want to be clear: I don’t want to write about anxiety in a sad, “feel sorry” for me sort of way. In fact, I want to write about it in a very uplifting, empowered way. I recently purchased “First, We Make the Beast Beautiful” by Sarah Wilson and the title alone felt like a big sigh of relief. I wanted to scream, “YES! That’s it!” Someone else understands that we don’t want pity, we don’t need people to feel sorry for us. We need someone who knows that it’s ok to feel a negative emotion, and that we are just looking for ways to manage the symptoms. Since it’s mental health awareness month, I felt it was a good time to finally write about my journey in hopes that … Read More
Weekend Edition: Jan 14, 2018
It’s a long weekend for a lot of people, but I’ll be getting up and heading to work tomorrow. So, my weekend edition of the blog comes today. :) We’ve had an interesting weekend. First, the weather had a serious case of schizophrenia. On Friday it was 70 degrees and today we probably won’t get above 25. I’ve also been struggling to get over some bug for the past few days. I’m happy that today I felt much better and was able to get a light workout in. But overall, we’ve enjoyed some R&R. Let’s get on to the Weekend Edition, where I share random things that have happened during the last week, things I’ve read, watched, listened to, or just plain love. Last night, we saw “The Post” with Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks. Honestly, I could watch any movie with Tom Hanks, but it was truly a good story and one that is very timely. I highly recommend seeing it, whether in theaters or when it comes out ON-Demand. Podcasts are the new TV … Read More
Beating the Winter Blues
To be honest, most of the time I love winter. I get to snuggle up next to the fire, drink warm tea or hot chocolate, and read lots of books or watch my favorite TV shows. Someone at work recently asked me if I knew the word “Hygge” because she just learned about it and immediately thought of me. In case you’re a hygge newbie like I was, it’s a Danish concept that loosely translates to coziness. Think flannel, cable knit, candles, and a fireplace. However, winter also can cause some blues, or extreme blues. Seasonal Affective Disorder has been extensively researched and can cause a variety of symptoms. We may feel lethargic and tired even after a full night of sleep, or feel especially grumpy and irritated. January can also be especially difficult for a number of reasons. The holidays just ended (“post holiday blues” anyone) or maybe our holidays didn’t turn out quite as planned. We also typically overdo it with treats and alcohol between … Read More