slowing down :: sparkling and shining

I choose this moment to slow down
Pause
Soak in all the goodness that had unfolded the past few days
There was laughter, so much laughter
I feel more in love, deeper and deeper
We were on the move going from one thing to the next
Having so much fun

But here in this moment we paused
The warm are caressing our skin
The sun shining
Each of us looking around, counting our blessings
Grateful for this moment, for this trip, for each other
It was beautiful
No words needed to be said
We each felt the love, the gratitude, the beauty of the day

We stopped on the path
Snapped some photos
Smiled at one another
And knew
That the love we have is eternal
So easily we got along
So happily we dive deep into our time together
What we have is a rare gift and we appreciate it so very much

It is the ordinary moments in life
That make it extraordinary
And we must appreciate these moments
Slow down
Soak them in
Be right where we are
And be present to those we are with
It is in those simple moments that life sparkles and shines

the magic of the streets

The streets were filled with people coming and going.  Visitors from all over the world.  I was in awe.  A new place to explore.  New adventures unfolding right in front of us.

I had no expectations of San Francisco and we did not have many concrete plans of what we would do when we got there.  The only thing for sure on our agenda was to see two baseball games.  Other that we let the city guide us.

We walked a lot.  The streets opening up, inviting us to explore.  We ventured near the water and got drawn towards the music of the seals.  Old video games made us giggle and delicious restaurants invited us in.

We drew closer to one another.  Holding hands.  Telling old stories.  Sharing our hearts and ideas for the future.  We traveled far from home but felt closer than ever to one another.

Travel has a way bringing people together by opening them up new sites and possibilities.  Traveling is one of my favorite things to do and he is my favorite travel companion.  

travel

"We travel, initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel, next to find ourselves.  We travel to open our hearts and eyes and learn more about the world than our newspapers will accommodate.  We travel to bring what little we can, in our ignorance and knowledge, to those parts of the globe whose riches are differently dispersed.  And we travel, in essence, to become young fools again - to slow time down and get taken in, and fall in love once more."  - Pico Iyer

I have just returned from San Francisco and Napa.  My heart is full.  My soul is happy.  More stories and images coming soon.  

take flight

Grab hold of your dreams
Take flight
Go where they guide you
Do not hold back
The world is ready for your next big adventure
What is it going to be?

love, together

There is beauty in our time spent together
Strolling along side by side
Not saying a word but soaking in our surroundings

There is beauty in the moments
The simple time spent together
He and I

These are the moments I love
Life together
Love flowing back and forth

There is magic in this dance
Of letting go, coming together
Merging and loosening

A life well spent
Laughter, smiles, adventure
A world opening its arms to us

gratitude, so much gratitude

Feeling so much gratitude in my heart
For this life
This moment
For getting here
It wasn't always easy, but it was always worth it
And along the way I was grateful for each step
Even when there was heartache and struggle
I was grateful to be feeling it
To be fully alive, standing on the edge
Seeking, striving, learning, knowing

And today I stand here
Stronger than I was then
Wiser, braver, and still learning
Each and every day
I show up
My heart on my sleeve, seeking out joy
Leaning into what moves me
Not holding back, but taking the leap and going for it
Grateful for the opportunity
And welcoming with open arms the unknown path

standing tall in who you are

"She has a much more interesting life than we know about" I overheard them say.  "She writes and has even had something published in a magazine.  She host these writing workshops and is doing an online class.  I don't even know how someone does such a thing.  I never knew this about her."

What if we didn't hide our true passions
What if when someone asked us what we did instead of stating our corporate job we said what we really love doing

I am a writer and a teacher.  I place my thoughts and feelings gently down on the page and share them with the world.  I teach people how to feel comfortable with a pen and piece of paper and explore their own stories.

What if our resume wasn't filled with our college experience and corporate lingo, but rather what was living and breathing deep in our hearts
What if we claimed what we really truly were passionate about doing

What doors would it open
What opportunities would it bring

We will never know until we actually say it out loud
We must begin to speak our truth and not hide behind our fear

We must stand tall in what we love and let the world know it
Who are you when no one is looking

Stand up and tell the world

i believe in me and you

Sometimes we fall off course

Forget who we are and where we want to travel

We get swept away and lose sight of what we know to be true in our hearts

Has this ever happened to you?

Today lets stand in our light

Lets show the world who we are

And declare boldly that we believe in that person

Are you with me?

We all deserve the space to be who we are

That person is beautiful, rare, and a gift to this world

I believe in me, and I also believe in you

Stand up and share yourself with the world.