Overwhelming Inspiration
We live in a world of sharing. As someone who has been coined by close friends as an open book, the world of sharing is A-okay with me. I don't mind seeing the highlight reel of the people I love, or even the strangers I share this world with. However, there's always some bad with the good, and the technological-sharing-world is a prime example. The good I see, is that it's become a place where people find commonality. Some articles validate the loneliness some may feel in the trials they face. They give them a sense of community, support, and knowledge that others have been there too. Along with the good, though, there is the bad. The online trolls, the overwhelming amount of articles based on nothing more than speculation, and the deep crevices of the constantly offended human race.
I'm not sure how many times I need to reiterate this, but as someone who has lived more than half my life, thus far, without the technology of today (believe it or not), I will always hold fast to the belief in proper balance. In stepping away and looking up. That life shouldn't be lived through a screen. I feel fiercely protective of screen-free time, and will always advocate for this... even though I am not perfect at practicing what I preach. (Read more of my thoughts on this topic)
But what I'm touching on today, is the overwhelming inspiration we face each day. Not just online, but everywhere we go.
Is it just me, or does everywhere we look seem to call out "Create! Create this or create that! See this picturesque home? Create it for yourself! See this organized closet? This handlettered card? This novel I wrote? This packing hack? This cheap way to travel the world? This 10 minute exercise? This healthy cookie? This way to get the most from your morning? These tips to healthy living? This meal I made? This item you need on your wall? This and this and this and this???"
We all add the the noise through our constant sharing and hope to inspire.
I'll raise my hand first, because I hope to inspire and encourage on this little, online space. But as I spend my time perusing local stores and scrolling through my feeds, I've begun to notice that the overwhelming inspiration is beginning to stomp out my own creative juices. If there is so much to create, why does it seem that it's all already been done?
In my pursuit for inspiration, I find my own creativity dwindling.
"Oh that's a good idea, maybe I should try that!"
But then, is it my own? Are we being inspired, or becoming copies? How do we fight against this spiral of inspiration vs. imitation?
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: limit your screen time.
Don't allow yourself to be so immersed in the creative flow of others, that you forget to have your own unique, creative voice. Love and admire the creativity of others, but do not find yourself so deep in so-called "inspiration," you come out the other side feeling limp with motivation.
Lately, I've been in a terrible writing rut. As if all the thoughts and ideas in my mind start, and suddenly stop in the wake of reading the thoughts and similar ideas of others. Maybe you can relate in terms of other life routines.
Maybe you want to try all the new recipes you see scattered across your feeds, until you realize your go-to is just faster.
Maybe you want to DIY a piece of decor, until you find an 'easy' store-bought version.
Maybe you want to try your hand at an entrepreneurial effort, until you see the saturated market.
Maybe you have something you want to say in writing, but someone else has already said it better.
Maybe you are looking to design something new, until you fall in love with the design of someone else.
Maybe you want to change the way things are done in your office, but your idea gets quieted amongst the other demands.
Maybe you are desperate to get in shape, but you realize you've spent hours looking at ways to do so, instead of just doing it.
Get out of your heads, guys. Put on your blinders to the overwhelming inspiration around you and create from the ground up. Don't live in someone else's "how-to" - go create your own. Connect with the real people around you and collaborate side-by-side. See the potential in what you have instead of the potential of what others have. How does anyone learn to create? Through confidence, practice, and learned skill. We are not all born creative, some of us are self taught. And like anything, if you don't use it, you lose it! I've begun to lose myself to the saturation of inspiration and it's time for me to kick my screen to the curb and exercise my creative muscles. Sometimes we all need that wake up call, and I hope today I can INSPIRE you to wake yourself up. Maybe I can be the small voice amidst the inspiration saturation (catchy terminology, right?) that calls you out of your rut.
Get inspiration, my friends, but don't dig so deep, that you're not actually sure how to use it.
When Are You Ready To Renovate?
Have you been eying up certain rooms or areas of your house wondering if you should tear a wall out, add more storage, or change the entire physical layout?
Well hold your horses.
Whether you're going DIY or not, I'll give you the advice others have given to me:
Give it a year.
Live in it, try it out, figure out what drives you crazy, and what you absolutely love. You may be surprised. Things you thought you'd despise may become your favorite features, or things you swore you'd change, may have a rhyme or reason to their placement. Spend your time sifting through other ideas.
There's more than one or two ways to create built-ins, for example. We could have spent a lot of time and money on the same old built-ins that everyone else does in their home. Instead, we sat on it. We looked up costs of every different idea and weighed out what look we were specifically going for... and lo and behold, we found the most cost effective and fitting solution possible.
We knew upon buying our home that we'd be renovating the kitchen. It was small, crowded, and a terrible use of the potential space. We lived in it for several months, and each month grew increasingly frustrating. We literally couldn't do tasks we had been used to doing. Like rolling out pie crust... with such minimal counter space, some things were downright impossible. We used our kitchen table as extra counter space, but when guests came over, that felt really embarrassing. I hate to say it, but it was!
Admittedly, we didn't give it quite a year, but the layout really affected our every day life, so when an IKEA kitchen sale presented itself, we jumped at it. We had spent days and weeks and hours of the previous months, talking about the logistics of the design and financial bits and pieces, so we were sure of exactly what decisions we'd be making. We had lived in it long enough to know what needed to change, and what wasn't as bad as we had thought. Some of the layout that we were sure we'd change, we actually kept with a few small tweaks. Getting advice from the right people also really helped us gauge our capabilities and sway us away from spending more than was necessary (thanks mom and dad).
I'm so glad we took (almost) a year to live in it, though. It brought up a lot of important questions that I'm going to share with you... just in case you're on the fence about starting a renovation.
1. If you'll be living in the home during the process, can you handle the chaos of things piled up in rooms temporarily as storage? Will you be able to handle the dust, no kitchen (if that's what you're renovating), not being able to walk in certain areas without shoes?
2. Do you know how much this is going to cost? All the way down to the smallest nail? Make sure you're not low-balling this, because sticker shock sucks.
3. Do you have a reputable contractor that will be timely and fair? Are you ready for the contracting team to be in your home in early morning hours or late at night? Can you trust the deadline he tells you, or the put up with constant noise?
4. If you are not staying in the home, do you have elsewhere to go? Will that cost you extra, or are you staying with family who may get tired of you being there if the project goes beyond the deadline?
5. Things will inevitably go wrong, or you'll hit a speed bump. You can't prepare for them, so I won't ask you if you're ready... but I hope you're not expecting everything to line up perfectly!
6. Can you handle the stress of the time, money, and labor commitments? Along with the costly, split second decisions you may need to make along the way?
7. Have you thought through your design and are fully aware of the workings? Like the cost of switching from gas to electric or vise versa? Or if moving some plumbing will be a small job or large? Will adding more lighting add more to your expense than you thought - or will it even be possible? Do you understand what needs to be done to stay up to code?
8. Do you realize the renovation may be the bane of your existence during its entirety?
How do your answers look? Regardless... DO YOU. I'm no pro, and I certainly can't guarantee your success, but hopefully you snagged a few ideas to get your renovation dreams going!
Have you done a reno before? What would you add?
Saltine Bars
I can't believe I'm doing this.
This little recipe is my crutch. My fail-proof, fall-back. I haven't wanted to share this recipe because I have this internal fear that it'll find its way around my circles, or like, the world, and every time I have to bring a dessert, I'll see a buffet table filled with these and I'll cry on the inside... or a little out loud, like a pathetic whimper of defeat that says, "Yeah Joy, your stupid little dessert that takes you ten minutes also takes everyone else ten minutes and now you're not original and yours don't taste as good as Peggy Sue's. Loser!"
So basically, I'm just really territorial about my saltine bars.
But the time has come. I will conquer a new recipe and up the ante and all of you people making my saltine bars will cower in the wake of whatever else becomes my next ten minute dessert.
OKAY. SORRY. Things are getting hostile in here. Maybe my recipe hoarding issues are the reason why my food section always looks a little skimpy... and anything food related should never include the word "skimpy," so I'll make a concerted effort to let go of my recipe selfishness.
So. Here they are.
THE FAMOUS SALTINE BARS.
If you are wondering why I would say they're famous without you ever having heard of them, just believe me. These are the kinds of bars that fit, healthy people take a bite out of, and their eyes suddenly widen like Eve discovering sin. They are the crack of the food world. You've been warned.
On a completely serious note, I can't take these bars anywhere without someone asking why the heck they're so good. The answer to that question (regardless of what food someone may be talking about) is almost always the same.
BUTTER.
Now that I have you on the edge of your seat, just dying to know what else makes them so dang good besides just the butter, let me just give it to you straight in the form of ingredients and directions.
Ingredients
Saltine crackers
2 sticks butter
1 C brown sugar
1/2 - 3/4 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 - 3/4 C butterscotch chips
Directions
Grease a cookie sheet with butter and line with saltines.
Preheat the oven to 400 F
Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat and add brown sugar, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and stir about three minutes more. It should become thicker and lighten in color.
Pour the mixture over the saltines and spread evenly. Bake for 5 minutes.
Upon removing the pan from the oven, sprinkle the chips over the top while it's still hot and allow them to soften and melt. Then, using a spatula or icing tool, spread the melted chips evenly across the top.
The only recommendation I'd add, is to just make them a couple of times and decide for yourself what your favorite 'chip' ratio is. I like a thinner layer of the chocolate/butterscotch, so I lean towards the half cup of each with a tad more chocolate than butterscotch.
Enjoy these perfectly salty, buttery-toffee, chocolatey treats! Whatever you do, make sure you make them for a function in which you must share... or you will eat the entire pan alone. Happy eating, friends!
To My Husband In These First Years
Dear Husband,
It's been just us for some time now, and I still revel in it.
We've gone on many a date, and even begun to make the most monotonous excursions somehow romantic (or at least fun). We have created a plethora of inside jokes, nicknames, and facial expressions that keep us connected and continually joking (many times without having to say a single word). We can anticipate each other's emotions, needs, thoughts, and next words without it seeming creepy... and in fact it offers such a sweet sense of comfort to know the other gets you in that way. We argue better than we did a few short years ago, yet we still hold our ground when we differ, and encourage our independent natures. We are lovers, friends, and blessings to one another's lives.
But eventually, our lives will be interrupted. Things will change. Whether it be another move, little people to add to our ranks, job changes, illnesses, or any of life's many curves.
So today, I want to acknowledge you. Just in case, as the years go by, I forget.
I want to add a few more promises to the ones I made at the altar several years back. Maybe I won't be able to keep these promises perfectly or even at all... but I want you to read this over one day when you miss these first few years. Tell me to re-read it to, because I could probably use the reminder.
You know how you roll over each morning and snuggle me close? How even now, I sometimes don't reciprocate because I like my space? Well, keep doing that. Because I know you are just loving me, even when I get a little snarly. It does make me feel loved, and you know it, and that's why you never stop. And on the mornings you wake up too late and jump right into the shower, I notice. And I miss it.
If you just plant yourself in front of me, I'll give you a backrub - why has it taken you so long to figure this out??
And thanks for the countless backrubs you give to me. You're pretty great.
I'm glad you love my baking. Please always request things, because even when I act like it's such a chore, it's not. Especially when you come watch me and keep me company.
I'm sorry for the eventual day when I curse doing the laundry. But how about this... if you start helping me fold, I'll do my best to look forward to it for as long as we live because it'll mean binge watching a show or funny Youtube videos with you.
Thank you for being so handy around the house. You know how I've told you that keeping a nice, clean, comfortable home is important to me? Well, I couldn't do that without you. You built me a kitchen. And countless other things. Maybe I keep it clean and decorated, but you're the base. I'm all about that base (yes, as that one song goes).
Someday I may not notice when you've had a long day, so please tell me, because I'll want to help. Even if that means leaving you alone for bit.
I hope that my patience grows with time. If it doesn't, thank you for being the gold standard for patience and knowing exactly how to cool my jets.
I know you're telling me the truth when you tell me I'm beautiful. Even when my hair is grimy and there's zits on my face and I feel frumpy. But you can always tell me that more, if you want to :) And in case I haven't told you enough, you're the most handsome, incredible man I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. I'm so blessed by you. Every single day.
We may not always have the ability to show affection (aka holding hands, arm-in-arm, etc..), but I promise I'll always try to make room for you. Even when I'm tired of being touched by other little beings, your big hugs and gentle forehead kisses should always have a place in my day.
Making you coffee every morning is a pleasure. If I ever think otherwise, remind me that I make it for me too.
Having you as my chauffeur is the best. Thanks for not judging me for my disdain towards driving.
Cooking with you in these first years has been the most fun. I love making high-end meals at home and learning about wine and having a snooty palate sometimes. I know other people think we're weird for enjoying this, and maybe they think we're being pretentious, but if at some point we eat only mac'n'cheese and PBJ sandwiches for years on end, I won't regret this time for one minute. And I'm glad we didn't wait to try our hand at it when we're old and our taste buds are broken.
Maybe you'll travel for work more often, and I won't be able to join you. For now, I am cherishing the freedom I have to tag along. But I hope you always miss me as terribly as I miss you.
When people make fun of us for being cutesy or clingy, I'm glad you never take offense. I'm glad we're so close, and I'm so thankful our marriage is built on an outstanding friendship and deep faith. We have a fierce love, as I say.
I hope you know how much I respect and support your career, and thank you for respecting and supporting mine. I love being your number one cheerleader. Even when things at home are crazy and there's plenty of other things on our plate, I hope you know that your job is important to me too.
Above all, don't you dare get un-fun. And don't let it happen to me. This especially includes sassiness. Because removing the sassy, removes the fun.
Sharing your life with someone else can be tough and trying.
Yet it is such a privilege to pray for you and with you, and grow together each and every day. Wherever this life leads us, prioritizing and loving you is such an immense joy, and I thank God you are by my side.
All my love,
Your Wife
July | 2016
What a whirlwind of a month.
Oh, you too?
Those summer days, I tell ya. Especially July.
First off, let me share with you some of my current favorites:
This super cheap dress was the first item of clothing I've ever ordered off Amazon and I am super happy with it. If you check out my photos below, I'm wearing it in blue by Lake Michigan at our friend's rehearsal dinner. It's also on my Instagram.
The clock I pictured, isn't the exact one we own, but it's practically the same and it has added such a perfect minimal piece to our kitchen area. See this post for a photo of it in our home.
blogs to explore
I am totally crushing on Warmth & Whimsy which is a blog I recently discovered and I just can't get enough of! Katie talks about the importance of dating your spouse, gardening, confidence, etc.. a wide array of topics that I am finding so relatable.
Brunch on Chesnut is a larger blog, but her photos are so stunning and I adore how they're styled.
Boulevard House. Admittedly, I've hardly had a moment to read her posts in their entirety, but just based on the fact that she writes about making your house your own, I am bookmarking it to return!
latest adventures
We had a really fun July. Between being outside with friends for play or for the holiday, and a packed week in Wisconsin, we are pretty pooped. There were lots of memories made and laughter with the best people. I'm just going to give a winded synopsis of what went down this month...
- Spent the 4th with the best // Alex and her husband from The Berger Bungalow #bloggingbudsforlife! We also ventured north and went river tubing as couples and had a blast.
- Mooched off our awesome friends' pool // gosh, could we love them any more? Haha!
- Discovered this adorable hidden gem of a town near our home, that has an pretty lake and sweet locals.
- Grabbed a quick lunch with one of my best friends from college and her sweet baby girl // love!
- Spent a couple days with my sister and her family in their new house in Wisconsin, and finally got some cheese curds.
- Had a very adventurous long weekend north of Milwaukee for a wedding // and somewhere in there acquired THIRTY-THREE bug bites on my feet/ankles/lower calves alone. So itchy.
- We stayed in two different Airbnb's and, as usual, had some great experiences. Our host lived in the first one we stayed in, and she was a total delight to have talked to and been hosted by. Don't forget to use my code the first time you book an Airbnb for $30 off!
- Finally saw my all time favorite band play live in Chicago at the Bears Stadium // Coldplay! It was so incredible and a dream come true.
Here's a little photo tour of our month (click to enlarge):
The amazing thing about Coldplay's concert were the wristbands you were given upon entering. They changed color, blinked, etc... along with the beat of the songs. It was so magical to look across the expanse of this massive stadium and see the colorful lights in sync with the songs. Of course, during their song "Yellow" everyone's wristband turned yellow, which was fitting. Fireworks would shoot up behind the band on beat with some songs, and they had these giants balloons being tossed around the entire arena. In a word it was just incredible. Very, very fun concert. Check out my Instagram for another short video from the concert, and note the wristbands when the song picks up.
What have you all been up to this month?
You Don't Have To Be Friends With Everyone
It sounds sort of mean and/or aggressive, I know.
But hear me out, and don't misunderstand. This doesn't mean you shouldn't be friendly to everyone, just that the reality is that some personalities don't mix, and that's okay.
I'm sure at some point in your life, you've felt like the odd-ball-out. The black sheep.
Maybe somewhere out there, there is someone who has never felt this way - how nice to be them! But as one who has often been the black sheep, I have to admit... I'm grateful.
I'm grateful that the disconnect from my peers early in life taught me to be introspective, grow a thick skin, and still treat people with respect even when they didn't offer the same to me.
Why do we feel so different sometimes?
For me, it was a lack of shared morals, values, or interests. I wasn't popular or good at sports (never have been!) and I didn't feel good about disobeying my parents. I was the token "goody-goody" and I only knew a handful of peers who felt the same. In college, things changed when I was surrounded by a myriad of people in a setting where you could essentially choose your friends. Again, this is not to say I wasn't kind to everyone or didn't show respect to people who were different than me - just that it was great to surround myself with a group of people I clicked with. Enter: adulthood. It's hard, isn't it? You move, you get married, you start a new job, you buy a house, have a kid (or several), and often without being surrounded by people who "get you."
Somewhere in the transition to adulthood, you begin to feel this overwhelming pressure to befriend anyone. Making friends becomes a painstaking process that often leaves you feeling insecure or unsure of whether or not the feelings of friendship are reciprocated. It's very awkward. It sometimes feels like a repeat of those tender middle school years, when you never knew if you were "cool enough" to hang out with certain people. However, when I think back to how crummy it felt to try and try, or believe that I was someone's friend when they didn't see me as one, I would offer myself one freeing piece of advice that I hope I can remember as an adult:
You don't have to be their friend.
When you don't "click" with someone, move on and don't dwell on it. There's a power in realizing that something may never happen. It's sort of like moving on from a break-up, right? There can be a million little reasons why two people don't click, and trying to force it every time will land you in some terrible, unhealthy relationships.
Choosing not to be friends with someone also doesn't have to look ugly. You don't need to talk bad about anyone behind their back, you don't need to poignantly avoid them at every passing turn, in fact you should be gracious and respectful to them as they too are God's children. We are called to love.
But loving someone and liking someone isn't always synonymous.
Take it from your parents. I bet they didn't always like you! I bet you didn't always like your siblings. Dare I say, sometimes you may not even like your spouse (such as when they're right...). But you always love them. In the same way, we're called to love our enemies.
(Of course, I'm not alluding to "people who are not our friends, are our enemies," but we should love each other just the same)
All I'm saying, here, is that it's okay not to be friends with everybody. We don't need to feel bad when we don't "click." You don't need to shun someone, or act cold, but you do get to choose who you spend your time with. And actually, if you look up Bible verses regarding friendship, you'll hear a lot of warnings about hanging out with the wrong crowds. Try this list. It's important to have a tribe that challenges you to be a better person and is there for you in need.
As humans, I fully believe we are made for relationships and community. Some are meant for smaller, more intimate communities of close-knit friends, while others are meant for far-reaching circles. But the beauty is that we were all made different, and some people "get" someone more than another. It's something to celebrate!
In my adult life, I've spent far too much time mourning the loss of friendships I thought were deeper than they really were. Instead, I'm going to choose to cultivate and nurture the ones I already hold dear, while still keeping the door open for new ones - I may be surprised who walks through that door!
Choosing Appliances
Just before we started our kitchen renovation, I posed a question to my readers about kitchen ranges and got some very helpful responses. The answers I received varied, but if I remember correctly, most of them leaned towards gas.
To summarize the scenario we were going through, I had grown up with electric ranges (coil or glass) and had no issues cooking with them. When we bought our house, we had gas - much to my husband's delight. However, because of the age of the stove, it was unwieldy and inefficient. This left us a little disappointed and had us rethinking whether we should keep using gas, or switch it out for electric or induction. The previous post spells out all of the pros and cons we discussed for each model.
After we finished the renovation process, we decided we would continue using our current appliances until holiday sales went into effect (specifically, fourth of July sales)... but we actually found some great deals a couple weeks early and jumped. During the two months prior, though, we had shopped around in order to identify exactly which appliances we were going to watch for price-drops.
Now, I want to share with you why we chose the appliances we did. Some of these reasons might offer some points to think about when shopping for your own!
These are the appliances we chose and why:
Gas Range:
When push came to shove, we realized that switching from gas to electric would not be cost effective. I won't get into it, but it just would have been several hundred dollars more, for only a little added convenience. We figured a new gas model would ease our frustrations, and we were right!
We chose this one, partly because of the grates. I really wanted an option that would make it easy to place platters or cookie sheets on top, without them getting wobbly or falling between grates. These are almost flush with the countertops and I think it looks really sleek. It's also so much easier to clean than four-grated versions because it's just the two large pieces that actually groove together and are super easy to set aside while you wipe down underneath. Boiling water doesn't take as long and it lights really quickly too. Our old one used to basically burst out in flames when you flipped on the lighter - so scary.
The oven heats up soooo much faster than our old one, as well! I love to bake, and it cooks so evenly. It's a no-fuss range and it has been a joy to use.
Microhood:
A fun fact about IKEA appliances: they're all Whirlpool brand. We ended up with Whirlpool appliances all around, and it was actually by chance. I'll admit, it is a brand that I trust, but more than that, I really appreciate the look, price, and usability of their models.
This is the only appliance we didn't think too much about. We saw it, we liked it, we ordered it. That's about it! It works great and heats evenly, but one of the things we like most (strangely) is the overhead light for the stove. It's very soft, but bright and adds a good ambience to the kitchen when we're not actually in there. It might sound like an odd thing to notice, but all our previous microhoods or regular hoods had a great big bulb that always shone directly in my eyes. Since I'm so short, I was never able to escape it, so having this new one is amazing!
Bottom Freezer Fridge:
I had this fridge picked out years prior, and I have several reasons for the choice:
1. My parents own this fridge, so I'm really used to it.
2. I personally dislike french doors on fridges because so many times I have my hands full, and having to finagle two doors open while trying to fit a 9x13 pan in the fridge is very annoying to me. Plus, I always find myself opening both doors anyway, because I want to be able to see everything at once. This may sound a little Type-A, but when I can't see everything every time I open a fridge, I often forget I have something and my food goes bad and gets tossed.
3. We have a water filter on the sink. Door water filters are fine if you need them, but we don't because we have this fancy filter thing that my parents have ordered for all their kids. I also hate that door filters take up internal space on fridges.
4. Bells and whistles look like dollar signs to me. I'm sure many little features can add convenience to people's lives, but what happens when the circuit board on your water thing or touch-screens fail? You have to pay hundreds to get them replaced. No thanks.
5. We don't keep important things in the freezer. I don't mind having the freezer low, because we don't really have much in our freezer at any given time. I'd prefer my entire fridge to be at standing height :)
These are all totally personal opinions, but maybe they'll give you something to think about.
Dishwasher (pre-existing)
We love this dishwasher. We have no idea how old it is, but it runs like a dream. It's super quiet and can run a cycle in less than 30 minutes. We've heard wonderful things about Bosch and when the time comes to replace this puppy, we'll be going with Bosch again.
I'll be honest, in the beginning of our kitchen designing process, we were set on getting really fancy appliances (and countertops - more on that later) but after hours and weeks of research, the reviews spoke for themselves...
The basic tried-and-true models just win.
This isn't to say that we will only ever get these exact appliances in our lifetime, but I am pretty dead set on always getting a solid, basic model without the bells and whistles. More than added convenience, I just want appliances I can count on to always work exactly how they're supposed to.
Oh, and as an added bonus, all our new appliances happen to have the same handle style!
What about you? Would you consider some of these ideas in your decision making?
How Travel Encourages Simple Living
Sometimes when you think of simple living or minimalism, you may picture stark white rooms with tons of hidden storage and spotless surfaces. This is a common myth on the topic. If you think I'm bluffing read my review of the book, The More of Less. There, you'll hopefully understand that simple living looks different for everyone. The whole idea is to remove all the excess that weighs you down and keeps you from truly living the life you're called to live. For some, that may look like a stark white, extremely minimal home, while others may own more - yet both are living an equally satisfying, purpose-filled life. Free of excess.
* I should also note that I sometimes use the phrase "simple living" and "minimalism" interchangeably. Some could argue differences, but I try to practice them equally. As in, I try to practice minimalism as part of my simple living efforts.
When you travel, regardless of why, you're expanding your horizons and your experience base. No, not the kind of experiences you put on a resume (though, maybe you're traveling for work - which really could add to your career experiences), but experiences of the heart and soul.
When you travel, you see and hear and taste and touch, the beauty of God's creation. Whether that be in the form of rising hills, mountains and forests, or in sweeping skies across oceans, fields, and plains. Even if your travels are nothing more than a flight, a jammed packed weekend, and another flight home, you're experiencing the richness of a full life. One of blessings (or maybe trials) of all measures.
When you travel, you are reminded that the things in this life that we hold dear are not things at all, but instead people, places, moments, and memories. They are the words that your friend offers that you never forget, because it was their words that helped lift the fog from your grieving heart. They are the loving kisses experienced overlooking seaside views or snowy nights. They are the reverberating sounds of laughter over delicious meals shared among family and friends. They are in the sweet intoxication of a memory revisited through the smells of a familiar place or the taste of an age-old recipe.
When you travel, you 'look up' from the technology that ensnares us and instead grasp the wonder of a tangible world. Of bright sun and cooling winds. Of warm hugs and breathtaking sunsets. You catch the glances and smirks and amazement on the faces of those dearest to your heart.
When you travel, your troubles and worries fade. Because sometimes it only takes the simple act of a deep breath of fresh air, coupled with God's reminders of His plans for you, to clear your heavy heart or mind.
When you travel, and you can travel every day if you'd like, you're reminded of what defines "enough." That you're enough, and that your life is filled to the brim. All you have to do is notice. And if you ask me, noticing is a pretty simple act.