New Year: Continuing the Journey
Welcome 2018! I'm so glad you're here and excited to see what you will bring.
Last year, I learned to start living life and enjoying each day. I really worked to embody the ideology of making EACH day count and not waiting on summers, vacations and weekends to enjoy life. Honestly, sometimes that task was easier than others because....well... life can sometimes throw you off! As we entered into a new year I recognized that by adapting this mindset I was less likely to feel the pressure of the cliche "new year...new me" and more about continuing my journey of self-fulfillment and enjoying life. As I embark into this new, calendar year, I would like to share some life-style changes that I picked up in the 2017 that I hope to carry into this year and the years to follow.
Travel
Last year and the beginning of this year have already been full of travel! December 2017 ended with me setting feet into the cities of exploring the state of Florida and cruising into the Bahamas. I ventured as far deep into Florida as Ft. Lauderdale and up to Central Florida to Orlando. In my adventures, I was able to try new restaurants, see new movies, swim, watch fireworks and spend time with family. My cruise into the Bahamas was a 3 day, 2 night cruise which was just enough time to help me decide that re-visiting the Bahamas is definitely on to-do list!
Life is about the journey. As a creative, it is so important for me to take time to disconnect from the every day pressures of life and tune into a world filled with adventure and opportunities to share with my friends and family. On vacations, I get the opportunity to let go, explore my soul and get to learn new things about myself and my family. I get to let go and just unwind. I venture into new places, remain present and simply explore! Rejuvenation of my mind, body and soul are my #goals & #results. Not only do I get to explore the world around me, but I get to explore the world within me!
Travel Kid-free
I'd like to add while a lot of my travels this December were kid inclusive, I set up a few trips that did not include the girls. As a woman, I think it is very important to take time to travel without your children. The pressures of adult-life sometimes can leave you feeling depleted and tired. This is why I strongly advocate for adult vacationing. It gives you time to explore who you are beyond titles, commitments and expectations. It allows you to intentionally, realign with your internal being and tune into your needs. This sometimes can be difficult with kids, because as parents we become fixated on the needs of our children which can distract us from our own.
Additionally, let's be honest, we also just need some time to get places and do things in kid-free areas. I know that I do. Being a teacher and mom, has become one of my greatest joys, but sometimes I need time to just be alone with adults, have adult conversations, and make grown-up decisions away from children. I truly think this sets me up for being a better mom, teacher, friend, partner and most importantly person for myself!
Plant-based Eating
Eating to live has become a transformative concept in my life. Holidays used to consist of overeating and dealing with an upset stomach and weight gain after the holidays. This caused me to have to buy into the model of extra exercising and getting rid of the additional weight after the holidays. If you follow my food diary on Instagram, @Thefoodiefoxes, then you may know that about 2 years ago I decided to start eating a plant-based diet (vegetarian) and within the last 6 months I have started transitioning into a vegan diet.
Socializing during the holidays used to be somewhat difficult for me because I ate differently than most of my friends and family. This may not seem like such a big deal, but when you live a plant-based lifestyle not only do you tend to have to make separate dishes than everyone else, but you also receive a lot of questioning and criticisms about your dietary choices from the people in your life. (Side note: I still don't understand why people/family/friends spend more time criticizing and questioning plant-based eating than understanding the hazards of their own eating choices... *inserts eye roll*...I digress!)
The exciting news about this holiday season is that more and more of my family friends are moving into a plant-based lifestyle or are open to eating dishes that are meatless and dairy-free. It is really exciting being able to witness the people around me becoming more open-minded and sharing my journey. Equally as exciting, I get to eat and enjoy holiday food without having the extra weight gain or having an irritated stomach as a result over-consuming foods that my body does not like. #NONEWDIETS #NOREGRETS
Traveling this holiday season, away from my family, allowed me to also experience traveling as a vegan which was really cool. I was worried about what other cities had to offer for vegans. I was happily surprised that Floridians have several restaurants that have plant-based eating options. On New Year's Eve, for example, we ventured over to a restaurant in Del Ray Beach, Florida named The Harvest Seasonal Grill. Not only did this restaurant have plant-based eating options, but they also have an entire vegan menu! I was excited to say the least.
Additionally, the cruise was filled with plant-based eating options. There were tons of fresh, fruits, veggies, rices, and beans that were meatless and dairy-free. One of the burger bars even offered a quinoa veggie burger. I was ecstatic ! Not only did I get to enjoy good eating in Florida, but I was able to eat well on and off of the island of Grand Bahama.
Continuing the Journey
Self-care is the center-piece of my journey. In 2018, I am really working to make sure that I continue to love on myself more and more each day. If it hasn't become a part of your journey yet I encourage you to add it onto your 2018 bucket-list and make sure than you carry it with you in years moving forward.
Journey with me!
If you're interested in following me more visit my website: www.onesun3flowers.com and also follow my Instagram page @onesun3flowers.
