Mothers Need Villages Not Judgements

This fall I gave birth to baby boy number 2. I had a mostly uneventful labor without drugs and welcomed a healthy 9 lb 22 inch boy. My heart, home, and life is now full of love. Time for myself is nil. They say when you have your second kid things don’t just get two…

How Taking a 7 Month Honeymoon has Helped Our Marriage Last

Today is our five year wedding anniversary. As I reflect over the last five years of our marriage and it’s many ups and downs, I find myself crediting our seven month honeymoon for a lot of the success of our marriage so far. From the moment we met, like literally the first date, we planned…

I Am Worthy!

Last night I couldn’t sleep again for what feels like the umpteeth time. In my anxiety fueled insomnia, I attempted to repeat a mantra to myself. It was simply, “I am worthy!” I am worthy of praise. I am worthy of the love of others and of self love. I am worthy of that raise….

This Too Shall Pass

Times are tough. We are all suffering to varying degrees physically, mentally, emotionally, all of the above. The hardest thing about all of it is the uncertainty. I’m sure many of us wake up each morning or go to bed at night with this one thought lingering in our minds: when will this pandemic end?…

On a Quest to Heal Myself

Towards the end of 2018, I set out to find answers and to seek help. I was finally done with suffering and just accepting it as my reality. I wanted to feel happy and healthy again or in some cases for the first time. Healing isn’t easy though even when you finally have those answers…

Reflections on Life at Age 31

Yesterday was my 31st birthday and I woke up next to my husband in a very comfortable bed in the Luxor hotel in Vegas. Although slightly hungover from having 2.5 drinks (I know right!), I felt good. I checked my emails and found a letter I wrote to myself in August 2013 sent through futureme.org…

Having Gratitude Even When Times are Tough…

It is downright difficult to keep your head up when it seems like the world keeps kicking you when you are down. Sometimes we just go through tough times or tough years and it is hard to see beyond our troubles. One thing I always try to remind myself to do, even when I feel…

How to Beat the Unemployment/Post Travel Blues!

I’ll never regret quitting a job to travel, but it’s returning afterwards that is always super tough. It’s easy to get depressed when you go from traveling and seeing and doing new and exciting things every day to sitting at home applying to jobs and being broke. I’ve been in this situation twice and it…

Overcoming My Limits: Rainbow Mountain and Red Valley

I’ve never been so challenged in my life! This trip has really helped me see past my self-imposed limits and know that we truly have no limits. I was terrified about climbing Rainbow Mountain, but this trip is all about facing my fears. So we went for it! We had a 3am wake up call…

Agua, Agua y más Agua

We arrived in Puerto Iguazu after a very tremulous plane ride that had Ethan and I both praying to survive and clutching eachother and our armrests for dear life. Luckily, we did land in this humid little town on the border of Brazil and Paraguay in one piece.  Thank god for that, because Iguazu Falls…

Time Has No Pause Button, So Enjoy it While You Can…

Life is zipping by me. I swear each year time goes a little faster. One minute, I’m meeting Ethan for tacos for our first date and now we are getting married in 40 days. It’s been a whirlwind lately, between planning a wedding, working full time plus extra side jobs, attending multiple pre-wedding events for…

A Letter to My Mom for Mother’s Day

Dear Mom, I love you to the moon and back. I love you to infinity. I love you this much You are my inspiration. You may not have known it, but I was always looking up to you. You turned an at-home daycare into a blossoming business with multiple locations. I loved visiting your office…

How I Learned to Say Yes to Me!

We live in a culture that encourages us to always say yes. Yes to our boss. Yes to our partner. Yes to the salesman. But, does it encourage us to say yes to ourselves. In the United States, you are valued for how hard you work. If your boss asks you to take on an…

The Starfish Throwers: We Can All Make a Difference!

Last week, Ethan and I watched a documentary called “The Starfish Throwers,” and it reminded me of a very important truth. Every one can make a difference whether it is to just one starfish or to many. The documentary was about three individuals who had dedicated their lives to making a difference. One was a…

Take Time to Watch the Sunset

The common phrase is “stop to smell the roses,” but when my sister Mandie and I were traveling around Australia and SE Asia we decided to change it to “watch the sunsets.” We made sure to pause every evening and wait for the sun to set. We shared libations with new friends, propped ourselves on…

Give it a Year: So Much Can Change.

Are you struggling right now? Does it seem like nothing is going your way? Well, I’ve been there. I’m sure we all have. When you are dealing with the world crumbling around you, it is hard to see the light. We feel like there is no way things will get better, but they will. Every…

Best Friends Forever

Having friends in your life is important; having a best friend is essential. When you are growing up you learn that it isn’t really important to have tons of friends or acquaintances. Sure, when you are young it seems like the popular kids are the happy ones. They have so many friends surrounding them and…