Journey Forward ∴ 11

So today, I'm supposed to be talking about an accomplishment I've made that brings me closer to my word this year, "Relax." Does going on a vacation to St. Mararten count?

Other than that, the only thing I can think of is I've been reading a lot more recently. In the last month I've read 5 books! I decided to increase my Goodreads yearlong goal from 12 to 20 books because I'd already finished 11 of the 12. I'm a little behind in my book reviews, but they will be coming soon for both the Fifty Shades series and the Maze Runner series.

Seriously though? I feel a little lame for "book-reading" being my biggest accomplishment in the last month. I wish I could say I did yoga or meditated everyday, or took long sunset walks where I reflected on my time in Dominica.

Even more seriously? I wish I could say that I found a job and was able to stop worrying about where we're going to be in two months. And by that, I mostly mean what I'm going to be doing because Chris will be busy studying for the biggest test of his medical school career, while I try to get reacquainted with real life back in America. More than ever, I need to relax.

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Suggestions on what I should read next? I haven't decided yet!

Journey Forward ∴ 10 - Getting Real about Worry

If there were ever a day where I need to RELAX, today is that day. Today, Chris takes his 4th semester final exam. Today, he determines if we get to move on to the second half of medical school. Today, I feel sick to my stomach with worry. I know that I have to think positive about it, but my stomach doesn't lie. I am nervous.

The biggest obstacle to me becoming a more relaxed person is: I have trouble letting go of things I can't control. It's a mindset that I wish I didn't have. In situations where there is nothing I can physically do, my brain turns to worry.

by Cory Say via Behance

I'm a nervous wreck today, guys. Since I'm having trouble thinking positive thoughts and prayers, would you mind sending a few out for us?

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Journey Forward ∴ 9 - Quarter Check In

Can you believe we are a quarter through twenty12 already? This weeks Journey Forward was to look back at the progress we have made towards our one word & goals.

• Complete 4 or more blog designs per month.

Holla! I'm not quite up to four every month, but my average is right around four. Blog design can be tricky in that some projects take longer than others & carry over from month to month. Nevertheless, I'm quite proud of myself & these 15 designs!

January (3): Mrs. Alana's Miscellany, Lattes & Love, Of Our Parents
February (6): The Shelton Family, Reading, Eating & Dreaming, You are the Roots, Post Cards from TG, Creative Bug
March (3): Human Sparkler, Keep Your Sunnyside Up, C Squared W
April (3): Maggiano Takes Austin, Lovely, Flowers, Ribbons and Pearls

• Find an online teaching job at a college or university. 

Fail. I did have one fun job opportunity sent my way, but it didn't work out. I have a feeling this is going to be hard to accomplish before moving back to the states. The good news is that I have my portfolio & resume all ready to go when the time comes! {www.kathrynprice.info}

• Make dates with my husband to have fun together at least twice a month.

At the beginning of the semester Chris and I were going out together almost every Saturday night. In March we had fun at his 4th Semester Banquet. But as the semester has started closing in (tests!) he just hasn't had the time for it. Hopefully in 5th semester there will be more time for these sorts of things without the stress of so many exams.

• Read 12 books. 

Yes! I'm at 4 books: Love Wins, Outlander, Sing You Home, Fifty Shades of Grey. Reading is one of my favorite things to do, so I think I will always find time for it. It helps me to relax.

• Relax

Seriously, I feel like I'm working on this daily. Starting my own little design company has been a lot of hard work and a lot of long hours. That little list of 15 blogs up there represents my heart and soul for the past 4 months.

I feel like the Journey Forward challenge has helped me stay accountable during this time. Knowing that I have to write a post every week about how I am doing with relaxing has really helped me to stay in check. I get so easily lost in my computer & design; two hours can feel like twenty minutes for me. Living with a relaxed attitude is a work in progress for me.

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What about you? Do you want to join in on the Journey Forward challenge? It's not too late!

Journey Forward ∴ 8 - Relaxing in Dominica

Happy Easter! This week I have definitely been working on my one word, Relax. The assignment was to share pins of pictures that exemplify your word, but I haven't spent much time on Pinterest recently (crazy, huh?). Instead, I've been out running around the island with friends, enjoying the last few days of beautiful weather in Dominica.

What I love about Dominica is that there is always a new place to visit. In almost two years, I'm still finding new places to go & new adventures to have. Sadly, everyday the humidity has been increasing. By next month, there will be fewer & fewer days with a cool breeze. Over the next few months, I have a feeling that my relaxing time will be spent on more water-based activities.

I hope you had a wonderfully relaxing spring weekend! If you'd like to catch up on my Journey Forward, here are the links to my last posts. Next week I will be doing a quarter year review!

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Journey Forward ∴ 7 - Spokesperson

Who is the “spokesperson” for your word? 

Tell us about them, why you look up to them, 

what makes them such a great example.

My Aunt Kathleen always inspires me to live my life with happiness and love. She gives the best advice about what to say or do when the world becomes overwhelming. 

Every now and again I get lovely colorful emails from her in my inbox, because she was thinking about me or had a message to share with me. They are always uplifting, empowering, and thoughtful. Here is a great example:

Give thanks, Katie, whenever you want more.

Of Anything,

The Universe

Thoughts become things, choose the good ones!!

And happy dance, Katie, whenever you want LOTS more.

Kathleen believes (as do I) that our thoughts and intentions are powerful. She believes in invisible helpers and the power of Good. She is also one of the most Relaxed people I know. 

Kathleen lives near the beach in Todos Santos, Mexico. It's a quaint small town about an hour outside of Cabo San Lucas. She, my uncle Barney & cousins packed up and moved to Baja when I was still in elementary school. They chose to take the path less traveled. 

Their family bought a piece of property minutes from the ocean, and over the years have built several little one-room houses & created a unique home. For years the kitchen was completely outdoors, underneath a palapa roof, but recently they added a cement floor & built on a fully enclosed living room area. 

My Aunt Kathleen fully embodies the word Relax. She also reminds me of the words Wisdom and Truth. I am so thankful to have her in my life, she means so much to me.

As she ends all her emails to me, 

"There is nothing that Good cannot accomplish."

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Journey Forward ∴ 6 - Clearing my head

What helps you to clear your mind? 

Where do you go/what do you do to re-center and re-focus yourself?

I'm stumped. Since moving to Dominica, the places I can go are limited. You know, I never really realized this is a problem, but it is! Especially because I need to be alone to clear my mind. There really aren't places that I can go to be alone here, because it is such a small town. I will inevitably see several people I know every time I leave the house.

In America, I would get in the car & go to Starbucks, or B&N, or Target to just wander & think. Here, I guess clearing my mind happens when I'm at home alone - away from the computer. Watching TV (well, I guess that is on the computer, technically), reading a book, or painting my toes. 

Sleep always helps too. When I'm cranky because things aren't going my way, it's often because I'm tired and just seeing the negative. 

I'd love to hear your ideas. What helps you to clear your mind?

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Journey Forward ∴ 5 - More About Me

I'm a day late & a dollar short on this post. All for a good cause however, the pursuit of my one word: RELAX. I spent yesterday lounging at the most quaint little beach. My friends & I hopped a local bus and went to Mero Beach, where there is a little beachfront french cafe. We had fresh waffles, grapefruit margaritas, lunch, and chocolate mousse for dessert. It was delightful.

But on to the real purpose of this post, Journey Forward. The task this week is to describe myself.

Hi, my name is Katie & I'm 28 years old. I'm married and live in Dominica with my med-school husband. I think you've heard all this already though, or if not, go read my about page. {I'll wait.}

Great, now we can talk about everything important. I love Mexican food. Burritos, enchiladas, chile rellenos, and margaritas fill my dreams. I'm a good cook. In college I spent a summer cooking at a summer camp and learned to be afraid of nothing in the kitchen. This doesn't mean I like having to cook dinner every night, but when I'm in the mood, it's fabulous.

I am personable & friendly, but I get exhausted being around lots of people for extended periods of time. I like to wander around my house when no one is home & just be alone. I like being in charge & am good at multi-tasking; I am a great teacher.

I can be sarcastic & snarky. I like to be right. I am a perfectionist at heart, and if things can't be the way I like them, I tend to get annoyed. I am a worrier, and find it hard to relax. But I am aware of these qualities, and try my best to over come them (or mask them).

We don't have any kids yet, but not for lack of wanting them. I just don't feel old enough! No offense to all you wonderful young moms out there. I'm just not at that stage in my life yet. We live on an island for goodness sake! But hopefully within the next 5 years there will be babies. This year will be our 5th wedding anniversary.

I just finished my master's degree in Ed Tech, and have no idea how I will use it yet. Mostly because I am in love with my new gig as a blog designer. LOVE I tell you. I love to play on the computer, work on the computer, make friends on the computer (you get the idea). But I also love to read, write, do yoga, travel, play board games, enjoy a drink, and hang out with my husband. I've been to more countries than states and have lived abroad twice already.

There are a lot of things I wish I could change about myself, and a lot of areas that I need improvement. But I am happier today than I was 5 years ago. Thinking about what the next 5 years holds for us in terms of moving, school, career, baby-making, etc. is scary. But I know that we will do more than just get through it. I am determined to make choices that will keep me happy in my journey forward.

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Journey Forward ∴ 4 - Goals

This week's Journey Forward asks me to set some goals towards my one word: RELAX.  Earlier this year, I set myself 4 goals to work towards.

• complete 4 or more blog designs per month
• find an online teaching job at a college or university
• make dates with my husband at least twice a month
• read 12 books 

It's interesting that 2 of the 4 goals are aimed at relaxing, and the other 2 are aimed at working. I still like all 4 goals, but thinking in terms of becoming a more relaxed person I think that I should add two more to the list:

• exercise at least 3 times a week: yoga, gym, something
• create working hours and stick to them

I have rarely been spending time alone that doesn't involve working or blogging (which is sort of working as it reflects on my brand). Exercising has just gotten thrown out the window. It feels more "okay" to take time away from working to hang out with Chris or friends than it does to go work out by myself. 

How is it possible that finding 3 hours a week to go work out is hard for me?! I just need to suck it up and go do it. 

I'm learning just how hard it is to get a small business going. Even when that business is online! There are just so many things I have to learn about advertising, client management, and the like. I could seriously spend all day, nine to midnight, happily working on PDS things. Between creating designs and working on my site, creating content, advertising, working, etc; I just get sucked in and don't leave time for relaxing. 

This might sound like I'm a recluse, but that isn't the case either. I'm still going out with friends (Pinterest Party last night, what-what!) and going on trips, making dinner and hanging out with Chris. But any extra time is spent on the computer.. not relaxing by myself. 

I think creating working hours might help. Even if they are non-traditional, like 10-3 and 9-midnight. Or saying that I only work certain days of the week. The first goal is to create those hours, and then secondly I need to stick to them. 

I have found a lot of helpful tips and articles at Revolutionize Her, a blog where self-employed women share their stories on how they make it work. Definitely go check it out!

I think the moral of today's story is: I need to work smarter, not harder. Part of working smart is going to be finding time to relax so that I don't burn out. Even if I'm happy spending all my time working right now, I don't want to come to regret it later.

Thanks for sticking with me on this long post. I'd love to hear your tips on time management & relaxing!

Journey Forward ∴ 3 - A Letter

Dear (last year's) Katie,

You need to chill out. Stop worrying about the future. I know your tenant's haven't paid rent in 2 months, and school is getting stressful, but you need to take a second to relax. The next few months are going to be rough, but the evil-tenant's will eventually be evicted.

Do yoga, enjoy your friends, take time for yourself. Explore your passions, start dreaming! You are going to find a job this year that you will fall in love with. For the first time in your life you will wake up in the morning excited about the work you get to do that day.

Spend quality time with your husband. He loves you, and this med-school thing on a Caribbean Island is just as rough on him as it is on you. Take a walk to the beach, go out to dinner every once in a while.

You have one life to live, don't waste it on the past or future; enjoy your life right now!

With Love and Kindness,

Journey Forward ∴ 2

Last week, I told you about the word I picked to work on this year, Relax. This week our assignment was to create a board on Pinterest where we could pin inspiration and ideas to help us on our journey. You can reach my "Relax" board through any of these pictures. I'd love to add some collaborators on the board if anyone is interested!

Relax

... with a book on a swing

pin

... a margarita and friends

pin

... or yoga on the beach.

 

pin

The sweet Chelsea, who is hosting this journey, is going through a rough spot right now. If you have a minute, spend a second to send a prayer or good wish her way.

Journey Forward ∴ 1

Chelsea from Life is a Sunset is hosting a series called Journey Forward. The idea is to pick One Word that describes something you would like to work towards. Chelsea really explains the idea best on her blog here where she says,

You pick out one word and live that word to its fullest every day this year. Let it become a part of you. Instead of a long list of things to change about ourselves, it’s one word for us to focus our energy, words, and actions on. It can be anything.

I am so in love with this idea, and picking my word came more quickly than I imagined it would. So, without further ado, I present my One Word:

Define your word. Start with the foundation. Tell us how the dictionary defines your one word and then tell us how YOU define it. What does that word MEAN to YOU?

dictionary

re•lax |riˈlaks|

verb

1 make or become less tense or anxious

2 unwind, loosen up, make less tense/uptight, unclench, calm down, chill

me

To me, relax means letting go. Releasing what worries me and letting my mind be at ease. I want to focus my energy on what is good, and stop dwelling on what makes me feel anxious. Not only my mind, but my body too. I want to go to yoga & spend time relaxing. I want to stop clenching my teeth at night.

But I think I'm getting into another week's territory. What relax really means to me is changing my life for the better.

Thank you to Torie for introducing me to this challenge.
Why don't you join too?