Loving Every Little Thing

I have always been a fast walker. Whether in a hurry or not, I breeze by most people on the streets. I'll admit, in San Francisco I often walked quickly because it was cold, but overall I naturally have a speedy pace.

While in Greece, I have made a conscious effort to slow down. Not only because I'm rarely in a hurry, but because I'm paying attention to everything around me. I have never been more in tune with nature than I have been in the past couple months.

I watch spiders build webs, I pay attention to what stage the moon is in, I marvel as ants carry things ten times their size, I see animals grow from babies into adults, I watch flowers grow from seeds into thriving plants. If you look at my photos, a very large percentage of them are either flowers, cats, or bugs.

It's amazing how much is happening around us on a daily basis. I can't believe how much I have been missing! Yes, it's different living in a city because there are too many lights to see the stars and there's a lack of wildlife to appreciate, but I am now much more excited, no matter where I am living, to venture out and find life.

I always thought of myself as a city woman, but I'm finding that I'm much more of a country girl at heart than I realized. There's nothing like watching a spider catch a fly, a bird swoop for the spider, and then a cat catching a bird. I've seen all of these happen in the past week, and it makes me appreciate nature and life all the more.

Just a few of the creatures I have been watching

Smile at Yourself

I was talking to my sister a few weeks ago, and we chatted about defaulting to the negative when talking about ourselves. I could speak endlessly about others in a positive voice, but when talking about myself I tend to default to the negative, always thinking that I'm not smart enough, pretty enough, or good enough to deserve attention or love from others.

That has begun to change over the past few months. I've realized how important self-love truly is in creating a positive life. I started reading a book that encourages you to look in the mirror every day and say aloud that you love yourself.

At first it felt silly and crazy, but to be honest, I think it really works. Instead of looking in the mirror and focusing on the red spot or the gray hair, I look into my eyes and say I love you to myself. And not just I love you, but I love you just the way you are.

This focus on the positive has had an incredible effect on how I wake up and feel every day. Sure, I will always have insecurities, but I try to start every day focusing on the good things in my life. Instead of focusing on what I don't have, I appreciate what I do have.

I am enough. I am worthy of love.

Next time you look in the mirror, instead of looking for what's wrong, look into your eyes and appreciate what you have. Maybe even say I love you. <3

This is where I speak to myself every day :)

You Do You

Many of the things I have learned while in Greece are obvious and common lessons, but as I am seeing things in a new light, it's giving me a better perspective to truly take these ideas to heart.

An obvious but important one for me is to just be myself, without caring what others think.

I got a taste of this before I left San Francisco after attending a number of Daybreaker events. I hadn't danced so freely and truly not cared what anyone thought in a long time. I almost always went to these events alone, yet I never felt like an outsider, and I always met amazing people. I loved the inclusivity.

As I meet people in Greece, a common thing I've noticed is that people are very true to themselves. People aren't afraid to say what they think, wear what they feel comfortable in, and just be themselves. And I finally see that people aren't here just to judge others, but rather we're all just doing the best we can. (Mom quote alert!)

I am much more comfortable in my own skin than ever before. I often sunbathe nude on more secluded beaches, and I feel more body positive than I thought possible. Something about being comfortable enough to just exist without focusing on what others think, and instead focus on how good the sun, the cold water, and the warm sand feel.

Lastly, I've realized that I don’t want to be the kind of person that doesn’t do something because it’ll mess up my hair, my makeup or my nails. I rarely wear makeup here, and it's the first time I've felt comfortable without mascara in many years. I literally left work one day to buy mascara because I forgot to put it on that morning. I previously might have held back from a spontaneous jump in the ocean because I just washed my hair or I had makeup on, but now I can live that spontaneous life freely.

Beauty comes from the inside, and I truly believe it. I continue to eat well and do yoga and pilates to build strength, feel good, and stay healthy, but I know that without a beautiful and happy heart and soul, I'll never feel as happy as I do now.

That one time I went sun bathing and it poured rain for the first 10 minutes.

Only You Can Decide

Deciding to move to Greece was both a thrilling and a completely terrifying experience. When I first visited Greece and Mykonos in September 2017, I was thinking what a dream it would be if I could leave behind city life and opt for the more relaxed island life.

While it was all a dream at first, my thoughts were constantly being consumed by wondering about the possibility, so I decided to look into it more seriously and see if I could actually do it.

I started with a lot of research, but aside from the logistics, I spent a lot of time in my head and heart thinking about this decision. I was constantly going back and forth about the pros and cons of staying and going, making lists, searching for answers anywhere I could find them.

I spoke at length over the course of months with friends, family, my therapist, and many strangers. I couldn’t contain the excitement, even about the slightest possibility that it could happen. The flight attendant I met in the nail salon in Redondo Beach, the guy at the park that I always ran into, the barista that knew my order by heart… they were all on board, and I was excited about the constant approval I was getting from others.

As I was making the final decision to move, though, I realized that I am the only one that could make the decision. While it is helpful and important to get insights and various perspectives around making such a big decision, no one is better equipped to decide your future than you.

Now that I have been here two months, I see the importance of making my owns choices and decisions in a new light. With my people-pleasing personality, I had learned to always look to others for some sort of approval or confirmation before I did anything. This is something that I have struggled with in both my personal and work life, and I finally feel empowered and excited to carve my own path and make my own decisions without turning to anyone else for guidance.

Yes, it’s nice to have approval and reassurance and endorsement from others, but if you always play it safe and wait for someone else to make decisions for you, you’ll never truly have those experiences that push you out of your comfort zone.  And I know from personal experience that out of my comfort zone is where I grow and learn the most.

As you navigate new territory, it’s scary! Let me tell you, I was filled with nothing but excitement and wonder as I embarked on my journey to Greece, but as the plane landed in Mykonos and it was pouring rain, I had a bit of a panic attack. Am I crazy? What did I just do? Why did I leave an amazing life? Is this a safe decision?

I wasn’t moving to Greece to run away, because I had an incredible life in San Francisco. I decided to move because I knew that I wanted to push my limits in order to grow as a person. While I still sometimes struggle with waiting for or wanting approval, there has been no better way to learn that only I can know what’s right for me, and that I am empowered to choose my own path.

The Beginning

When I told people that I was moving to Greece, the first thing most people suggested was that I start a blog. To be honest, I didn’t want do it. I haven't had a blog since before I started college, and I wasn't sure what I would write about. I didn't want to start a blog to tell people about my day to day routines and adventures, both because I didn’t think it would add value for anyone, and I wasn’t sure how interesting my life here would be.

The other day I went to a coffee shop to write in my journal, and instead I found myself writing a list of things that I have learned (or re-learned in a new way) since being here. This was my “aha” moment where I realized that I can write a blog, and it can focus on how my adventures have helped me grow as a person.

It’s been just over two months since I arrived in Mykonos, and while I have had a lot of time to relax and do nothing, I have also been constantly learning from the people around me. Immersing myself in a culture with people from extremely different backgrounds from my own has been incredible.

I look forward to sharing a few things I have learned along my journey!

(On a side note, Happy Birthday Dave!)