Tee: [J.Crew...last year..options for purchase
here &
here]. Shorts: [Zara...last year, new version
here]. Sandals [
Target]. Sunnies [
Illesteva]. Earrings [Baublebar...similar
here &
here]. Bracelets [Kate Spade ...available
here]. Clutch [
Cult Gaia]. Coin Purse [off brand Bealls Outlet...similar
here]. Owl Card Holder [Kate Spade...available
here].
I never imagined that when I created this blog that I would stop writing on here. But, I guess life really does take over sometimes. When you fall too far behind, its difficult to stand back up, dust yourself off & go right back where you were.
I stopped writing on here three years ago because wedding planning took over my life. SO exciting! Then, a hurricane. Not so exciting. No excuses, just the truth. I was on cloud nine for so long from wedding planning & then dropped off that cloud to the ground with Irma. It was hard for me to be myself for awhile after that. Seeing so many friends impacted by the storm was extremely depressing. I stopped caring about my daily routine of exercising, getting dressed up, blogging, etc. Little did I realize this routine was something that I needed. It just didn't seem important at the time. Evacuating your home with the fear of the unknown is hard enough, but returning to what looked like an apocalypse was much more difficult. Mounds of debris surrounded what was once paradise. This continued for a long period of time. Yes, I have always known a hurricane is a possibility living on an island, but you never really think "it will happen," & unfortunately I'm not here to sugar coat it, its devastating. At the time, I felt that I was not as strong as my friends that grew up in the Keys. Growing up & living majority of my life in Arizona, I had never dealt with a natural disaster. The news covers the storm, but I had never seen the aftermath. And that was a lot to cope with. But, what did help me was to see a community come together to aid each other & having so many friends reach out. It was uplifting. That feeling is something I will never forget. I do not tell this story for sympathy. I tell this story because going through that made me so much stronger. I had to learn to see the sunshine in a gloomy situation.
Last summer, I started creating again, writing again, but never posted anything because I almost felt like "eh, too far gone, who cares about my blog at this point?" This past May, when our 3rd wedding anniversary passed & we were all still in quarantine, I told myself to pull it together & go back to a hobby I really loved. This blog was always a creative release for me, a break from the real world. And, if I've realized anything through this year, its that having this outlet has always helped me to be myself. I may not have blogger as my job title, however it has always made me so happy to share my stories on here! I am truly content if ONE friend reads this. In my book, its a success! I have come to understand through the last three years of not having this blog that I very much need this in my life for my own sanity. Let the truth be told. lol.
When quarantine was about a month in & I felt like I was about to lose my marbles (yes, Smee I'm understanding how you felt lol)....I started journaling again & that helped me to get through the days that were "unsuccessful" or in my opinion, plain boring. Keep in mind, I was at home, no job, while the Polish man worked all day. And, while the idea of having ample time on my hands sounds fantastic, this had never been a norm in our household. Similar to Irma, I had to learn again to find the bright side. At the end of the day, when I had journaled even the smallest accomplishments, (I'm talking organizing my pantry or selling one item on Poshmark lol) I realized that every day was victorious! There were so many small accomplishments that made the day go by with ease, so many small moments I cherished like sitting down with the Polish man for lunch AND dinner. All of these split seconds in life became so meaningful. Learning how to cook my own seasoned chicken dish was something I never cared to learn how to do, or felt I "never had the time," when in reality I did. And, I enjoyed it. Keeping two plants alive was a new success for me! Haha. And, these little things that I overlooked for so long became so important to my daily routine. Don't get me wrong, spending time with my husband has always been at the top of my list of importance. But, the thought of sitting down for two meals together daily never crossed my mind, because, well, it just wasn't in our cards. However, now, I saw why my grandma made a point to be home for lunch with my grandpa on his breaks. I understood why as a child sitting down to dinner with my family to talk about our day, what we learned in school, etc was so important. I had come to the realization that life is really about the "small things" as older people had always told me.
I guess that long story is my introduction to being back from my hiatus. It took a lot of self-reflecting & time to myself (hello, quarantine) to realize that I love this blog. I love creating & sharing the beauty in the world. To those reading this, I'm happy you are here with me on this journey. Life can be difficult at times, but keeping up daily with what we love is what gets us through. So, tune in my friends, I'll be around for the long haul.
XOXO,
Ju
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