Desire for Direction

I write this post from one of my favorite Fort Worth spots, Avoca. In a city full of Starbucks stores, it is our one and only locally owned coffee shop. My favorite season, fall, is nearly upon us and I have become a very intermittent (read: lazy, preoccupied, and restless) blogger lately.

 

mmm...local caffeine fix

The past few months have been a struggle for me. Without getting into the nitty- gritty of balancing love, career, finances, and all the crap that life throws at you in the meantime, let me just say that lots of things have been weighing on both my heart and checkbook.  For the first time in my life, I decided to finally try to find a full-time job to earn some decent money and have discovered that such a task is quite a tall order in this down-turned economy.  We are indeed in a recession, the competition for entry level jobs is frighteningly fierce, and it turns out that a college degree is very little help unless it happens to be in computer science or engineering. I suppose I knew all these things when I graduated a year ago, but there is nothing like job hunting and fruitless interviewing, to serve as a helpful reminder.

My process seems to goes a little like this: I apply for very modest paying entry level job I feel relatively qualified for. I am given an interview which I feel goes very well. I am then told that 147 other people also applied for the same job and that while I made it into the top 4 applicants, there was someone with ten years of previous experience who they offered the job to instead. Combined with the oppressive Texas heat and the Careerbuilder recruiters that enthusiastically inform me regularly by email that my resume would qualify me to become a life insurance salesman, I'm left with the strong desire to drink copious amounts of whiskey and jump on the next plane back to Europe.

So in short, I haven't blogged lately because things feel bleak and discouraging. I'm brainstorming ideas for my immediate future and mostly just feeling terrified about overwhelmed at everything I come up with. The pressure of learning a foreign language for graduate school, the fear of not getting accepted into a graduate program, and the economic burden of that graduate school are concerns that loom in the distance.

For now, I am keeping myself busy working at the wine bar, making frequent trips to Austin to visit a special person in my life, and attending the Tuesday night lectures series put on by The Fort Worth Modern Art Museum.  The lectures are an encouraging reminder that there are other people who are interested in the same things I am interested in and that, while it may be small, there is an audience for such endeavors.

The recent loss of entrepreneur and innovator, Steve Jobs, has provoked many people to post quotes from the 2005 commencement speech he gave at Stanford University. Given the economic woes our country, and myself, currently face, his wisdom is appreciated. Jobs advises that you can't connect the dots looking forward, only looking back. He reminds us to follow our intuition and our heart.

“Almost everything–all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure–these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”

That is all for now. I just wanted to tell my readers, all six of them, that I haven't fallen off the face of the earth.

Summer of Wine

I'm quickly becoming a wine-snob. I blame my job, my house-mate, and my natural predilection towards the "good stuff" when it comes to food, alcohol, and the arts. 

In fact, as the seasons of my life inevitably end up marked by my education and experiences, this summer will be remembered for all of the wine knowledge that I've absorbed from the wine bar where I work. Once a $10 Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon only kinda girl, I've found a new appreciation for whites (shock) and many red and white varietals I'd never before heard of before this summer.  I've also discovered that spending $15-20 on a bottle of wine instead of $8-11 can make a huge difference in quality. The Texas summer heat has given me a new appreciation for crisp white wines as I've been introduced to delicious un-oaked Chardonnay's from Chablis, aromatic Pinot Gris from New Zealand and Arneis from Italy. My palate has expanded but my ability to put up with cheap, flavorless wines has diminished.

My real initiation into the wine world probably began last summer, when I moved in with a my current roommate, Guynell. She is a wine distributor and foodie, who hosts extraordinary weekly dinner parties with her best friends and kindly invites me to attend when I'm around. As we would put down bottle after bottle of delicious wine paired with each course of fabulous food, I felt like I had snuck into one of the well-to-do parties out of The Great Gatsby rather than a dinner in my own home. While I have very fond memories of my years of "family" dinners in college with my close friends, they usually involved potluck food of sometimes questionable content and variety, a few cases of inexpensive beer and a bottle of tequila. The dinner parties at my new place are something else entirely.

Another perk of my wine bar job is that I'm now included in the monthly blind tasting gatherings of the Fort Worth Wine Industry Women that are referred to as "book club." No real books are involved, just a varietal or particular region picked and everyone must bring a bottle to blind taste. The favorite of the night receives a cash or wine prize. My first tasting was a rose competition and the $11 bottle of Charles & Charles from Washington State that I picked up at Central Market won!!

Charles & Charles 100% Syrah Rose,  retails for $10.90

 
So in honor of yummy wine I've decided to share with you, in no particular order, four of my newly discovered summer favorites. There are so many more wonderful wines to mention, but I decided to keep the list small tonight. All of these bottles retail for between $16-18. I should also note that the credit should be rewarded to my beautiful and talented boss, Karen Chu:

1. 2008 Paraiso, Chardonnay from the Santa Lucia Highlands Winery in Monterey County, California. 
 This is a fruit-forward, moderately oaked Chardonnay, highlighting apple, pear, citrus, orange blossom and jasmine on the palate. It pairs really well with white meat or any food that has a heavy cream or butter base.

2. 2009 Quivira, Sauvignon Blanc, from the Fig Tree Vineyard in Dry Creek Valley, California.
Fermented in Stainless steel, this is not your typical Sauvignon Blanc, this wine leans to melon and fig flavors rather then your typical lemon and grass flavors with a really light mineral finish. It has a bold acidity and will pair well with any rich seafood dish, herbed chicken, or goat cheese entree.

3. 2009 Jules Taylor, Pinot Gris from the Marlborough region of New Zealand.
It has a hint of light lime green colour and has aromas of pears and toffee and hints of spice on the palate. It is complex and of good weight. It is yummy all by itself or with seafood dishes, salads, or a white sauce based pizza.

4. 2008 M. Cosentino, Cabernet Franc grown in California.
This wine is Jammy, smooth, and silky. This medium to fully-bodied red wine would pair magnificently with a nice red-sauced pasta, steak, or hamburger.

 
So there are a few of my summer recommendations, but more than trying these specific wines I challenge you to branch out from what you are currently comfortable with drinking. Find a wine bar or wine shop in your area that offers complimentary tastings and go check out what they have to offer. You might surprise yourself and find some delicious wines in the process.

...or come visit me a work at Grand Cru Wines and Gifts in Fort Worth and let me pour you a glass! 

Creativity, Writer's Block, and a Theory on Happiness

I have a new theory that I can only funnel my creative energy into one venture at a time. I’ve been working on a new body of artwork lately and it seems that as a consequence my writing is suffering. I’ve been thinking about several rough ideas for blog entries for weeks now but they just aren’t coming together. I seem to have writer’s block. My second theory is that my first theory is totally bogus and that my creative voice is only being stifled due to the fact that my brain is maxed out between the three different jobs I’m currently juggling.

I have heard that one of the cures for writers block is to just push through it, so tonight that is what I am determined to do. Several weeks ago I met a friendly stranger in my favorite bar in Fort Worth, The Usual (picture below). We had a lively discussion about the secrets to happiness in life. This statement should not surprise those of you who know me and are familiar with the fact that I abhor small-talk and often spark up deep conversation with total strangers. My motto is, talk about something important, or don't waste your time. 

The Usual in Fort Worth, just looking at this picture makes me want a classy cocktail

.

These are the three important keys to happiness that we came up with: 

Having a purpose: Something meaningful. Most often a job, but can also be substituted for school or raising a family. Having something to do and feeling like you are working towards something for your future matters. Having a job you don’t hate, being able to adequately provide for yourself, and feeling like you are needed in the world is very important.

Having people to love: This doesn’t have to mean romantically, although having a significant other can make you very happy. Just having a community of friends, family, and people you can count on and get support from can be a huge influence to overall happiness. If you can score both a significant other and an awesome community you get bonus points.

Your Location: I have a feeling some will disagree with me on this one, but I think that where you live and what there is to do near where you live is a key component to a happy life. You need to be near to things that you enjoy. For example if you love the outdoors, the mountains, and cool weather and you live somewhere flat, hot, and covered in cement it can be very tough on your spirit. If you are  someone who thrives off of city life and going out, living in the country would probably not suit you. A lot of people say a place is what you make of it, which I do believe is true, but I also think that certain places will never be able to satisfy certain people.

So those are the three keys. Having all three at the same time would be in an ideal world. The friendly stranger and I decided that while you don’t need all three things at the same time to be happy with your life, you do need at least two out of the three working in your favor or you probably will feel like you are missing something.

Do you agree? Do you think we left any key components to true contentment out of the equation?  

Take-offs and Landings

It's a quarter past three as our car heads towards Denver. In the rear-view mirror I watch the Flatiron mountains fade away into the afternoon. My travel companions are two charming young men and an eager, but well behaved, Portuguese water dog. A quirky song about love and hardship plays quietly on the radio. On the drive to the airport the windows are down and the wind blows that cool Colorado air into my face. I feel brand new again. The horizon in the distance is painted a brilliant blue.

I always feel like this state is more of a watercolor painting than a reality. Like it might disappear if I close my eyes for too long. I feel on the cusp of something in this place. My mind feels lighter, my spirit feels brighter, my heart feels mended. There is no humidity to weigh down my world, no unending urban sprawl to stifle my swagger. The mountains harbor potential energy. They whisper wild stories of adventure and conquest. The wind blowing over the foothills smells distinctly like happiness and freedom.

At the airport, I walk past gates A37-A35. Destinations: Fairbanks, Boston, San Francisco. I wonder what sort of person I would be if I lived in those places. I wonder if I'd fit. I wonder what shape my life would take in those cities. Airports ignite my inclination to roam.

As the plane taxis down the runway for take-off and the pilot announces on the intercom our estimated arrival time and the weather conditions, I say my goodbyes to Colorado. I know when I land in Dallas I'll immediately desire more air, more land, more room to wonder and wander. I'll immediately wonder why I returned, once again.

Art, Business, and "Selling Out"

My depressing realization that what most people want is knock off Van Gogh paintings that match their sofas

Two years ago I worked as an intern for a vibrant and smart contemporary art gallery in the heart of downtown Dallas. It was a joint gallery and event venue that was financed by two savvy Dallas businessmen who wanted to see something culturally substantial go in downtown. Our location next to Neiman Marcus and the Joule hotel was strategically planned. The developers didn’t want another diamond dealer or another luxury retailer, but something with substance. Their business plan was to put up enough money to get the project off the ground and then slowly cut the funding as the presumed profits started rolling in.

Opening Exhibition @ Art Lab Gallery: "Indexing the Moment"

The building was a grand, renovated space with an open upstairs loft. It was impressive and modern and serious art was on display. Our gallery director had a master's in art history and had previous experience curating for The Dallas Museum of Art. She teamed up with the other local contemporary art galleries to curate the best possible shows. It was the type of place that true artists, professors, and art professionals were impressed with, not one of those kitschy, Thomas Kinkade knock off galleries that you often see in tourist towns. We had articles raving about us written in D-Magazine and people were happy to come check out the work up on display, especially at exhibition openings when we served free wine. 

View of Art Lab Gallery from the street @ night

The year following our opening however, I watched my incredibly educated and talented boss work diligently to curate a series of phenomenal and artistically informed shows and orchestrate corresponding discussions with local artists about the work in the shows-- all only making a handful of sales. The simple fact of the matter was that between the economic recession and the inaccessibility surrounding contemporary art, very few people cared and the ones who did care weren’t buying or supporting financially in anyway. It isn’t that some of these people didn’t have money to spend; They just didn’t see the value in spending their money on art. They’d walk around clutching their $2,000 Louis Vuitton purses, in their $900 Manolo Blahnik pumps, with Neimen Marcus shopping bags from next door draped over their shoulders. They came in to schmooze with their other wealthy, culturally inclined friends at openings over our complimentary glasses of wine but they always-left empty handed. Almost exactly a year to the day after our opening, the Dallas businessmen decided to cut their losses on the art part of the operation and have the space function solely as an event venue. It was easier, after all, to book events and arrange lighting and furniture for those events without all that cumbersome and liability-ridden artwork around. My boss was out of a job, I was out of an internship, and I bore witness to some harsh realities about the way art functions in the business world.

It was shortly thereafter that I decided I’d focus my energy on art museum jobs and internships in the future and stay away from the precarious gallery side of the arts. While funding for the arts is always pretty sparse, especially in economically poor times, museums usually have more stable base of money, more private and public grants, and a large handful of fabulously wealthy patrons who are proud to have the honor of keeping the museums running.

So if you read my blog, you know that I'm working for the education department of The Modern this summer. In addition to the museum stuff, I decided to take a few other part-time jobs this summer to make some extra money. Instead of slaving away for pennies at a restaurant like I’ve done in the past, I ended up taking a part-time job that is relevant to my skills and my BFA degree but I’m not sure I’ll EVER be brave enough to put it on a resume if I want to be taken seriously in the academic art community.

My part-time gig is a self-proclaimed, “new night out, BYOB painting party experience,” These art party concept stores are the latest trend in entertainment; We have three in Fort Worth alone! If you haven’t heard of these places, just do a little google searching-- art entertainment stores are popping up all over the country right now with clever names like “Corks n’ Canvas,” “A Piece of Work”, “Canvas and Cocktails,” or my personal favorite “Paint Like Picasso." As advertised, they are the prefect solution to a date night, girls night out, or birthday party.  I wrestled back and forth with my conscience about this job, as this paint-by-number concept kind of kills everything I adore about the creative process and the freedom of making art. But at the end of the day, the vision of dollar signs on my future pay checks won out.

example of the finished product that you end up with after a party

Any artist who has ever tried to make money with their creative talent understands how it feels to wade into that morally gray area that divides your feelings about art and creativity from what makes money and is a successful business strategy. In the arts, this is often referred to as "selling out."  But unless you are one of the lucky few, most artists, if they want to make a living at it, end up compromising in places in an effort to pay the bills (Or maybe I’m just telling myself this, so I feel better). My superiors at my painting party job reiterate constantly that these are not art classes that we are teaching. They explain that we are in the business of entertainment and not in the business of real art making. We are not, in fact, teaching people how to paint, but rather how to easily, and in the simplest fashion, replicate a painting in a few hours while they drink wine and laugh with their friends. Our main goal is for our customers to have a good time, tell all of their friends about it, and come back again in the future!

painting a version of Van Gogh's Starry Night

So while quality galleries are closing left and right and museums are sometimes struggling to bring in the funds necessary to keep them going in this economy, our "painting" classes are filling up to maximum capacity at $45 a person. While I'm happy that people are enjoying themselves and hopeful that it might help folks who have never thought twice about how to make a painting more likely to visit an art museum in the future, I'm also a little disappointed that THIS is what mainstream society wants. It turns out what the people really want is two hours to paint their own 11X14 Van Gogh knock off that matches their sofa or a decorative black and red paintings of a stiletto heel that they can hang in their bathroom above their toilet.

It's the same with every art form lately--literature, music, film, television; Surface-level and stupid win every time. Need examples? Does the fact that A Shore Thing, a book by reality show star Snooki made the NYT bestsellers list not frighten anyone else?  Reality shows like The Real Housewives of (pick a city)  and The Bachelor are some of the most popular shows on television.

I'm not sure where this leaves me, other than discouraged and confused. I am glad people can find enjoyment in these art parties, I just hope that they eventually can find enjoyment in more intellectually engaging artistic forms too. I don't mind giving people what they want, I just wish they wanted something with more substance.

Southern Hospitality

The sun is out over the flat, open plains of Oklahoma. It's a lovely day but there are threats of thunderstorms on the horizon and the radio stations are warning of tornadoes. Nothing to be too worried about, this sort of weather is typical for this time of year in this area of the country. The air is thick with humidity and southern accents. I’m back in the land of country music, chivalrous cowboys, and billboards promoting the saving graces of Jesus Christ--back where southern hospitality runs deep and sometimes oppressively sticky.  I usually choose to conveniently forget that I was born in this place and am theoretically supposed to be a sweet, southern belle at heart.

Meredith and Colby's backyard!

I’ve landed in Tulsa for a few days, right into the kind and loving arms of two of the greatest people I know. My dear friend, Meredith and her boyfriend, who just so happen to live in a little farmhouse just outside of the city limits. This morning I scrambled up some freshly laid eggs for breakfast and wandered around their lusciously green backyard garden with a cup of coffee in hand and four eager laying hens underfoot, pecking for bugs and hoping for me to drop corn. Fi is the friendliest of the bunch and if you leave the back door open she just comes right in and will drink out of the dog bowl. 

I had the oil changed in my car this afternoon by a middle-aged southern man who was kind and helpful with just a hint of that patronizing, male chauvinism that I've learned to to anticipate from the South. This time, I had forgotten. As a young female, I’m often looked at as helpless and naive and old men assume I'll need my hand held. He kept asking if I needed to call my dad to make sure everything sounded okay before I paid. I wanted to tell him that I was paying my own bill, thank you very much, and that I had just managed a four month long visit to Europe all by myself, and that I was perfectly capable of getting my oil changed without my dad, but I just smiled and laughed it off. I know he was just trying to be helpful and polite. It wasn't worth a fight.

I’m hoping to spend the evening drinking beer and listening to music somewhere.  Mostly I’m just glad to be in the company of one of my best friends, or as Meredith says, a of a member of my clan. 

Coming Home

 

THE DRIVE: Boulder, CO to Fort Worth, TX with a connecting layover in Tulsa, Oklahoma and a vehicle change in Oklahoma City

ESTIMATED TIME AND DATE OF DEPARTURE: Thursday, April 21, 8am

It is finally time for me to download some podcasts, load up my car, and say my goodbyes to Colorado for the time being. I’ve been telling everyone I’m leaving for weeks now and then revoking and delaying my departure date.  I know my Texas pals won’t believe that I’m actually coming back to town until my Honda pulls into the driveway and I step out into that bright Texas sunshine again.

As much as I’m sad to leave the beautiful mountains, hiking trails, Settlers of Catan games, and warm embraces of the friends I’ve made in Boulder, part of me will feel relief to be back “home” again for a little while. While I’ve had plenty of places to lay my head and throw down my backpack over the past seven months, I haven’t had an actual place to really nest and take refuge in a long time. I really want a full-time place of residence again, a place where I can unpack all my boxes from storage and feel like I belong. 

I’ve found myself drawings house after house in my sketchbook lately and noticing bird nests more often. I’m jealous of my friend’s permanent addresses, their dishes, their sheets, and their closets. As much as I hate having too much stuff, I really miss having a place for it. 

Webster’s dictionary defines home in a variety of ways--these were some of my favorites:

HOME:

a. one’s place of residence

b. the social unit formed by a family living together

c. a familiar or usual setting causing one to feel comfortable and at ease

d. a valued place regarded as a refuge or place of origin

e. a place where something is discovered, founded, developed, or promoted

f. to the center or heart of something

I used to think traveling was great and I’m still a huge advocate for getting outside of your comfort zone and exploring the world. The only problem I’ve found with moving around all the time, aside from obvious things like holding down a job and figuring out what to do with all of your junk, is that you don’t get to deeply connect with a place or the people who live there on a long-term level. I’ve met friends, found accepting communities, and had a great time everywhere I’ve been, but there are things like deeply rooted friendships and long-term relationships that can only develop over a longer period of time. 

I’ve been looking for the quick fix to some of these things lately and it really has not been working out. I used to think that words like stability, committed, long-term, and constant equated to boring and monotonous routine but I’m finding that maybe there are some pros to having a fixed routine and a stable foundation. I’m pretty sure that true happiness, like most of the more intangible aspects of life, is balanced on a fine wire between the comfort of stability and the excitement of the new and unknown. Now I just have to find it.

Two Cities: Two Loves

"Our greatest battles are that with our own minds."-Jameson Frank

Thursday Happy Hours with Matt and Zack!

I've had plans to write about some of the breathtaking hikes I've taken here in Colorado with my family, the memorable times I've had drinking margaritas and playing Settlers of Catan with the great friends I've made here, the brewery tours I've taken up in Fort Colins, the weekend trip I made up to Montana and Yellow Stone National Park to visit one of my favorite girls in the whole wide world. Unfortunately, it seems that those blogs only got written in my head. I'll try to do better in the future and it looks like that future is going to be in Texas...at least for the summer. 

I made the decision to go back to Texas a few months back. This was back when I hadn't fallen in love with Boulder yet, back when I hadn't made great friends, and back before I had really thought everything through with all the facts. I turned down a job offer at a restaurant here in town because I decided my life was calling me to go back to Fort Worth for a little while. Since then I've been beating myself up over whether or not I've made the right choice. It's not that I hate Fort Worth, there are great people who love and care about me back in that place. It's just that I really like Colorado too! Only now it is too late to change my mind. The trouble with fighting with yourself over something like this is that you can never really win because part of yourself always loses. (This is kind of sick and twisted if you ask me!) 

my swing dancing buddies here in Boulder!

At this point you are probably asking yourself two things. 
1. Why is it too late to change your mind? 
2. Why on earth would anyone in their right mind choose to go back to humid, hot, and traffic laden Dallas/Fort Worth when they could stay in beautiful, mountainous, outdoorsy Boulder, Colorado? 
I promise I do have a pretty good reason...

two of the cutest of the 5-7 year olds at camp

SUMMER ART CAMP AT THE FORT WORTH MODERN ART MUSEUM!! Working with the education department and art camp last summer was the best job I've ever had in my life! It's actually  my plan (dream) to work full time as a curator of education someday for an art museum, hence grad school plans, so when my old boss, and dear friend, offered me the position of working as her assistant to art camp again for the summer I just couldn't turn it down. It is worth putting up with one more crappy summer in Texas for my art museum community and all the wonderfully bright children who come to art camp! 

In front of the Modern with our newly made capes, learning about art with Margaret Meehan and Micah Yarborough!

So for better or worse it seems I'm committed to returning to Texas for the summer. I'll hopefully be returning to Colorado as early as August but if I know anything about the way my life goes, it is that my plans are never concrete.

I do know I would LOVE to go to graduate school here and so the sooner I can move here more permanently and start working on gaining Colorado residency,  the better! I'm tired of traveling and leaving for the summer makes me feel like I'm just wasting time in a lot of ways, but I'm trying to remind myself that I'm still young and I'm allowed to waste time. Plus, this summer camp thing is going to be great. I just hate that I have to leave Colorado for a little while. My mind, body, and spirit are ready to settle and call someplace home and I'd really like that place to be here. I never thought I'd say this but my wandering ways are tired for the time being....

Back in the United States!!

I'm back.  I'm going to try to continue my blog for my post-Europe life.  I've been home for a full month now and I realize I just kind of left everyone hanging after Christmas...

Can I use the excuse that I was caught up in the company of a fine Englishman, trying to enjoy the rest of my time in the old country? I rang in the New Year of 2011 international style in Belgium with two natives, two Austrians, and a Brit. Here is a beautiful picture from our day trip to Brugge.

Brugge at dusk- like something out of a fairytale.

From there it was a flurry of traveling via trains, tubes, planes, and automobiles, followed by a classy going away party with the four most delightful people in London! I left for the Heathrow airport still a bit tipsy and 22+ hours and few planes later I was a walking zombie at the arrivals gate of DFW.

Traditional English Roast on my last night in London!

After managing to suppress the urge to burn the five outfits I had been wearing for the previous three months, I settled with reloading my car full of clothes from my storage unit and the sales racks of Banana Republic and I hit the road. I have spent the past month re-learning how to drive and catching up with all my wonderful friends and family across the southern United States. I had my fill of Tex-Mex with my Fort Worth loves, made my rounds to art venues I'd been missing in Dallas, rekindled my spirit bicycling through Denton, reminded myself of some of the "finer" things in America while passing through OKC, and played a rowdy game of cards with my family in Edmond. I even made time for some two-steppin' in Tulsa, a true CULTURAL experience, to say the least.

I've now reunited with my parents, who sold their house in Grapevine, Texas back in May and have since been hopping around month-to-month on their own quest to find a place in one of these 50 states that they would like to live. I'm really convinced we must have Gypsy somewhere in our bloodline! We spent two very active weeks in Santa Fe, New Mexico skiing, hiking, and playing scrabble and have now relocated to Boulder, Colorado where we will be house sitting in a co-housing community for the next few months.

My parents while skiing in Santa Fe

Things I learned in Europe

1. Never be numb to your life and never stop observing things with a sincere sense of wonder. If you feel yourself just going through the motions-make a change.
  
2. People are the same everywhere--some are good, some are bad, some are poor, some are rich-- but we're all made out of the same flesh and blood and when it comes down to it, we are all more alike then we are different. Love one another and try to see things from other perspectives. 


3. The secret to life is balance and simplicity. Keep things as uncluttered and as uncomplicated as possible. The secret to happiness is to be satisfied with nothing more and nothing less than exactly what you need to remain whole. 

4. Listen to your body and act on your intuition.


5. Sit alone in silence in beautiful places that make you feel alive. Isolation and solitude can be more of a comfort sometimes than company. 


6. Take things slow. The beauty is in the process and the endeavor, regardless of the outcome. 

Mountains in Taos, New Mexico