Nothing Important. Or Everything.

Blog hiatus! 
 I truly would enjoy blogging so often, I don't have to start off by commenting on how long it's been.  
The last time I published a post was shortly before our adventure to Europe in April. I know, I really should have blogged about that trip. I want you to know that I had every intention. I wrote notes down the entire time. Each day I spent a few minutes doing so, so it would be easier for me to write about it, remember all the good parts. Who am I kidding? The entire time was a good part. And in the end, what do you know, I never did. The pressure was too much. Like Oragami, I folded. I folded under pressure. 
Gosh, I love that one.

Hm, I suppose I still can. But will I? Probably not, I'll be honest. I should post about Europe, my Golden Birthday spent in Germany, our trip to Alaska. And you can bet I have a trillion pictures taken on all these occasions, that would be lovely to share as well. I need to get my shit together.

But right now, I'm going to live in the moment. Onward and upward! I'm not going to think about all the times I've neglected to blog.
  

Right now, I'm thinking, "Gosh, this feels so good." To currently feel like publishing a post. To want to connect, to voice my feelings, to talk with you again. I’m going to do it regularly. I’m going to become better about this, be consistent, make it a point. I always laugh at how similar blogging is to my work out regimen or lack of. I get into it for like a month or two and then I eat cookies or something or I get a cold and “see you again in two months, work out life, it's been real!”

  
I don’t always stay in blog mode even though I know it makes me feel like a hundred bucks. Gosh, working out does too, why is it so hard for me to commit? I commit to all other things in life, my cats, cleaning all the time, I'm a nut, I know kissing Joel on the regular, doing the dishes every day. But working out? Blogging? Pssh. Fat chance. Literally.
 

It comes down to neglecting to post my thoughts when they aren’t anything but positive. That's why you don't hear from me. Perhaps that's why I stay away for awhile, I go on vacation, to cleanse my thoughts. If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. What’s the point of venting, of complaining and being negative and focusing on anything but the good in life, when, my goodness, that’s all the world is up to lately!  Negative this, negative that! Hillary Clinton this, Donald Trump that! Lets go fishing for the good, shall we? I just think that if words shall be said to one another, or published on the internet, they shall be delightful, uplifting, or funny. Whose with me? Can I be your refuge? Can my blog be the place you come when you need to feel inspired, uplifted and happy? When you need a laugh? 

I do have to say, I may not make you laugh though. I used to be a lot funnier. I used to make you laugh, I know I did. I look back on posts from the olden days and literally laugh out loud. My thoughts were so funny back then. I was funny! I won’t get into it. I won’t get into how old my soul truly is now it gets worse as the years go on, imagine that or how I go to bed at 9pm on week nights. And it even used to be earlier! Like, I'm talking 8pm, people! I'm kind of a bad ass lately. I have the time change in Europe to thank for that one. Or maybe that's just in my head? This is me high fiving myself, either way.

Anyways, I just want to be here, be present, put my phone down, focus more. Focus more on the good. I want to give my negative thoughts the bird, and tell them that they have no reason to be here. We can always be better about that. Changing our thoughts and making room only for the good, the positive, leaving no room for the negative to enter.

I commit to feeling good about here. Where ever here may be, in any given day. Here, there, everywhere.

Here is a feeling, a place, a state of mind. And I know that through all the negative, unfortunate things that are going on in the world, or that happen even on a daily basis with anyone, everyone or perhaps no one, that we can get through it. It's in our mindset. I know that there are people, who do the best that they can to constantly remind themselves to be better, kinder, more accepting, more loving and just be a solid human, all around. I try and be that person. You be that person. Encourage yourself to be better. Encourage your tribe to be better. Remind your people to respond in a kind way, always, with a better tone, not so harshly. Understand that people don't always think the way you do, or do the way you do. I am constantly reminding myself of this in my relationship, especially, and it's something I can always improve on. We owe it to ourselves and the people in our lives to be a solid human, to be kind, to be accepting, to not let differences get in the way of friendships, or how we empathize. Lets all be solid humans for each other. Because that's what we all need. Always.   

Practice, practice

 

I only like being spontaneous if it's planned.

Good morning! It's still morning isn't it? 

Happy day, all! It's been awhile! 

The sun is shining, the wind is gusting hard and it looks a whole lot warmer than it actually is outside. I woke up to snow covered grass this morning and for some reason didn't feel annoyance with it, as I've done in years past. I feel thankful for our very mild first Winter back in the Midwest. I was a little leary of spending Winter here and not in sunny Colorado for the first time in almost three years but it's been incredibly enjoyable. Every snow fall, I feel myself being excited instead of glum. 

What comes hand in hand this Spring, along with more sunshine and longer days, is my trip to Ireland. 22 days and I'll be flying from Minneapolis to Chicago, another overnight flight and I'll be waking up in Dublin. My Fiance' and I hoped to adventure there at this time last year but then ended up just moving our life back home to the Midwest so we pushed the trip to the back burner, but only for a little while. What better place to spend my Golden Birthday, than Dublin, Ireland? Or perhaps a quaint town outside of Dublin to better fit my personality these days. I am morphing more and more into an introvert with every passing day. Perhaps the pubs of Dublin will nudge me right back into the social, out spoken being I was once. Not that I'm no longer outspoken. I latched onto the idea of spending my Golden Birthday in Europe and I refused to let go of it. It's only your Golden Birthday once! And I'm grabbing that shit by the horns. 

Joel, my Fiance' is in Ireland now, exploring venues, making contacts, scheduling shows and bettering his music business. He is having the best time meeting people and sending me pictures to make me even more excited to meet him there and spend the last week of his tour with him. He turned 29 two days ago and got to spend his Birthday there as well. Although, I wasn't with him on his day, he spent it doing something that he loves and that's what's most important. I always find myself feeling so grateful that we both think travel is something that's important in our lives. We've both been so fortunate to travel like we have and experience different places around the world together. We were in Spain, sitting in the hot tub at our resort when we first talked about moving in with each other. That year, we moved our lives to Colorado and lived together for the first time and it was everything I thought it would be, and more. More untidiness, more guitar, more dishes, but also more love and laughter. Colorado is where he started doing his music business full time and no longer balanced his music with his landscaping business. As we moved our lives back to the Midwest last June, he's started working more for a buddies business, and is having to balance both jobs again. Bettering himself as a musician and getting as many people to hear his music and connect with them, collaborating with other musicians, well, these are all things that are important to him. Traveling to other amazing places in the world is something that he wants to do as long as he can, as long as he's able and that is great for his music business too. Friends, everywhere! And fans of Joel Kachel and his music. I will always support him in that.

Galway, Ireland

Thoughtful Snaps.

Joel found my initials in Galway.

Our time in Ireland will be less music business and more adventure and hand holding. Also,  ridiculous amounts of pictures and snaps that will blow up all your feeds while I'm there. 

Perhaps, I'll feel extremely inspired to blog while I'm there. The sun did it to me this morning, so anticipating crazy amounts of rain during my time there, perhaps maybe not. You bet your booty that I immediately started googling and reading everything possible about Ireland once my ticket was bought. Give me all the facts, I must know the facts! I've accepted the fact that it will most likely rain the whole time, so that if there's a sunny day, I'll feel extremely happy. I've accepted that things may not always go according to plan and that I need to keep an open mind and be spontaneous. Joel is the most spontaneous, randomness-loving-person and I've always said, I only enjoy being spontaneous if it's planned. I have a hard time accepting unpleasant surprises and curve balls in my day or life. Good thing, my ever understanding Fiance' will be at my side to remind me that we don't always need to follow a schedule and to lighten the heck up a little bit. Maybe Ireland will give me cool things to write about other than just my current thoughts. What makes my thoughts cool enough to publish, anyways?