I don't know about any of you that may be reading this, but I've just been feeling stressed out lately.  2018 has been a long year already and it's only February. So when you get a short moment of relaxation, it can feel like total tranquility. That was how I felt today when I was filming at a park in Monroe.

When you just hear just the sounds of nature (albeit, with some cars in the far background), it can put your mind at ease. Just walking on the land without a paved path, surrounded by water, grass, and the sounds of animals passing by, it just hit the "reset" button for me. 

My job can definitely be difficult-everyone has hard parts of their job. But I get to do things and go places not everybody gets to during their work day. Today it took me here to this beautiful place.

This is a short & sweet blog post. I just thought I'd share what I had the chance to experience today. I hope everyone has the opportunity to take a step back and relax, and hit the "reset" button this week. I think getting away from it all and just being alone in an outdoor setting does a lot.

Adventure is calling me. 

As I've said before, I haven't been out of the country since 2012. SIX YEARS. That is a long time for me...it feels like an eternity.  I've been on family trips, like a cruise to the Caribbean when I was a teenager. But in college, I spent a month and a half in Madrid, Spain. I took a biology class and a travel writing class. I learned a lot and had a wonderful experience both in and out of the classroom. I got to see some of the major tourist sites in Madrid. I also took a trip to Barcelona, which was absolutely beautiful. I visited Asturias, a mountainous area, where I did horseback riding and ate fresh wild boar (which was delicious, by the way). I went to the Canary Islands for scuba diving and I got certified there. And I was able to practice my Spanish. 

My other trip was only two weeks long, but we sure packed in a lot of sites. I had the opportunity to visit Israel as part of a Middle East Policy and Security Studies program through my school. And I figured, why not? It could be really interesting. It was an insightful trip. I recommend people visit at least one place that's not on their bucket list. I stayed in Herzilya, which is right on the Israeli coast. Waking up to the view of the Mediterranean Sea was amazing. I was able to visit Tel Aviv, the Dead Sea, Masada, Jerusalem...plenty of other great places. I was raised Christian and being able to see some of the sites that you hear about in bible stories from thousands of years ago is so cool. 

I'm sure many people have said this before, but travel is such an important experience. It gets you out of your comfort zone, it opens your eyes to new cultures and ways of thinking, different opinions. I would rather have experiences than "stuff." A trip to another place on my bucket list like Slovenia, or buying a new laptop? I'll take the trip to Slovenia-see the sites, eat the food, learn some more of the language, and maybe visit some family we still have there. I'll take that in a heartbeat. Even if it's not out of the U.S. Take that trip to New Orleans or Chicago or Austin or Seattle or whatever places you'd been thinking about. At least see some of the awe-inspiring sites that our country has to offer. There are so many to choose from. Those cities are some I've had my eye on for a while as well. Sure it will take some time to save up the money to enjoy all of those experience awaiting.  But I can say with certainty that I'm at my happiest, my most carefree, relaxed, and content when I am traveling. 

It's amazing how you can make New Year's Resolutions, and the next day you can already fall through on them. I told myself "I'll write a blog post weekly, preferably every Tuesday."  January 1st was a Monday, and January 2nd was a Tuesday.  I think that was the FASTEST fail for a resolution I've ever had. But I'll try to pick up the pieces again this week and keep it consistent.  

There are the typical: 

• I'll work out
• I'll eat healthy
• I'll work harder at my job
• I'll be a better friend, sibling, relative, partner, etc. 

But I tell myself I'll eat healthy. Then Nutella comes along and that's done. I have those workout resolutions, but I work so hard then burnout. I'm over those kinds of resolutions. I have a very different set of goals this year. 

• Live every day like it's your last
• Travel more

That's just two goals, but they are all-encompassing for me. Because like so many others, I get caught up in the small everyday things that really shouldn't bother me. I worry about hypothetical situations and get all worked up. I have my sights on long-term goals but I overlook the wonderful things that happen in a single day. I get to drink wonderful coffee, I get to go to a job in my dream industry that I've worked hard to get into.  I get to watch the sun rise and set nearly every day. And all the colors of the sun setting is one of the most magical things I have ever seen in my life. I've gotten much better at dropping what I'm doing to admire and relax. I don't look at my phone, or think about what I'm going to have for dinner or what I need to do when I get home. I just stare at that beautiful painting in the sky. I forget when people compliment me on my work once I have a hard time with something, or someone is rude to me. I let the negative reactions get to me. Why? It's something many of us do. The little things add up, that's for sure. But it's the little good things that we should let add up. 


I've started to keep a journal. This isn't something I've ever done, but hey, when happiness is on the line, it's worth a shot, right? It's called 52 Lists For Happiness, meant to bring balance and joy to your life. Once a week, it gives you a prompt of a list to make, and then it shares how you use that list and reflect on it for the week, trying to act out the instructions. I'll be honest, so far I'm not feeling the balance or joy from using this book. But I love making lists, and I'm giving this a shot. We'll see how it goes. It may help me try to really live in the moment. 

I haven't traveled out of the US since 2012. That kills me inside. I am a traveler, it gives me a joy that nothing else ever could. But it's time to plan a trip. I want to go somewhere for about a week. I have an idea of where I want to go, but it's not fully figured out yet.  I'm thinking somewhere in South America, maybe Machu Picchu in Peru, Iguazu Falls from either Brazil or Argentina , or Sarlar de Uyuni in Bolivia. It's a huge salt flat, but the water looks almost like a mirror. The videos are breathtaking. And I really want to take some time to go on smaller weekend trips. I really miss Lake Placid and Saranac Lake. But there's still so much of the U.S. I haven't seen. I'd like to check out New Jersey and Pennsylvania for the history. I'd have a long weekend getaway to Nashville, New Orleans, Portland, San Francisco, Austin, Atlanta, Chicago....there's really too many cities to list (but I'm also happy to take some recommendations-hint, hint). 


What are some of your New Year's Resolutions? Are you keeping up with them? Please let me know, I'd like to see what other people are doing. Maybe we can swap some ideas! It could be a good motivation.