I spent the summer getting outside of my comfort zone and focused on creating connection and experiences with new and old friends. I put myself out there in a way that I really haven’t in the past. I said yes to almost every invitation I got for everything from dinner to beach trips to workouts to jobs and much, much more. I had social plans almost every day of the week and I was in an office setting for the first time in years. It was exactly what I needed and opened me up in a direction that I definitely needed to go.
But now I’m ready to bring it back in a little. This was the first weekend in months that I didn’t really have plans and I discovered that I was actually really excited about spending time alone and unplugging.
Sullie and I spent Friday and Saturday night in and as you can tell by the photo above, it was a wild and crazy time! 🙂
I watched movies, ate Thai takeout and leftovers, drank wine, baked cookies for my yoga students and slept…soundly. It was 100% perfect.
I did get out of the house during the day. It was an insanely beautiful weekend of sunshine and blue skies. On Saturday morning I got up at 6 a.m. to tackle my long run. More on that in my weekly workout recap but it was great.
After a smoothie and a shower, I headed to Om Yoga to teach my 9:30 a.m. hot vinyasa class. I love every class I teach but some are just really special. The message, the flow and the energy in the room come together to create something powerful. This was one of those classes. Everyone showed up ALL IN with open hearts and open minds. There was laughter, tears and a whole lot of vulnerability on everyone’s part. Look at my whole class trying bound revolved side plank. We checked ego and insecurity at the door and practiced loving both our strong insides and outsides.
Here’s an excerpt from the reading…
“The truth is that real love requires real inner work that most people just aren’t interested in. It requires that we first be happy in our solitude; that we come to know ourselves, accept ourselves and love ourselves. We have to find our peace of mind, find our purpose, our passion, our joie de vivre.
It requires that we lay down the ego’s defenses and be naked and vulnerable; that we give up our planning and fantasizing about the future and live in the Now. Only then are we really ready to love. When you fully grasp that tomorrow is not guaranteed—that this moment is truly all that we have—there is nothing to do but give everything you’ve got, expecting nothing in return.”
And here’s a link to the entire reading if you’re interested. It’s good.
I left the studio in a great mood and excited about the rest of my day…which started with a stop by Publix to take advantage of a BOGO deal on La Croix. I have officially crossed over into the phase of adulthood where I seek out such deals and make special trips for them. Times they are a changing! 🙂 While I was there I was reminded how pleasant it is to shop at Publix. The customer service was phenomenal. I had no less than five people greet me and ask how I was doing and if I needed help in my 20 minutes in the store.
I stopped by the farmers market after leaving Publix, ate lunch and then spent the rest of the day at Festival In The Park helping out with one of the vendor booths.
It was such a perfect day to spend outside but after a long run, teaching hot class and over 6 hours on my feet working at the festival, I was ready to call it a day.
I got takeout and ate it on the couch while watching The Spectacular Now. I really liked this movie a lot and it was also cool that it was filmed in Athens, Georgia (where I went to college). I followed this up with 8 solid hours of sleep.
I’m keeping Sunday low key as well…taught hot class, cleaning, cooking, practicing yoga, walking Sullie, catching up on work…
Are you a social butterfly, a home body or a hybrid of both?
I’m a total homebody and love solitude. So your weekend looks and sounds like perfection to me!
What a great wkend! I’m bad about not accepting invitations more often, but always love the outcome when I do so I’m learning to say yes more often too. Bogo’s are the best!
I at most often an extroverted person and LOVE being around people but I work as a nurse and sometimes after talking all day to patients I’m more then ready to stay in with a good movie, wine, take out and just chill! 🙂
Sounds like an amazing weekend!
I’m definitely a hybrid of both. I had a similar summer to you – plans almost every weekend! It was so fun but also emotionally exhausting. This September has slowed down a lot and has let me focus on wedding planning, spending time with my fiancé and my pup, and exploring blogging for the first time!
You’re weekend sounded great! Thank you for sharing!
I love to go out but absolutely love a quiet night of nothing at home. I never thought I could learn to enjoy the quiet so much after my divorce and my son started going to his dad’s every other weekend. I am totally at a point where I don’t even care what my plans are or if I have any and look forward to doing nothing! And I totally shop around for the best deal at the grocery stores. It gets annoying but so worth it sometimes!
I speny much of last year being a social butterfly. I made sure to have plans every Friday and Saturday night. Lately I’ve been in stay home in relax mode. I enjoy both aspects of life and think you need both for balance. The reading you did for your class looks amazing in going to check out the rest when I have time for self reflection later today. Thanks fo sharing!!
This was just what I needed! I typically am going 24/7, from 7 am to past 11pm every night as a student at the University of Pennsylvania with a job, clubs, working out and studying. I’m used to fitting in meet-ups with friends between meetings and falling asleep while watching a movie with my boyfriend just because I’m so exhausted. But I love to be busy and to do so many things that I love. This semester, however, I’m spending abroad in New Zealand. The classes are easier, I have no job or clubs and I had too much free time than I knew what to do with at first. I was feeling unproductive and guilty, and it’s taken me a while to get used to the slowed-down pace and to realize that it is necessary in some way. Taking five months to slow down has opened my eyes to so many new things– having time to cook real meals, sleeping in, working out more, reading books for enjoyment, and most of all, realizing the love from the people that I tend to take for granted. It’s strange just how busy we keep ourselves and that we DO enjoy it, but by slowing down, we can find even more joy and love. Indulging in oneself is difficult but so rewarding, as I have learned this semester. Thanks for your insightful post as always, Jen!
I am a homebody for sure, but after being home for so long, I do like to get out and socialize a bit. So maybe I’m really a combination of both? Your weekend sounds awesome! I hate when weekends get so crammed with things to do that you can’t stop and enjoy it!