The first time I left home I was 21, the second 23, the third 26, and this last time 28. This last time was the hardest. Home keeps drawing me back, and I am so lucky that it does. Part of me wants to say that the next time I come home, I'll be back to stay, but what I've learned in this life is that "the only certainty is uncertainty."
So the best I can do in this uncertain life is to make sure I'm healthy and fit to live it - in my heart, body, mind, and spirit. Perhaps you'll find my checklist helpful -- it's quite simple but often that's all we need:
1. I love generously -- without my friends and family I would be miserable. I try to make sure they know how much I care.
2. I exercise regularly -- my immune system is stronger for it.
3. I eat well -- that mostly means less sugar. I enjoy my food. Tangent -- check out a dear friend's new blog about food and home by visiting sweetpotatoandbacon *dot* com.
4. I sleep, and I savor it -- in bed by 11p most nights.
5. I ask questions -- of others to get closer to satisfying my curiosity about the world, and of myself to regularly check in with my values and assumptions.
6. I meditate -- to remind myself "don't sweat petty things, and don't pet sweaty things." All the emotions I feel, good and bad, boil down to little tiny chemicals in my brain. To me, this was a powerful realization.
And I'm planning to go scuba diving in the Philippines in April for a week. If anyone here has tips or itineraries (where to dive and stay, dive guides, etc.) to recommend, I'd love it. Thanks!
Be well,
Nicole
[email protected]
Siem Reap, Cambodia