Insert monkey-covering-eyes emoji because OMG – it’s going on a month since I’ve posted! While I had no plans to write while in Hawaii, I left with the best intentions to just work on the flight over…9.5 hours direct from ATL –> Honolulu seemed like the best possible way to work uninterrupted before letting things go for a couple of weeks. Well, the unreliable in-flight WiFi had other plans…After a solid 2 hours writing a new segment I’m rolling out, titled In Her Suitcase, somewhere between my iPad and Notes and WiFi and I guess some bad karma looming or something that day, I lost all of my work. I spent another good hour of the flight pouting & trying not to yell expletives to the full-flight and make them ground the plane, so I sulked into my in-flight cran-apple and He’s Just Not That Into You and tried to let it go. Once I landed and got that beautiful Hawaii sun on my shoulders, you can guarantee it was out of sight and out of mind…hence the unintentional almost 4 weeks of crickets over here on the site.
Hawaii was phenomenal. One of those trips that I know we’ll look back on, for life. For so many different reasons. It really is one of those magical places that gets deep into your soul and stays with you forever. It broke any kind of comfort zone I had, opened my eyes to how insanely beautiful the world is (and how amazing it is that it is part of the US!), strengthened our marriage and trust in each other (Road to Hana, ENOUGH SAID), not to mentioned spoiled us beyond belief with the best food, drinks, beaches, etc. We stayed in Oahu first and stayed at a few of my wish list hotels in Waikiki & North Shore. After 5 days in Oahu, we hopped the seemingly instant flight to Maui, and I AM SO GLAD WE DID. Our time in Maui made the trip, and when we go back (not if…when), we’ll go straight to Maui. Everyone says it, and everyone is right…it is heaven on earth and truly paradise.
Our time away was so special and coming back to reality, work, and our daily routine has been exhausting (#strugglebuspartyof2). It’s been super important to me to come back and try my best to get back into the really awesome routine I was in before we left. To be brutally honest, between jet lag, catching up, and now Daylight Savings, it’s taken every ounce of my energy and time just to get through the day and my to-do list. The past week has been so taxing and every morning has been a struggle to just feel awake enough to function, but after a week of being back I’m finally starting to feel a little more on track..even if that means just a few loads of laundry done and finally a trip to the grocery store. #smallwins
Our getaway was amazing and full of what felt like once-in-a-lifetime moments, but I’m trying to be mindful of the fact that I’m being really hard on myself with getting back into the momentum I had prior to leaving. Starting New Year’s Day up until when we left, I was really on top of my game with Keto, the blog, our place, jobs, working out, friends & fam, everything. I had gotten into a routine that was working for me and felt so much better mentally, physically, and emotionally because of it. I know things will be back to where I want them to be soon enough, but getting back into that frame of mind has been challenging and I’m trying to find that balance of working hard at it, without putting myself down or feeling guilty for taking time to just regroup and rest.
This trip was the first time in my life that I realized just how much I love and appreciate my day to day life and everything in it. I’ve always loved to travel and don’t think that will ever change, but I’m really getting to that point where I love being home and am so happy with the seemingly ordinary things and moments, too. It’s a good feeling that I’m fully embracing and running towards, instead of away from. I feel so thankful to have done all of the special things we did, but feel even more thankful to have a life that I’m genuinely just as excited to come back to after such a great trip.
With all that said, I have a TON of content from our Hawaii trip that I’ll be bringing your way this month. I used so many of my go-to travel tips in planning this trip, like my Travel Planning Guide: An Easy, Fun, and FREE Digital Download, but learned SO much more and can’t wait to share that with you all. Like I mentioned earlier, I’ve got new segments coming to you like In Her Suitcase, along with hotel and restaurant reviews, and a ton of recommendations for those of you planning your own Island escape! Aside from the trip, I’ve been working hard on our apartment to really use the most of the space for what we both need, so keep an eye out for a new segment called Rental Revival. Somewhere buried in completely-vague IKEA instructions, my pink craftsman toolbox, and Riverdale playing in the background, I’ll be updating you all on the projects I’ve taken on to transform our spaces into functional everyday-use areas.
I’m super happy to be back and finally somewhat rested enough to share with you..so thanks for being patient as I get things back together. If you have any questions about the trip or requests, as always send them my way – and make sure to subscribe to get the latest sent straight to your inbox.
More to come soon! ❤
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