Reunited: Weekend Wishes

We are finally over our first deployment hump! Picking J up and bringing him home was honestly one of the best feelings ever. Even though this one was only a few months long, it was very weird being away from him and not being able to communicate freely. Not that we haven't had a decent bit of practice in our relationship with being long distance. The limited communication however, really made things much harder.

But now that he is back, just in time for all of the fun holidays, I am ready to fully embrace the season and enjoy our time together. If there's one thing deployment teaches you, it is that the little things truly are the "big things" when you look at the grand scheme of your life. Being able to cook dinner together after going to the gym, watching Netflix, taking day trips to the beach on the weekend, even just walking the dogs together at night. These are the little moments that matter.

I feel so much gratitude for everything in our life right now, and many of those things are just that, THINGS. But the living things, the people and furry friends in our lives, are the things that don't change despite the ups and downs. Surrounding yourself with a good tribe of people who support you, and root for your success make any challenge possible.

The wonderful group of women in this squadron made my first deployment experience absolutely great. While nothing compares to having your partner home, being surrounded by kind, compassionate, hilarious, intelligent people (who are in the same boat) definitely takes the edge off! Facetime is also a wonderful thing! Getting to talk to my family back home each day and update them on everything made this time so much easier <3

It was especially nice to have that support as a first time mom to be. On top of the emotional roller coaster that deployments cause on their own, having to ride the pregnancy crazy train added a whole separate level of angst to this experience (0/10 do not recommend). But being around other people who have gone through the same thing or who were currently going through the same situation almost completely eliminated that sense of loneliness. I am so thankful for all of the Tiger spouses!

Now that J is back, we are enjoying the last few months of that no-kid life! Doing a little bit of last minute traveling, enjoying the peace and quiet, and sleeping late on weekends. Taking advantage of the freedom that is allowed us right now and getting ready for our little girl to make her way earth-side in the new year. J finally got to feel her kick and see her wiggling around which was fun, because its definitely hard to explain via email! Maybe now that he is back we will start getting the nursery organized, but knowing us, we will wait until the last minute on that one...oh well!

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. Remember to take a little bit of extra time to appreciate the special people in your life! Give them an extra hug or just take the time to really be in the moment with them, intentionally.

Happy Saturday from Oki!
Em

A Little Dash Of Santosha

This morning I woke up and decided that, instead of running around like crazy person trying to get my to -do list of the day done, I was going to take a few minutes to ask myself what I needed right now. You know, really ask, what does my mind, body, and spirit need today in order to feel fulfilled and complete? The yoga principle of Santosha (or contentment) came to mind. Santosha isn't about being 110% ecstatically enthused and PERFECTLY happy with every single thing. It's much more simple and pure than all that. Santosha is simply being satisfied and at peace with where you are right now. It's actually an incredibly beautiful concept when you think about it. Sometimes it can feel like we, as humans, are always striving and reaching and fighting against something to achieve something else. And while goals and energy and movement are great things, we are generally terrible about balancing that super Yang energy with the more subtle Yin energies!

We are all guilty of having a day off or taking a holiday and having that sneaking suspicion that we are forgetting something, or that we should be DOING something. We feel guilty for sitting down and reading a book when we could be doing something 'productive'. Its really hard to get out of that mindset! Our culture tells us that slowing down and taking this time is lazy. But how is self care, contentment, and mindfulness lazy?

There does seem to be a shift culturally towards being more mindful and grateful, but there always seems to be a catch. A product to buy to make it possible, a book claiming to have all of the answers. Or a class you can take to learn how to be a better person. *insert eye roll here* Talk about over complicating one of the simplest, cheapest, most internal processes a person can experience! It might sound cheesy but everything you need to practice santosha is within you already, literally. In fact, if you are adding all of these extra things into the equation, you're kind of defeating the purpose.

It is as simple as taking a few minutes right when you wake up, before you get out of bed, maybe even before you open your eyes, and thinking of a few things you are grateful for right now. What things in your life are you truly and utterly thankful for? And then ask yourself, what is one thing that I could do today that would bring me contentment? Maybe you've been wanting to go play in your garden for an hour all week, or maybe you would love to sit on the porch and have a hot cup of coffee before work! Ask yourself these questions without judgement or guilt or anxiety. And then make the time to do it! It's that simple :)

When I asked myself what would make my heart truly content today, it said to leave my errands for tomorrow, and take the day to create. I wanted to spend my day baking, reading, writing, listening to  music, and doing yoga. So I did.

I realize how lucky I am to be able to take a whole day to observe santosha in such an extreme way. Being in Okinawa, I have the privilege of a very easy work schedule. I teach english online at night, and a few yoga classes during the week. I have much more free time than most and it's taken me a long time to get used to the idea and not feel guilty about it. That guilt has honestly probably caused me to under-appreciate this time and create busy work for myself to do so I feel more useful (whatever that means). It's a perfect example of how we as humans, identify our self worth with how busy we are. But being busy does not always equate with being productive or smart or worthwhile, and I think we all need to take a second look at how we are spending our time.

I would love for everyone to take more time to work on relationships, with others and ourselves personally. To ask the questions like, how can I make this world a better place? How can I be more kind? How can I feel more complete and happy with what I already have? Do I need all of these things in my house or does someone else need them more?

If we all took the time to observe santosha (contentment) every day, I think we would realize that there are a whole lot of extra, noisy, distracting things that we surround ourselves with but don't really need. In fact, we probably need the exact opposite.

So, take a deep breath, let go of all of that useless guilt and kinetic energy (just for a moment) and ask yourself what you truly need to be content and at peace with yourself, right now.

<3 Em

Adjust Your Sails

It's October in Okinawa. That means we are coming up on our one year Oki-versary! It's hard to believe we have been here for almost a whole year already. The last few weeks have been a little crazy with all of the typhoons, the deployment, and work, so I am super thankful for my favorite season to finally be here. Autumn has always been a time for slowing down and turning inwards for me. The weather gets colder and everything becomes much more focused on things like; rest, introspection, hygge, and cultivating a deeper relationship with the simple quotidian things in life.

Honestly, this shift couldn't come at a better time for me. Being 6 months pregnant, I am more than ready to start slowing down and and taking more time each day to do some self care and introspection. It hasn't been easy doing the majority of this pregnancy alone while J is deployed, and I have tried to keep myself so busy that I'm honestly exhausted from all of the distractions. I want to spend more time reading, and meditating, and listening to good podcasts, TAKING a yoga class instead of just teaching them! The first trimester was very difficult for me, my energy level was way down, I was constantly nauseous, and we were doing a lot of traveling at the time so I was basically a walking zombie. Then when the second trimester hit, I felt so much better that I did a complete 180 and decided to just do ALL OF THE THINGS! Looking back, neither one of these has that lovely element of balance that one hopes to achieve in life!

But, I think I'm finally starting to get it. The learning curve for understanding what your body and mind need during pregnancy is steep. As someone who prides herself on knowing herself very well, I've been surprisingly obtuse at times during my pregnancy. Trying to push through when I know I should rest, or taking a nap because I was sad J wasn't here when I KNEW that going to yoga would make me feel better. I've spent a lot of time the last few months feeling like I should be doing things a certain way, and judging myself for not being up to my normal standards. But, that is so ridiculous!

So, it may have taken me a good six months, but here we are at the crossroads. I think I can finally understand and accept that these changes that are happening are not ultimately changing me or the things that are important to me. I just need to put my Yin Yoga training into practice and soften myself to roll with the tides, not against them. With this new season comes a new outlook. I will strive to be patient and in tune with my needs, and less focused on comparing myself to how I was before becoming pregnant. I will make time to relax, and read, and practice my daily sadhana. I will understand that it is okay to slow down. After all, come February, there won't be much time for relaxing anymore...

The Shortest Month

February has blown by just as quickly as I thought it would. I turned 29 this month which is absurd because I still feel like I'm about 19...until I try to go on a bender and then it quickly becomes clear to me that I'm waaaay closer to 30 than 20! It is so surreal how quickly time flies.

When I think back to college and where I thought I'd be in my life right now, its honestly shocking to me how things turned out. I definitely did not think I would be married to a Marine. Or living in Japan. Or working as a yoga instructor instead of a Realtor! So many things have happened that I didn't expect. It's funny how life works isn't it?

And the craziest thing of all is looking back and realizing how many tiny, quotidian instances and decisions lead to this very moment! The person you are today has been a process, millions of thoughts and emotions turned into actions and words. An infinite number of choices could have been made, but each specific one you CHOSE has lead you to now. 

It's so incredible to me how interwoven our lives are, and how easily things could have been completely different (The Chaos Theory and all that). I just feel so incredibly lucky to have been surrounded by such wonderful role models my whole life. I know for a fact that I would not be the person I am today if it hadn't been for my parents, family, friends, even chance encounters with strangers. 

I feel like as I get older, I am more easily able to step outside of myself and try to see the bigger picture. I've learned some pretty great life lessons in my 29 years and I'm definitely not claiming to know it all but here are just a few things that I wish I could tell my 19 year old self...

Always, always be kind, to everyone, even if you don't feel like it.

Try to get to know people who are different from you, you'll be better for it.

Talk is cheap, actions speak louder than words.

Don't care so much about what other people think.

Don't ever let your happiness depend on someone else.

Above all always be truthful and genuine, especially to yourself.

You don't have to say everything you think out loud. 

It's okay to say 'no'. 

It is sometimes better to ask for forgiveness, than for permission. 

Start building your credit history!

You will never regret going out of your way to help another.

Focus more on the NOW.

Keep spending time with your family, you wont regret it!

Never settle for something just because it is easy.

It is okay to be alone. In fact your relationship with yourself is the most important.

One day the little things will be the big things, and the big things will be the little things.

Try to meditate for a little while every day. 

Keep reading everything you can get your hands on.

Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people. (-E.R)

Always speak out when you witness injustices, even if its uncomfortable. 

It's okay to FEEL sad or angry or upset, but remember that YOU are not your emotions. 

Your thoughts become your words and deeds.

There are so many things that I have learned about myself and life in the last 10 years. I have made a lot of mistakes, done my fair share of stupid things, and eaten my words more than once, but ultimately I think it all worked out okay! 

What do you wish you could tell your younger self? 

Em

P.S 

Here is my Pinterest board for motivational words of wisdom!

https://www.pinterest.com/ememismeme/more-than-words/

January 2018 Update

It's already the end of January and the theme of this month for me has been: creating routine. It's always difficult after one of these big PCS moves to orient yourself and find a place in your new home. And honestly this overseas move has been much like the others, just with the added factors of being in a foreign country and not being close to family and friends. Overall though, the process has been much the same.

The first couple of months are all about getting your physical place, your home, situated. It's about J getting settled into his new squadron, finding the nearest grocery store, learning how to drive on the 'wrong' side of the road, meeting new friends, finding your new favorite restaurants, you know finding your place literally.

But as we came into the new year, I found myself struggling to find space mentally. The holidays were over, we were done settling in physically, and now all of the sudden it's time to make space mentally and realize that this is going to be our home for the next few years. Since J and I started dating, we haven't lived in one place for more than a year, so it's difficult for me to get my head around actually living in one place for 3-4 years. AND of course it doesn't help that our new place is on the exact opposite side of the world from home.

Home. A word I've been struggling to redefine since this move. A word that means so much more than a building, or a city. Home is where your people are. It's where your heart is. But what do you do when your heart is in a bunch of different places? Obviously my heart is with my hubby and our little family unit here in Japan. But pieces are also with my family and friends back in the states.

Creating space mentally to accept and thrive in this new place and taking the time to create a feeling of home internally is the next step. The easy part is done. Our dishes and linens are put away. The boxes are unpacked, broken down and thrown out (on the porch, but still). I no longer have to use google maps to get everywhere. We have a favorite ramen joint, and I have a yoga class I like to go to. Now, it's time to take that routine and use it to thrive.

February is going to be a month of growth. If January's theme was Routine, the foundation of our life here, then February will be about putting up some walls (in a good way!) I want to spend time this coming month really creating a life that we love out of this routine. It's been quite rainy and cold here for the last couple of weeks but I'm hoping that this next month will begin to warm up so I can get outside and do some more exploring and traveling.

Here's to Spring in Okinawa!

Welcome Home

A new month. A new home. We are finally moved into our apartment in Okinawa, and it feels so good to begin putting down some roots here! It's crazy to think back to all of the times we have moved during the last few years, basically the longest amount of time we have spent in one place since meeting is just under one year. Not to mention, both of us lived separate but equally gypsy-like lives during college and the years afterwards. So as you can imagine, I am pretty excited to be settling into a home that we will get to be in for three whole years (knock on wood)!

Currently, we only have our clothes and a few random household goods since we are still waiting on our big shipment to get here. But the loaner furniture isn't terrible and honestly I'm just so glad they have stuff to lend us in the first place it wouldn't matter to me if it was made out of cardboard! Hopefully our stuff will be here this month though and I can begin to put everything into its rightful place, you know like putting clothes in closets (...I packed all of our clothes in the unaccompanied baggage shipment, and all of the damn hangars in our household goods shipment, yay me).

We love our location even though there isn't a yard for the pups and we are on the third floor, because luckily there is a park right behind our place and hellooooo booty workout going up and down those stairs eight million times a day! See? Always a silver lining haha!

I can't wait to do a 'before and after' post for our apartment. There is definitely something to be said for moving into a new place sans everything you own because it gives you a lot of time to think about what you really need and where to put things. Basically what I'm saying is my Pinterest boards are on fire right now. And maybe the is nothing I can do to get rid of the horrible yellow tile in the kitchen and bathrooms but a few plants and some good lighting will hopefully distract from its less than desirable hue.

One of the best things about our apartment is that it is located right next to a bunch of great restaurants and bars, the beach and sea wall are only blocks away, and there are tons of other people living around us. Our view isn't too shabby either :)

So far life here in Okinawa is pretty great.

Stay tuned for progress updates and some awesome pictures from this weeks adventures on island!

We survived Saola & went to the mall!

Move to a tropical island, they said. It will be sunny all the time, they said. Well, apart from the gigantic tropical typhoons that swing by occasionally and are a bajillion times bigger than said tropical island. We are on day 3 of our new life in Okinawa, and I have to say that things have already been quite exciting.

We have spent the last couple of days with our sponsors going to housing briefs, exploring the area, and stocking up on necessities for our temporary housing while we begin our search for a home. Honestly, it has been a complete whirlwind and it feels like we have been here for a lot longer than 3 days! Yesterday, I got my first (and hopefully last) bout of food poisoning from sushi but after 24 hours of puking we are good to go again. Although I may hold off on the sushi for a couple of days...or weeks.

Today, the weather as finally good enough for us to leave base and go explore, so after a big brunch at the Officer's Club we went to the local mall to see what was up! Since it's the weekend before halloween, all the of the local children were at the mall and dressed up in their costumes for special events happening there today (so cute!) We were excited to get off of the base and visit a giant, Japanese, 4 story mall, but mostly I was just super stoked to visit the Miyazaki store and bathe in a sea of stuffed soot sprites and totoros <3 I'm only like 13% kidding...

Tomorrow, as we enter in to our first full week here in Okinawa, we begin our search for our new home. I am so ready to be out of temporary housing and the realtor in me is itching to get into these houses and check them out! Two dogs, two people, and seven bags worth of stuff do not fit well in a 500 square foot hotel suite. Especially one where the fire alarm goes off randomly during the day, the bathroom ceiling leaks when it rains, and dogs aren't allowed on the furniture.

Hopefully in the next couple of days we will have a few homes to choose from, our cars will be picked out, and the end of temp housing will be in sight! And HOPEFULLY, I will be able to share some pictures of blue water, green mountains, and beautiful scenery with you all here soon. We just need these clouds to go away :)

We. Made. It.

Well guys...we made it! I'm not going to say that moving across the world with two large dogs, seven bags, and a language barrier is easy, but with a good sense of humor and a lot of help from A LOT of people...we made it. Our flights were long but breaking down the journey into two days really made a difference for us, especially with the pups. Also, having afternoon flights was crucial for us since we had to get to the airports so early to check all of our baggage and get the dogs situated! We made sure we arrived early and had plenty of time so that we ended up spending a lot of time in airports but never had to rush or worry too much about missing our flights.

The puppies had never flown before but did amazing! No accidents (praise!). And I can't say enough good things about Alaska Airlines and their pet policy, they were so helpful and kind, and didn't charge us an arm and a leg for traveling with so much stuff and dogs. ANA was also super helpful and very attentive and kind to us. We must have looked like the Griswold's pushing all of that crap through the airport, but I think OCONUS PCS moves must be kind of like childbirth because I am already forgetting the trauma of this move haha! And, yes, some would say that it was indeed a bit traumatic. BUT! We are now finally in the land of Totoro! And I am so excited to begin exploring this beautiful country.

We are so thankful for everyone's kind words and thoughts during this transition and can't wait to share more exciting stories from our adventures here in Okinawa! Right now we are busy getting settled in and doing all of the usual PCS things like looking for housing, trying to buy cars, preparing for a giant typhoon that is coming through this weekend, you know, normal things like that.

But we will keep you all posted here, and hopefully have some fun stuff to share soon!

Stay Tuned....

P.S If you want to stay up to date on our daily adventures you can check out my instagram stories at: @emmmienardi

5 Things

As some of you know, I am participating in the Jenna Kutcher Instagram challenge which is geared towards streamlining your online presence and cultivating genuine participation within the blogging community. It has been an incredible experience to 'meet' and learn about so many different bloggers from all over the world and their brands! I think we are all aware that social media can be a double edged sword especially when it comes to appreciating and living in the real world in real time without having to whip out our phones every two seconds. This challenge encourages everyone to be their true, genuine, authentic self on social media instead of putting a filter on your life, and embrace others for doing the same. Sure, we all like looking at pretty pictures of tiny puppies in teacups surrounded by a sea of peonies, or a skinny tanned girl doing yoga on a beach in Hawaii while she drinks a gluten free piña colada and the sun sets majestically in the background. BUT! Where is the connection there? Where is the personality, and the depth, and the humanity for the love of god!?!?

I know that I follow a lot of those accounts on Instagram, but for the most part those accounts are what I call 'scrollers' because I look at them and scroll right on by without reading their post or clicking the links or caring what is happening at all. They are JUST pretty pictures. But my favorite accounts, the blogs I've been following for years, are the people who are so genuine in their online presence that you can't help but be like, 'yes! I have felt that same way!'. They are the bloggers who let you know that they are having a bad day because they had to deal with 5 diaper explosions while shopping in Target. They are the ones who are chugging wine while discussing what happened on the Bachelor. They are interested in traveling, learning, bettering our world, and also just going to the grocery store, finding a good deal on Lululemon, and encouraging others to be themselves too.

The disconnect our world faces right now between our online presence and real life is crazy! People feel more isolated and unhappy than ever and it's because we have gotten so far away from reality, or maybe we have just changed what 'reality' means. Regardless, I am trying to be more mindful of living in each moment and using my social media presence as a catalyst for expanding upon that real world experience.

So, now down to the nitty-gritty! Day 3 of the #jkinstachallenge was to pick five major facets of your self and share them on your account. This was tough because I feel like everyone has so many unique, and important things that make up who they are as a person. But when it comes down to it, these are the five, biggest parts of me that make me who I am...

1. Family: Obviously this was going to be number one because my family is amaaaazee! They have always been there for me through everything. Whether I was living around the corner or on the other side of the country. They have supported my harebrained ideas, loved me when I have failed, and encouraged me to be true to myself no matter what. My parents and sister have been my constant companions and without them I wouldn't be who I am today (sorry guys, if that sounds like an insult!)

2. My Marriage: It's always hard to imagine another person coming into your life and being on the same level as your immediate family. Meeting and marrying J has been such a learning curve. We initially met at an NCSU football tailgate during my sophomore year and his freshman year in college. And let me just say that if you told me then that we would end up married, I would have thought you were INSANE. Welp, turns out that I am the insane one because here we are! And I am so happy that we ran into each other that day, even if he doesn't remember! Our relationship has completely changed me on some levels and made me more steadfast to my roots on others. J and I are so different in some respects but so similar in others. We have learned how to work our partnership into every day life and continue to grow together every day. Entering into a marriage truly is a beautiful act of self sacrifice and love (I mean that in the best way!). I have had to learn to navigate the tricky waters of being a Marine wife while still GRACEFULLY holding true to my somewhat liberal roots. And I have had to embrace the lifestyle of moving every couple of years and being far away from everything that is familiar and important to me. Which leads me to...

3. Being a military spouse: this is a complicated one for me. Growing up in an area that is known for its acceptance, non-judgement, and down right artsy fartsy-ness (not a word, I know), I had never been around the culture of a military lifestyle. Durham NC is a small lake of blue in a big, red state if you know what I mean! I honestly thought everyone in our military had a crew cut, chewed tobacco, and was the complete opposite of me on the political spectrum. So you can imagine what a shock it was for me to be thrown into such a different environment, I'm not going to lie, I was down right scared. But, I was surprised at the immediate and genuine outpouring of help and friendship from this amazing group of people I had never met. You always hear about how the military is like a second family, but I did not even come to close to comprehending what that meant until I experienced it. This group of women is part of my soul now. Every station we go to, our military family grows. These women are some of the most compassionate, hilarious, REAL people I have ever met. Everyone is so different, and so strong in their own ways that I feel like a huge dum-dum for ever having thought of this group of people as being so one-dimensional (but that is what our 'bubbles' do to us). Anyway, I can proudly say that being a military spouse has made me a stronger, more independent, and self-confident person and I wouldn't trade it for anything!

4. Travel: As a homebody with a bad case of wanderlust I feel like I am constantly feeling this push-pull of wanting to nest and stay home, but also to travel and see the world and experience everything that is out there! I've been lucky to get to travel internationally several times in my life and my list of places to visit grows by the day. Each time I open a new book, or meet a new person, another place appears at the top of my list. I love the idea of being able to see the world but have a home-base to come back to. It's all about balance. Finding that perfect space between cultivating your home and growing as a person through seeing the world. And lastly (at least as far as the top 5 go)...

5. Yogaaaaa: This is a relatively new facet to my life, especially compared to some people who have been practicing yoga for decades! But it could also be labeled, spirituality on my list. Because you see, I did not understand what yoga actually was! I was one of those people who thought yoga was just asana, or the postures of yoga. I didn't realize that the postures were just a small part of what yoga actually is. I started my in-depth journey with yoga this past January in order to have a job when we move overseas this winter. I had no clue what I was getting into. It is like everything suddenly makes sense, like I was looking through a foggy window before and trying to figure out myself on a spiritual level but could never quite see through the glass. I have always identified as a spiritual person and loved learning about religion and cultural perception throughout school (anthro major, go figure) and have always felt that, if I'm being honest, all of the religions of the world are just different doors to the same room. So finding a spiritual practice that places everyone on an even playing field and is inclusive to all religions and sects and creeds felt like finding a little bit of light in what can be a very dark world :)

So, those are 5 of things that make me, me at my very core. What are your five things that make you, you?

Love and Light
Em

Oki Doki

Hello friends :)

A lot has been going on over here in the Nardi Morgan household!

Last weekend we all traveled down to Texas for J's Winging Ceremony. It was a wonderful weekend filled with family, friends, and lots of celebrating! And now, my sweet hubby is officially a winged naval aviator.

It is so crazy to think back to when we first started dating and he was just beginning flight school. Since then, we have moved 3 times, lived in 4 different states, bought 2 homes, and gotten married! These past three years have been quite a whirlwind and things aren't slowing down anytime soon because...

At the end of this year, we are PCS'ing to Okinawa Japan for our first duty station!

I'll admit it took me a while to find Okinawa on a world map because it's not exactly close to mainland Japan, but after googling images of the beautiful beaches and learning a little bit about the culture there, the shock has worn off and I'm starting to get excited.

Thankfully we have a few months to get everything organized for this adventure because let me tell you, moving to the other side of the world is no small feat! 

I've been so bad about blogging recently with everything going on, but I'm sure I will be very thankful for this platform once were in Japan so I can share all of our adventures and pictures :)

On an unrelated note, I am going into month 3 of my yoga teacher training! It has been such a wonderful, educating experience and I am falling more in love with my yoga practice every day. It's amazing what incorporating a daily asana and meditation practice into your life can do! I can't wait to share what I learn as I begin teaching classes!

That's all for now...much more to come!

Em