BLOGTOBER

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly time goes by. Since having Ezmé, it has flown by even faster and I find myself trying so hard to live in the moment because these little humans change and grow so quickly. Every day brings some new challenge or accomplishment for my little chunk!

It is also super easy as a new mom to get a little bit lost in the all consuming world that is caring and loving your new baby. I have definitely struggled with uniting the old and new me since having Ezmé, and one thing that has helped bring me back to a bit of old routine is writing and reading. Keeping my blog up has obviously fallen to the wayside in recent months, but the online community of mamas has played such an integral part in shaping my motherhood journey that it seems appropriate to try to put my journaling back onto the screen.

That is why I have decided to create Blogtober (is that already a thing??) ! 31 days of writing prompts and ideas. 31 blog posts that can be as long or short as you want them to be. If you don't have a blog, you can just write a Facebook or Instagram post! I hope this will help me get back into the swing of doing something for myself (writing) and encourage others to do the same.

I've been working on a list of writing prompts...but if there are any subjects or ideas that ring true to you, and you would like to take this journey with me, feel free to share!! On September 30th I will share the full list of writing prompts...

Let's take a couple of minutes out of the day to reflect and do something for ourselves <3

#motherhoodunplugged #thisgoesouttoallthebabymamas

Bali with Baby

Our first big trip with baby is officially in the books. Bali was absolutely amazing, and surprisingly baby friendly. We couldn’t believe how easy it was to travel with the nugget. Of course, taking trips with a baby adds a bit of extra chaos but as long as you are prepared to change plans at the last second and go with the flow, it is totally doable. James and I actually joked that traveling with Ezmé forced us to slow down and live more in the moment which was a nice change for two people who love to do EVERYTHING when we travel. The biggest tip I have for you if you are planning a trip with a kiddo is: RESPECT THE NAP. We quickly realized that as long as you make time to be somewhere quiet and calm for nap times, baby will be in an overall great mood. It also makes putting them down for the night easier as they won’t be overtired.

Since we were in Bali when Ezmé was 4.5 months old, we discovered that her morning nap was non-negotiable. We would get up early (7:30-8:30) and drive the scooter into Canggu for brunch and make sure we were back to our home base in time for her snooze around 10 or 11. Then we would lounge by the Airbnb pool for an hour or so until she woke up. This allowed us to break the day up into two excursions. Most afternoons we would bike into town and relax on the beach until dinnertime. James even got to go surfing a couple of times and I got to lay out and relax in the sun.

We were super impressed with Canggu so spent almost our whole trip exploring, shopping, and eating our way through the town. Each cafe we went to had wonderful coffee, the restaurants had beautiful & delicious food with TONS of veggie options, and the boutique shopping was to die for (especially for two large Americans who have been living in Japan for a year). I'll leave a list of our favorites at the end of the post!

Two of the days however, we decided to throw caution to the wind and forego nap time in order to get out and explore a bit more of the island. One day we hired a wonderful driver for the day to take us on a tour of some of the lesser known temples and landmarks. We even got to take place in a buddhist blessing which was a fun experience. Driving through the countryside was also quite a treat (when Ezmé wasn't losing her shit) because we got to see all of the lush greenery outside the town limits. She did a decent job napping in the car as we drove from place to place but I was glad we got home by six in order to put her down for the night because she was definitely done sitting in a car. Also, as far as cars are concerned, we chose not to bring a car seat and simply held her the whole time. When we were on the motorbike, I rode behind James and wore her (we went like 15 mph, and saw other parents doing the same so please, no comments about child safety, in this part of the world everyone rides on a scooter and is fine.)

Another day we drove into Ubud for the day to see the Monkey Forest. It was well worth the drive even though we only stayed for a couple of hours and then headed home. Ubud was really touristy, but we still enjoyed it and would love to go back and explore a bit more. It had an almost mountain-y feel to it.

Overall, I'm really pleased that we chose Bali as our first post baby trip. The large differentiation of travelers, locals, and expats provided a very diverse cultural experience that we loved. The scenery, food, and shopping was great. And we enjoyed the slow, beachy pace of life there. We definitely feel like we only scratched the surface and plan on returning to Bali for at least one more trip before heading back to America!

So, if you have a small baby and feel like travel is out of the question, don't write it off just yet. Is it different than traveling alone? Yes. Are some things harder than before? Duh. But, your life doesn't have to stop after having a kid, and the sooner you get them used to traveling, the better they will be at it! So rip the band aid off and go for it!

Final Thoughts...

Favorite Restaurants:
The Betelnut Cafe (recommended by The Luxe Travelers)
The Lawn (swanky but still kid friendly)
Milk & Madu (super kid friendly with amazing coffee and food)
Parachute (they had chickens and a huge garden out back to explore)
Old Mans (great mahi burger, and right next to the beach)

Extra Tips:
Bring a stroller...we chose not to and got pretty tired of carrying/wearing the nugget
Bring a baby carrier...this was absolutely clutch for riding a motorbike, exploring temples etc
Bring a water bottle that you can refill and chug it all day
Liquor is expensive so be prepared for that
Grab (the car app) doesn't work everywhere, and sometimes taxis are few and far between
Make sure your Airbnb has baby amenities (we forgot to make sure it had a tub...)
Plan around baby's nap time/ bed time
Always bring extra diapers and a change of clothes in case of blow outs #yikes

Happy traveling!

Three Words

Y'all.
It is 2019.
In fact, it's been 2019 for almost an entire month.
My only resolutions so far consist of 3 words: BREATHE, GRATITUDE, & LOVE.

I want to remember to breathe through the tough times and find peace in knowing that every challenge is a lesson. To always be able to come back to center when I feel out of control or less than, especially with this new role of motherhood.

I want to to be grateful for each moment. To keep in mind how lucky we are to have this life, our health, our support system, and each other. I want to find tiny moments throughout the day where, even when things seem ridiculously hard, I can come back and list all of the beautiful things that I am grateful for.

And love. I want to spread more love and happiness and life into every situation I find myself in. I want to be a better version of myself and never leave a space untouched by positivity. I want to gossip less, judge less, and create an environment that I am proud for our daughter to grow up in.

With so much chaos and change and upheaval going on in the world and each of our lives individually, it is more important than ever to remember what is truly meaningful. How we treat others, our words, the way we handle that moment before we react, seeing the light in everyone, respecting our planet and all living things on it, standing up for what is right even (especially) when it is uncomfortable or hard, walking the walk.

Being human is complicated, but its also incredibly simple when you are able to come back to your center and rediscover what truly matters. Its easy to see how much our similarities outweigh our differences when we cut away all of the bullshit.

So, for this year, I am not focussing on things like; getting my pre-baby body back, or completing my 500 hr yoga course, or making a certain amount of income. I am simplifying, working from the inside out, and growing everything from a place of light and love.

I hope you all have had a wonderful start to this new year and I can't wait to see what the next turn around the sun has in store for all of us! Sending everyone lots of hugs from Okinawa!

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!

Jim & Em: Adventures in Seoul

Hi friends! It is the very last day of 2017 and we just got back from our amazing first trip off island to Seoul, South Korea. It was such a wonderful way to end the year! We got to visit family, explore a new country, and EAT ALL OF THE FOOD! Getting to tour Seoul with people who actually live in the city was great, my brother and sister in law took us to all of the cool touristy places but also the secret little joints that nobody knows about!

We visited temples, museums, shopping districts, and palaces! The bus system and metro were very user friendly and cheap to use, and the people were very nice (except for the old people who try to run you over and the bus drivers that attempt to fling you off the bus every chance they get...)

On our Museum tour day, J and i visited the Korean War Museum and the Korean National Museum. The Korean War museum was beautiful and very interesting to see the Korean perspective on the war. The National Museum had all of the normal anthropological stuff, just with an Asian twist. After visiting the Louvre this fall I think we were a little burnt out on the history but otherwise it was a great museum.

We also got to visit the Jogyesa Buddhist temple which had the most beautiful colors I've seen. It was right smack in the middle of the city but felt like a completely different world! That same day we walked around the art district and saw some great street markets that were full of food, trinkets, and shops! It was a complete sensory overload...but in a good way!

The architecture in the palaces was incredible and it was so interesting to compare the it to Okinawan shrines and castles! Even the dragons and shisas had different characteristics. My favorite part was the sequence of figures on the roofs that protect the buildings from fire! The inclusion of the zodiac and astrological elements was also very neat.

Some things to keep in mind while traveling in Seoul:
-Pick an Airbnb that is near the stuff you want to see (Seoul is huge and spread out!)
-If you are a vegetarian, there are plenty of food options for you so eat up!
-Know what the weather will be like and dress appropriately (it was like 15 degrees...)
-Utilize the public transportation!
-Wear comfy walking shoes because you will be walking all over the place!
-Learn a few key Korean phrases, most young people have some english but not everyone
-Try everything!
-If you know someone who lives in Seoul, ask them for their favorite places

Overall, it was an amazing trip and I feel so lucky that we get the opportunity to travel to all of these amazing places! Here are some photos from our Seoul exploration...hope you enjoy!

Now time to plan our next trip!
Em

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 :)