SUMMER FRILLS & HOW I FOUND MY BALANCE

I believe in generous vacations just as much as I believe in working my ass off.

I hadn’t taken a real vacation for a year and a half. Sure I’ve taken time off, such as several hours or a whole day perhaps in the past 18 months. Because of what I do, I can’t fully disconnect. In the past 1.5 years I’ve hustled like never before, focusing all my energy and time on my blogging business. To some, it may seem that I’ve had it easy and that I’m always on a trip somewhere; and that’s been precisely the goal. To make it look effortless and fun. While it is fun, it’s definitely not effortless. haha.

7 weeks ago, I left for my European trip. I was sooo ready to change things up and travel abroad. All 5 weeks that I spent out there were AMAZING (more on this soon, so stay tuned!!), but it did take me about 3 weeks to unwind my anxious psyche. The reason why it took me so long to unwind was because I was still working every single day. The only change that I made was to cut back on my work hours down to half of what I was doing in the US.

While I was out there I was putting in 5-6 hours of work every day. Around the third week, my body started to feel healthier, and I felt better. It felt like I was finally starting to live the right way. Thanks to cutting back on my work hours while abroad, I was able to get more exercise, spend more time outdoors, I was getting more sun, I was constantly sweating because it was so damn hot, and I was spending more time with friends and family. Around week 4, John told me how much happier I looked and how much nicer I’ve been to him. Haha, and I thought I was always nice! Apparently I’ve become even nicer. 😉 But the point I’m trying to make here is, that I was genuinely MUCH happier on the inside and it was really showing.

Looking back on it now, I didn’t realize how deeply exhausted I was before my trip. I knew I didn’t feel my best, but I kept hustling and working around the clock despite what my body was telling me. I wouldn’t have come back feeling as rejuvenated and stronger had I only gone for 1-2 weeks. So I’m grateful that I was able to make it work for the whole 5 weeks even though, I didn’t completely disconnect from my work, I was still able to unwind immensely and get lost on adventures.

I haven’t been anxious about work and I’ve actually been able to prioritize much better. I’m finally able to say, “that’s enough for now” and opt for happiness through a better balance in my daily schedule instead. Let’s see how long this lasts! LOL

Last weekend was my first weekend back on the Central Coast. I allowed my leisurely travel schedule to continue for an extra week or two while I caught up on tons of emails, mail + packages, and errands. Not to mention my house needed a lot of TLC. I left it a mess trying to pack super organized for my 5 week trip. And then the unpacking! Ugh, I’m sooo happy that’s all done now! 🙂

So I wore this fun ruffled and frilly skirt out to get frozen yogurt with John, and only to be completely disappointed at the quality of the frozen yogurt! I couldn’t believe how quickly I got spoiled on good European gelato! Haha, I think one time for anyone will do it. 😉 But I kept getting compliment after compliment on this skirt and top, so that made up for it. 🙂 Special thanks to Chicwish for helping me look so cute, always! Now, I just want to go to SPAIN! Did I mention that I’ve got the travel bug already!? 🙂

Now that I’ve learned what my body needs, the question is how do I keep giving it just that? I tend to get carried away in my work when I work from home in the US, and it won’t be long before I get caught up in it again. LOL. I’ll my best to stay on track and I’ll keep you guys updated as to how that goes.

WEARING

Ruffle Tiered Blue Stripes Skirt // Bowknot White Crop Top // RockStud High Heel Leather Pumps // Bamboo Ark Bag // Palm Tree Paradise Choker // Sunglasses (Part of The Zoe Report Summer Box of Style)

xx Adelina