Vacation Notes
Dear Friends,
I’m halfway through the spending freeze and it’s been both easier than I thought and harder than I thought. Event week was a daily fight when it came to what was permissible and what was not. Some rules got bent, some got followed. But honestly at the end of it, I just at a certain point did what needed to be done.
I’ve realized a few things so far at this halfway point….
- I instigate 80% of social gatherings for my friend group
- I’ve spent more time alone and home this month than I typically do. While I love my friend group and am so thankful for them…most of them would tell you I’ve been a bit angsty the last 1.5 months (some I’m sure would argue longer) and I think some alone time has been good for all of us.
- I appreciate the small things more. Like the friend just down the street who comes over every night (read 3 nights in a row) to do yoga in the backyard. It costs us nothing, it forces us to slow down, it gives us 15 min at the end of process our day, we get bit by bugs, we get humbled by our lack of strength on intermediate level. I would have made it a scheduled item before and rushed past it, now I slow down and look forward to it because I am more confident that that is a good yes for me.
- I like saving my money. I like how much is left in account after I paid all the bills. I like knowing that I can live like this for a month and it doesn’t have to be my regular. It makes me appreciate what I have much more.
- I’m more of a feeler than I thought I was. Or maybe I’m just hyper emotional these days. I’m not sure. But it’s like discipline in this one area of my life is making me more aware of other areas where I lack discipline, other things I need to deal with and blah blah emotions.
- Live for today, prepare for tomorrow. It’s a tough balance to find. Yes I want to take full advantage of today, what if I don’t have tomorrow? But at the same time I don’t want to forfeit what tomorrow could be just for what I want today.
- People will surprise you. Anytime you interrupt your routine you’ll always be surprised by both yourself and those around you. This has been a good couple weeks of “letting go”. Others didn’t choose to do this so I can put pressure, frustration or focus on those that choose differently or don’t understand why I would do this (heck most of the time I don’t know why I’m doing this either). It’s interesting who leans in and who leans away when you try something new. At the end of the day – I’m most surprised by myself. This short 16 days is revealing to me people I prob mistreated the same way I mistreated my finances. Blew through it because its as there, didn’t appreciate it fully and then wonder why one day you wake up and it’s gone…because you spent where you should have saved.
Halfway there. Halfway to go.
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