one year (belated)

I almost missed it. I've been writing on this blog for over a year and I almost missed it. It's pretty exciting to see that I really have kept it up, and pretty consistently too. Even during some pretty busy times I've posted something almost every 1-2 weeks. So, in honor of this anniversary I want to tell you a bit about how this blog began and what it has become.

Ian and I spent the summer of 2009 studying and exploring Europe. We decided to create a blog so that we could share our adventures with all our friends and family without having to write multiple e-mails on a regular basis. It was fun to write together and now we have this great record of everything, and I think people enjoyed reading it. My mom even printed them out and mailed them to my grandparents because they don't use computers.

Actually, I should start with sharing that the idea of a blog came from recipe searching. I was never much of a cook until we got married and moved into an apartment together. I decided that if I was going to cook I might as well eat really good food. It turns out I love cooking. It has become a major creative outlet for me and today I usually don't use a recipe, but I still have fun reading blogs about cooking. This is what gave me the idea for a travel blog to begin with, and then when we returned this is part of what made me want to keep my own blog.

So, a few months after our return (Feb. 7, 2010) I decided to start my own blog. At first I didn't tell anybody about it  because I was afraid I wouldn't stick with it. I still don't tend to bring it up in conversation, I guess it makes me feel vulnerable. But I post links on my facebook page and get really excited when a friend tells me that they have been reading my blog. (hint: you can leave comments on each post too, I loooove getting those!)

The concept of mindfulness is still something that is very important to me and that I am constantly trying to make a more constant and natural part of my - well, of my existence, really. It began as a search for beauty and to enjoy simple things, mostly because I was so wrapped up in planning for the future that I was missing out on the present. Now, I've gotten much better at living in the present. Maybe because thinking about the future is a bit overwhelming (applying to residency, taking care of patients, making life and death decisions, a lifetime of test-taking, etc.). Now, for me being mindful is more about being present to each moment. It's actually listening and learning immediately while in a lecture (I am failing miserably at that right now). It's enjoying winter because I know Spring will come eventually. It's eating slowly. It's trying to be in my body through every pose and transition when I practice yoga. It's using my time wisely without being stressed about it. It's a life-long journey of trying to be aware and appreciate and learn from every single moment of every single day.