Chasing Slow

...and the perception of healing through traveling!

What do you do when things get overwhelming? Or when life knocks you down, and you find yourself picking up the pieces?

The last year has been hard for me and my husband, Victor. Not necessarily because of the global pandemic, but rather, due to the two failed matches in our #adoptionjourney within a span of two weeks in July of last year, which was way more than I could bear.

I got knocked down hard and I needed time to cope and go through all the feelings…months later in September, Victor and I decided to do what we do best. Travel and explore big. To heal. To get out of our heads, and see what’s bigger than us. Fast forward to today, 6 months later, we were back out there, and the healing continues.

I’m not saying that travel fixes everything. What I’m saying is, it helps while it makes us feel good, like “tools” that we get to use and practice in a way where we can cope. We unplug and detach from the everyday mundane because this helps us focus on what we DO HAVE - the blessings and opportunities we have instead of what we are missing.

We’ve been wanting to have our own family for almost 10 years now and this journey hasn’t been easy. So, we choose to make time and enjoy ourselves in spite of the hardships. It’s not an escape, but a reward we give ourselves, to continue to thrive through the uncertainties.

But we also continue to do the WORK. Healing inside and out for us means consistent individual therapy and couple’s therapy, and striving for emotional and spiritual growth. And in case you’re curious, below is a quick list of some of the other simple things we do.

• reading books/listening to audiobooks
• listening to podcasts
• Meditation
• Yoga
• Exercise

But, I digress… Two big bucket list destinations within 6 months is a dream come true and it’s a gift I will always be grateful for. I share this not to brag but to share with you the indescribable beauty that is out there and has helped us move on, to get excited about life again and again. I also share this because more often than not, we see all these travel photos of people around us and we wonder, why are they having a better life than us, or than me. I know I am guilty of this… So, this is my point…we are all going through our own hardships. We are all dealing with struggles and no one’s life is perfect though it may seem that way. The grass is not really always greener on the other side.

Life is hard and it can be very hectic, so we do what will serve us well. Choices that will support our mental health and overall health, so we can enjoy the good of what life has to offer, in spite of life being hard.

I struggle with anxiety, and that means racing thoughts and continued overthinking. It’s exhausting and draining, to say the least. Chasing slow is an everyday intention. But wandering out there helps put things in perspective, and I am reminded of how little we all are compared to the grandiosity of life and God’s beautiful creation. All our troubles and heartaches remind me that, this too shall pass. We can get so caught up in our heads and all the feelings that we forget there is so much good out there… the sunshine, that fresh air, the wonders of nature, the culture, - the people.

Traveling provides space to slow down and continue our healing. It helps us build memories that we can pull out of our bag when the need arises. It allows us to accept God’s bigger plans beyond our human comprehension. Traveling can also mean short day trips to a local garden, a state park, or going to a lake, mountain, or beach near you, whatever your heart desires. It’s simply time away from home with the intention to take a break, explore and recharge. I hope this will encourage you to go out more often, so that when life knocks you down and getting up seems impossible, you can pause and think about the good times, the memories that will remind you that life may not be so bad after all.

So, go out there and let yourself be IN IT ALL. Pause. Make that choice and let’s continue to chase SLOW.

To end this, here’s a glimpse of our getaway to the Maldives. I used to make videos of our trips on my YouTube channel but I haven’t done it in a while. So, I wanted to make sure I created this video to share with you the magical beauty, that is the Maldives. Let me know what you think. And tell me, how will you CHASE SLOW this Spring season?