Helllooooo my friends of the interweb!! I know you’ve probably been all like, hey, where are the fun lifestyle posts at, I’m bored of the Southern Series! Well, maybe not…but so that you can see how things went during that trip, we still have a few days left to cover! Plus at the end of the series, I’d like to chat about our budget in more detail and how we would adjust it moving forward. Also, how to budget for it yourself if you would like to do the same trip!! But for today, we shall pause and reflect. Today, we shall talk about something closer to home, more in depth, and much more calming than a little series or two.

Shall we?

Life and Game Plans

Way back when I was a measly 25 years young, I thought I’d be starting my family. But then, my business (as a reseller), was just taking off as a side hustle, my husband needed some more time, and we decided to start traveling a whole lot more than we had been. Backpacking was something we’d soon discover, and hiking was becoming much more prevalent in our future, as well as camping, adventures in far away places, and dehydrated meals becoming our favorite food along the trail.

We never intended to have a game plan after that, since the previous game plan didn’t really work out. (You know, the whole, “have kids by 25 and be married and move houses to our forever home and etc, etc, etc.) And what did we end up learning along the way? That sometimes, having no plan at all makes for the best memories, brightest futures, and allows unexpected alternatives to pop up during finding out who we truly were as a couple and as individuals.

Not Living Life on Someone Else’s Terms

So often we’re all pushed to finding that next thing to land on, whether it be a person, a job, a location, you name it. And many times, it’s the wrong person, place or thing. We’ve talked a lot about rushing on this blog, and that’s something I’ll bring up once again. What’s the point? We all have one life to live, and time is once again the only thing we can’t get back. So, do I feel guilty about waiting another decade to think about having kids?

No. No I do not.

Although most people in my life like to decide that for me, telling me again and again how it would be so nice to have them be 10 or 12 or whatever years old by now. No longer do these comments bother me, because spending that extra decade building my foundation really showed me who I wanted to become, and what my husband and I could accomplish as a team instead of tearing each other down by having no time to spend with one another learning about nuances that may or may not have ever gotten a chance to see the light.

It makes me sad how quickly we’re rushed into major life decisions, and how frequently they’re the wrong ones. We put others needs first, make ourselves the last priority, and realize too late that we should have or could have done something differently. It feels good to help another on their path, but sometimes those paths are meant for them to choose. By choosing the new direction for them, we limit their capabilities to learn, explore, and grow as the universe had planned for them.

Does someone you love come into mind when you hear these things?

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Why I Stopped Feeling Behind

No longer do I feel rushed, even at nearing 35. Everyone continues to tell me how fast life is going, but honestly? It’s all relative. Will I feel the need to switch jobs again? Will I be afraid forever of pregnancy? Will life go on regardless of if we get another vehicle, another home, another pet?

Yes, yes it will.

And the thing is, we can slow it down if we really wanted to. We can take things at a pace that feels more comfortable, breathe experiences in one slow breath at a time, be more present in the moments that we chase so hard, and learn to love and cherish and protect our energy because ultimately, that energy becomes our time.

The more we sit and stew on emotions that are fleeting, or loved ones that seem to care less than we think they should, or relationships that don’t last as long as we hoped they would, the more quickly it seems that time passes us by. We overthink our decisions, stop doing things that we love, and begin spending more time on how everyone else feels as opposed to what creates strength and resilience in our own being.

Building a Life That Feels Right

I’m excited for the journey ahead. I feel, despite what I’m constantly being told by friends, family, and social media, that I’m finally getting started. Finally working on the life I really love and spending time with the people that matter to me most. It doesn’t always take ten years to realize that, but if you’re lucky enough to have the opportunity to welcome these self-care rituals and understand your true needs into your life earlier along, then I’m genuinely so happy for you.

Because that means you have essentially, more time, more freedom, and more resistance against the rest of the nay-sayers to push back when something doesn’t feel right. More confidence to speak up when something doesn’t resonate with you. More force to battle the depression trenches when it reluctantly will always come along.

I want you to feel heard. I want you to feel loved. I want you to feel understood, and not dismissed. So when those times come about that you need to pivot, and others want you to stay stuck in the mud, pivot with ease. Don’t feel badly about sticking up for yourself. Don’t feel bothered by those who don’t truly understand you as a human.

Lift them up by example, and show them the strong, independent and unwavering being that you’ve become. 🫶

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If You’ve Ever Felt Behind in Life, Thank You for Being Here

Thank you so much for being here and taking the time to read this. If you’ve ever found yourself feeling behind in life, just know you’re not alone. We all move at different speeds, and sometimes the path that doesn’t make sense at first ends up being the one that shapes us the most. I’m really grateful you’re here, walking through these thoughts with me, and I hope this gave you a little reassurance that your timeline is exactly what it needs to be. 🫶