mama energy

"The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new."

Rajneesh

. . . 

I love everything about this image, and I can't wait to experience the quote firsthand. 

Chatting with the amazing Tiffany Han a couple months back, she said, "You have this great mama energy about you in all you do," and she convinced me that it's actually kind of a badass trait to have. I'd been struggling with how to align my previous identity with the wife/mother labels, trying to figure out just what those mean, and Tiffany's guidance was unbeatable. (I believe one of her exact recommendations was to wear a button reading "I fucking rock!" but we both agreed that might not be work-appropriate.)

Image found via Pinterest // Quote via

at dusk

These are from over a month ago now, but seeing as it's been awhile, I thought I'd go ahead and share.

itchy feet

Image via

"Travel far enough, you meet yourself."

David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas

. . .

Oh, how I want to GO these days! To pack a bag, set off for the unknown, move only in the moment, stick a few more pins in maps of far off places....

I can't wait to travel with our little one. I love the idea of strapping him to my back and setting off on an adventure together.

"You can have the life you want." 

I continue to repeat this to myself until I feel the full force of it. And I remind myself that "not yet" is not the same as "never". 

Besides, I am now a "we" but somehow still me, and navigating that is its own miraculous adventure. 

But I am hungry for travel in such a primal way, as though it's essential to my very survival. I'm not unhappy with our decision to stay where we are for at least one more year; this is the first time I've ever renewed a lease, and that sort of steady feels good right now. It's just that there's also so much more world to see! And I want to be one of those crazy people that keeps getting her hands dirty, keeps pushing and challenging and exploring far beyond my backyard. 

Not too long ago I felt "traveled out"; the thought of putting my suitcase into storage almost came as a relief. Now, though, I see I was equating "travel" with "moving", since a packed case generally contained much of what I owned and meant leaving for months or a year at a time. I am still in no way ready for another overseas move (or any kind of move anywhere, really), but a solid two week trip outside the US? I'll take it. Oh, god, in a heartbeat, I'm there.