release

This week I'm floundering. I'm up to my eyeballs in school work, I just started a second job, I'm CONSTANTLY on the internet searching for apartments / jobs / cars / etc. for when I move. Speaking of cars -- yet another headache. The latest issue with my car? I can't fill my gas tank. Figuring out if I should continue to fix the problems or pop for a newer car has my head spinning. The plunge into the real world + all the struggles that come with it is SO real. None of this would be as stressful if I wasn't moving in three months + still had so much to figure out.

I didn't even realize how much anxiety I had until I was sitting in class last night and felt every muscle in my body tense up. I felt like my chest was caving in. I started to cold sweat + shake. I was so worn out that I started nodding off -- which never happens in this particular class since it's a psychology course on Mindfulness, which interests me. This class is such a blessing -- I had tried signing up for it months ago, but registration was closed, AND there was a waiting list. A few days after classes started, I checked availability just for fun and there was one seat open. One. And I snagged it.

For this class, we are required to meditate. And it's helping me to release.

Release the tension.

Release the toxic.

Release the mind.

It's difficult to let go and be fully present in the moment without your thoughts rapidly taking over. The key is to focus on your breath + feel the air enter and leave your body. Nothing else. I've noticed my anxiety spikes every time I attempt this because I feel that I should / need to be doing something else instead of sitting and thinking about breathing. Sounds kinda lame right? But the few times I've been able to accept my anxiety and let those thoughts come and go, an extreme feeling of peace overcomes me and makes it all worth it.

Find what calms you + release.

italian adventures || 6 + 7

PISA / FLORENCE. The first thing we did yesterday was drive down to Pisa solely to see the tower and continue on our way. What was supposed to be a quick stop turned in to a big fiasco because we circled trying to actually find the tower itself... wasn't fun. You know what else isn't fun? Florence traffic. Driving in Italy is generally awful but there was something about Firenze drivers that caused a headache. We stopped at Il Duomo + climbed 15394690 stairs to view Florence from the high point. Once we escaped the Duomo (and I literally mean escape -- it was a maze getting out of that thing) we raced over to the Uffizi museum. We saw original works from Michelangelo, da Vinci, and Botticelli, and my personal favorite, Laocoön and His Sons (just found out that was a replica -- bummer).  The Uffizi was also a maze; it took longer to get out of the museum than it did to walk through it. By the time we left we were all a little cranky, mostly from hunger, but were able to remedy it with some good eats + beer at a local pizzaria.

Yes, that large mug was all mine.
Also, we were approached by real gypsies. They exist.

Today was a lot of driving since we were just focused on getting to Rome. But hey, we're here. We managed to stop by some aqueduct ruins and snap some pictures. An Italian man stopped me and asked to take my photo... so that was fun (see above). We also made room for a tour of the catacombe San Callisto (yay humanities!) but weren't allowed to take any photos so just google some pictures and use your imagination. Currently we're staying at a B+B owned by the cutest little Italian man. Love me some Leonardo. He recommended a place called Buona a block away so that's where we ate dinner. It was delicious per usual and I fell for our waiter. He was teaching us proper Italian and giving us the ins and outs of Rome. Love me some Cristiano. Tomorrow's a big day + I can't wait to explore the heart of Rome.

italian adventures || 5

We said goodbye to our family in Vicenza and drove to Cinque Terre today. After getting settled in our cozy little hotel room, we went down to one of the little towns and dipped our toes in the Mediterranean sea (I've never seen clearer or bluer water in my life) and just kind of hung out for the day.

Dolce far niente -- the sweetness of doing nothing. 

Tomorrow, we head to Pisa + Florence.