Learning to Find Time

Unbeknownst to me, I’ve been losing my time. My self.

At the start of my First Summer in San Diego, I had two goals:

1. Have fun.

2. Make money.

And I did. Lots. Of both. I took a second job at my beloved Bar Method Studio, and jumped from weekend to weekend – working, entertaining (beloved) visitors,

attending very wonderful friends’ weddings,

attending AWESOME sporting events,

and meeting real life race horses up close and personal.

My summer? It was fantastic. My only regret? Not learning to surf.

But here’s the thing: from working two jobs, never having a day off, and continuous fun, I somehow lost a sense of me. I lost the time I used to spent doing things I liked – things I needed – to be a happy person.

I stopped writing. And blogging.

I got involved in a messy, toxic relationship – one I’m still dealing with the residual pain and nonsense.

I stopped walking Tahn. This summer? From my busy lifestyle, and my very physical full-time job, and the Bar Method, I got in the best shape of my life. My dog? Gained weight. Gained 12 pounds.

I lost time for myself.

It wasn’t until the excitement of the Summer passed, and leaving my second job did I realize how unhappy I was.

It wasn’t until I took my days off – to cook, to clean, to read, to walk Tahn, to sleep, did I realize how unbalanced my life had become.

It wasn’t until recently – almost 3 months after the CrazyFunSummer did I have the urge to write – to blog.

I’ve been reading a few books – books on how to simplify your life, your thoughts, your self. Recently, I read this from one of my absolute favs, Anne Lamott.

I hope you click over and read the fantastic article. But, if not, here is a quote, summing up what I’ve been working towards/thinking about/ attempting lately:

“I’ve heard it said that every day you need half an hour of quiet time for yourself, or your Self, unless you’re incredibly busy and stressed, in which case you need an hour. I promise you, it is there. Fight tooth and nail to find time, to make it. It is our true wealth, this moment, this hour, this day”. – Anne Lamott in Sunset Magazine

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Living Simply

A couple of weeks ago, my brother gave me a Sunset magazine article on Zero Waste. He knows that I care about the environment and I try my best not to do further harm to the planet.

So, he thought I would like this article on this woman named Bea Johnson. Bea and her family live a life of “Zero Waste” and literally throw handfuls of trash away each year.

Handfuls of trash. Each. Year.

I throw away handfuls of trash each day.

The article sited a bunch of tips – no paper towels, no disposable napkins or  tissues. Bea uses glass jars and fills them with items she buys in bulk from her local health food store. She uses mesh bags when she goes to the Farmer’s Market to put her produce in. Bea and her family have a small wardrobe, where she only buys clothes from a second hand store.

The article made me feel terrible about my lifestyle.

I love recycling. I recycle as much as I can. I will literally take things out of the trash and put them in the recycling bins.

But, I have never thought about reducing what I buy – so I don’t have as much to recycle or throw away.

In order to live Be Simpler – the title of Bea’s business, I have decided to make some life changes. In order to live a life like Bea, you have to have two things.

1. An initial investment of money. (To buy all the glass jars, mess bags, water bottles, etc).
2. An initial investment of time. (To figure out where you can eliminate waste, and how).

Well, I don’t have very much extra money to invest. I have set aside $20 a month to buy these products. But, as a single woman who has complete control over her free time, I do have some time to invest.

My first step to living more simply? Getting a new water bottle. After a lot of research (see, I told you that you need time…), I learned that Klean Kanteen is the best of the best in the refillable water bottle in the water bottle world. (I previously had a metal water bottle, but it always had a metallic aftertaste…)  I did a bunch of price comparisons, and I learned that the Co-Op near my home sold them the cheapest – cheaper than online or at other stores.

So, today, I bought myself a new water bottle. It’s pink. I really like pink.

Sports cap and flat cap. Fantastic!

This is replacing my old wattle bottle. My BPA-containing plastic water bottle. The water bottle I used everyday, but that is made out of the evil plastic and is slowly seeping hazardous chemicals into my body everyday. (Or, so they say…)

Goodbye, old faded water bottle.

I’m pretty excited about this new path. I am pretty excited about reducing my waste and helping the environment.

And, I am particularly excited about shopping for all my new stuff. (Wait. Isn’t that the opposite of this whole thing? Shoot. It’s gonna be a looooong process).