Moving Cost

I'm moving out of my apartment in approximately 22 days...

Still recovering from an injury, I don't want to mess up my shoulder again by lifting heavy boxes.  But I need to move.  My parents already have to rearrange their space, and neither of them can really lift at the moment.  So, I figured that I would hire someone with a big truck to help me.  Well, I found out exactly how expensive that would be.  Once you add up the large furniture from a few "rooms," there is a lot that I need help with.

The cost?  It's pretty much another month's rent.  I'm trying to SAVE money by moving, not spend a ton of extra money.  Still, I was willing to pay the cost of moving to save some cash long term.  That is, until my friends heard about this plan.

I kid you not, within 48 hours of figuring out that I had to shell out some steep moving costs, three friends offered to help me out.  I responded with "I feel bad, because I can't really lift anything heavy," and my friend (we'll call her Elsy) said "That's what friends are for!"  So cliche, I know, but she is totally right!  If Elsy needed help or support, I would totally be there, so why feel bad asking her to help me out?  After that boost of confidence, I felt okay asking my strong young male friends for their help as well, and to my pleasant surprise, they jumped at the notion of helping me move.  I am so grateful to have such wonderful friends!

This is such a relief because I was dreading the whole moving process.  I moved about 5 times last year for a variety of reasons, only once or twice with heavy furniture, but I did most of them by myself.  It was exhausting.  Moving won't be so bad this time around, though.  I have a great group of friends who stepped up and offered to move my large furniture for me for the cost of some good food and cheerful company!  ...AND there are some other folks who are on board with a moving out party on short notice, so I actually get to celebrate this time!

Message of the Day:  Need help?  Ask a friend!

...Or don't.  It won't change my reality.  Cheers!

Moving: It's official

Well, it's official.  I'm moving out of my apartment.  In 27 days, it will no longer be mine.

I have had so much fun decorating it over the past year, but it's time to move!  I'm having separation anxiety already; I fell in love with the space.  Here are some photos I have taken of my humble abode:

It might be a culture shock having a television again when I move back home, and I will definitely have to get used to the whole roommate/parents thing again!  Overall, it will be a good thing though.  This is a blog about positivity, so I won't tell you about my landlord.  Despite the drama, which I won't get into, the space itself is pretty cool.  I've made it my own.  I keep gazing around the room with the knowledge that soon it will look very different, and it makes me want to use the space in the ways I envisioned when I first got here again.  I plan on staying until the very last day.  Actually, I have to move the furniture before then, but I will definitely be using the space as my own personal yoga/art studio until the last possible moment!

Message of the Day:  Be present in each day, for change is inevitable.
...Or don't.  It won't change my reality.  Cheers!

Pillows!

Three words:

Brand.  New.  Pillows!

I am such a "Princess and the Pea" kind of sleeper, and lately I've been feeling especially uncomfortable.  We spend (or we should be spending) about 1/3 of our lives in our beds, so having the proper mattress and pillows to sleep with is super important.  In fact, getting a great night's sleep or a crummy one can drastically alter our mood.

That said, I have a confession to make:

Until yesterday, I had never actually purchased a pillow!

That's right.  Never!  Don't get grossed out - it's not that I have the same one I had since I was a child - I just never actually did the shopping part myself.  My aunt got me this awesome tempur pedic contour pillow that I used for the longest time (through college), and I honestly have no idea how frequently my mom bought new pillows, but I always just used whatever was in the house.  I brought my favorite one with me when I moved out.  It is no longer my favorite pillow.  It got lumpy.  I loathe lumpy!  Lumpy pillows need to be punched and altered in the middle of the night, which is great if you need a punching bag, but not so great if you need quality sleep.

So, for the first time in my adult life, I went to the store and bought some pillows.  Since I had no idea what I was looking for, I just got a variety of firm pillows (I know that I don't like squishy or lumpy).  I bought three pillows, Goldilocks style!  A week with each ought to give me a pretty good idea of which one will become my new favorite pillow.  I can't believe I haven't done this sooner!  My very own pillow experiment; I'm excited!

Message of the Day:  Buy new pillows!
I did some research, and they suggest purchasing new ones every 6 months to a year...

...Or don't.  It won't change my reality.  Cheers!

Snow Princess!

Gotta love snow days!

So, one of these past snow days, my landlord came out of nowhere & hit me with a snowball while I was shoveling!  He went inside too quickly to get him back.  Good surprise!

I had planned on just painting all day long, but it was such great packing snow that I took breaks from shoveling & made this guy:

/girl:

It's a double-sided snow prince/princess (bowl for a crown, broccoli for those gorgeous green eyes, tomato lips, and a chocolate nose)!

...and I didn't get any pictures, but I also made some snow angels!

What do you do on snow days to make you happy?

Message of the day: Play in the snow!

...Or don't.  It won't change my reality.  Cheers!

Blank Canvas

On my list of top ten things in this world:

A blank canvas.

Both literally and figuratively, a blank canvas is one of the most wonderful things in the world!  There is so much potential!  Today is a blank canvas.  So is tomorrow.  How will you fill it?

Allow me to preface this by saying that the impending snow storm had most people flocking to the grocery store.  Sure, I went to pick up a couple groceries for a stew and some tea (half of which the store was out of, anyway), but I made a more important stop, first!  Last night, I walked into an art supply store intending to pick up one or two canvases.  Who doesn't make sure they have what they need for their favorite hobby before a storm?  They were on sale if you bought in bulk, and I took that as a sign from the universe encouraging me to follow through on my intent to "paint more."  I walked out with about a dozen (for less than $25)!  I reckon I'll be doing quite a bit of painting over the next few months, and I couldn't be happier!

Painting on a tangible blank canvas feels amazing, but there is also something to be said for a figurative one.  The figurative meaning of a "blank canvas" can, like many things in life, be positive or negative.  Day to day, you can wake up and say "I have no clue what to do/how to act today," or you might say "I can't wait to see what today brings me!"  Creating a bright feeling every day can change your life for the better, believe me.

A more long-term definition of a "blank canvas" is slightly different, though.  One who can say that they have a "fresh start" or a "clean slate" has most likely closed a previous chapter of their lives.  This often creates a reason to fear the blank canvas, because it means leaving something behind.  A few of the scariest examples of new chapters include marriage, a brand new business venture, a change in career, a move to a new city or a new country, and a small person growing inside you whom you're expected to care for until the end of time!  In the past year, I have either done or seen all of the above examples happen to myself and/or the people around me and do you know what I have found out?  The potentially "scariest" new beginnings often turn into the most exciting, rewarding experiences!

It is sometimes difficult to be optimistic when you don't see the whole picture at first, but once you embrace the creative spirit that comes along with staring at the blank canvas in front of you, magical things can happen.  If you don't believe me, ask my Kundalini yoga instructor (I'll call him "M").

M had a 9 to 5 job.  He had been working hard there for a long while, so it was stable and comfortable.  M couldn't understand why, but he began to feel unhappy and stressed.  His job was a little stressful, but mostly he felt as though he needed a time-traveling device to accomplish everything he wanted to accomplish in his day.  This feeling persisted day after day, week after week, and began to affect his mood.  M was on the path to becoming a serious yogi, but he felt as though he didn't have enough time to practice because of his 9-5 schedule.  He felt stuck, and wished for change.  As soon as he put that wish out into the Universe, he got fired!  If M was telling this story, he would say "...and it was the best thing that ever happened to me!"  Imagine getting fired from a job that you generally enjoy, are good at, and have had for years.  Naturally, M was very upset and made he it known.  Shortly afterwards, M decided to use his newfound free time to become a yoga instructor.  He also set goals to change his lifestyle, rearrange his house to promote healing, and meditate twice a day.  I met M years later; by that time he had accomplished all of those things and more!  M is one of the healthiest men I know, spiritually and physically.  If you ever ask him about it, he will tell you it is all because he got fired from his office job!

Months, maybe years after he lost his job, M went back to his old office, shook his boss' hand (the  same man who fired him), and said "Thank you!  I don't think I would have had the guts to quit by myself.  I am in such a great place right now and I am doing what I love.  I was unhappy.  You noticed, and set me free."

M likes telling this story to his yogis because it is about embracing the unknown, wonderful things that are ahead of us in this life.  No matter how young or how old you are, every one of your days is a blank canvas.  I have come to know that unknown to be synonymous with: full of endless potential!

Message of the day: Every day is a blank canvas; fill it with some color!

...Or don't.  But know that it will get filled with or without your conscious intent.  You might as well hold the brush!  Cheers!

Ghost Neighbor

I saw my neighbor last night for the first time in probably over 3 months.  We literally share a wall.  I find that odd.  Actually, the only reason I saw him is because he rang my doorbell to tell me that I left my lights on (whoops - I never went back to the car for the rest of my stuff).  I wonder where he goes?  Does he have a girlfriend?  Or another house somewhere that he escapes to during the winter?  Was he on vacation?  We both work strange hours on occasion, but 3 months is an awfully long time to go AWOL.  Has he resorted to just using his apartment as a storage facility during the winter months?  A note about this: All I really know about him is that, to the best of my knowledge, he is a limo driver and has a ton of stuff in his tiny apartment.  I have never actually set foot inside his apartment, but judging from the overflowing car, the bins on our back porch, and the sliver of his space I see when I pass by the window, I don't imagine he has much free space in there!

Do you have ghost neighbors?

I am actually smack dab in the middle of two apartments.  My other neighbor, a sweet Romanian woman, chats with me at least once a month.  It seems as though we have begun chatting more during the holiday season.  I knock on her door to invite her for tea, she texts me to ask about the heat or what I've been cooking all day.  We are kindred spirits, unlike the sweet old man with whom I share the opposite wall.  Settled into quiet apartments by ourselves where nobody will bother us if we don't invite them over, we sit at our tiny tables on the patio in the morning with a cup of tea and watch the birds at her feeders.  I'm not as much of a loner as she is, but we bond over good places to go hiking in solitude, and we exchange healthy foods.  She talks to her plants; I sing to mine.  She has a very gentle, nurturing demeanor and is quite pleasant to be around.

Still, if I couldn't hear her laughing at old films on Saturday mornings through the walls, I could probably avoid the existence of little Romanian woman next door if I wanted to.  Initially it made me uneasy that we can hear one another through the walls, but she swears that my singing doesn't bother her a bit, and I don't mind eavesdropping on her occasional loud Skype conversations in Romanian, admiring the strange yet beautiful language.  In fact, we are generally quiet and I've quite enjoyed waking up to the pleasant sound of her laughter the past few weeks; it certainly beats an annoying ringtone!


I never hear a peep from the opposite wall - I mean nothing.  Ever.  Not to be creepy or anything, but I wonder if the man next door can hear me singing and smell my cooking as well?  I am just a knock on the wall away, after all.  I probably shouldn't admit this, but I have stared at my accent wall (the bright orange one, seen above) more than once pondering what would happen if I should knock on it.  Alas, not a peep from him!  Shall I try?

My bright orange accent wall

Gah!  I chicken out every time!

Message of the day: Know your neighbors?  Oh & watch what you say; you never know who is listening!

...Or don't.  It won't change my reality.  Cheers!

Old Friends

An old friend of mine rolled into town yesterday just to see me!  It's always so surprising to me how really good friends can just pick up where they left off.  In a totally awesome way, we hugged it out and decided that we wouldn't go so long without making an effort to get together again.  All of my best relationships have gone through some sort of "what happened while we were caught up in our own lives?  That can't happen again - HOW did I miss that?"  So, we caught up, he took me out to lunch, and he helped me fix the shades in my living room!  Typical day, I suppose!

It is SUCH a pleasure to see an old friend.  They "knew you when..." and can get all nostalgic.  They've either watched you grow up or grown up with you, so they can essentially see the true you.  They know who you wanted to be "when you grow up," and what has changed.  They can often help you to reflect on where you've been, where you want to be, and where you are going.  Old friends also pretty much know how to make you laugh, pick you up when you're down, and listen when life gets you down.  Oh, and they know all your old tricks, so good luck pulling a fast one on them!  Most of all, if old friends are still good friends, they can tell when you need a friend.

Message of the day: Old friends are irreplaceable.  Stay in touch.

...Or don't.  It won't change my reality.  Cheers!

Writing on the Wall

I had some friends over for New Year's Eve, and one of them noticed that there was writing on my bathroom wall.  He looked perplexed and impressed.  I told him that it comes right off the tile since it is drawn with dry erase markers.  Understanding the impermanence of the graffiti, he seemed to accept it.  At first, he thought that I write lists in the shower or something.  Then, he looked a little closer and read what I wrote.  Still puzzled, he opened up a dialogue about my logic behind writing this here.  Surely there were better things I had to do in the shower than write inspirational quotes?

The shower is the one brainless task we do [let's face it - almost] every day, during which we cannot be distracted or disturbed.  Sure, we brush our teeth, make our bed, take our vitamins; there are other daily monotonous tasks, so why is the shower special?  Easy.  I'm not talking about those simple 5 second tasks we do without thinking while the world around us is bustling with chatter, I'm talking about an activity we DO every day without distractions.  I make my bed while I'm figuring out what to wear for the day.  I brush my teeth often while I'm putting together my lunch or sending an e-mail.  I drive to work with the radio blaring and a to-do list forming in my head.  I'm multitasking every which way except in the shower.  My time in the shower is sacred.  It is sacred because I can lock the rest of the world out; nothing is being forced upon me but being with myself (and getting clean).

I live alone, but I'm sure that when I have children my precious "me time" in the shower will be even more sacred.  No matter how crazy life gets, we have to shower.  I can shower in silence or with some music on, but I don't have to think in the shower if I don't want to.  It feels amazing!  Sure, I often come up with a new song whilst I'm washing out my shampoo (and I can scribble lyrics on the wall if I'd like to), but I also take time to revel in the simplicity of feeling the water massage my skin.  If I feel the need to focus on a particular thought or goal, I write it on my whiteboard until it is etched in my brain, and then I let it be.  I allow it to become a part of me, and let it go without stressing about it.  I do this before I begin my day so that I gain whatever clarity of mind I need to bring into the day.  That is why you will find writing on the wall in my shower!

Where do you find peace?

Message(s) of the day: Find stillness where you can.
Enjoy the feeling of the water against your skin every once in a while.

...Or don't.  It won't change my reality.  Cheers!

Sound

Since I can't express myself via sound, I've been dancing around my apartment (and picking up the guitar, but as a singer, it's frustrating when my main instrument doesn't work)!  I wondered how someone who couldn't speak or sing, or even hear might express themselves.  Maybe through dance or art.  Most of us can hear Idina Menzel in the background, but maybe "singing" looks something like this YouTube video for those of us who can't:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veGYZ6CE0UA

Frozen really did take over 2014, but I like the message.  Cheers!

"Listen to My Body"

I'm not always a chipper, bubbly, happy person, but I try to smile my way through the day.  It really does make the days brighter, even when they start off looking gloomy.  Like today, for example, when I woke up around 5 am to discover that no, my voice had not yet returned.  Another day of silence for me.  Oh well; time to warm up some of the chicken soup I made yesterday... right after I sleep for a few more hours!  "It's okay to sleep in sometimes."  Yup, that's what my body said to me this morning.  Following through with my New Year's Resolutions, I am going to "Listen to my body."

Message of the day: Listen to your body.

...Or don't.  It won't change my reality.  Cheers!