California in December
December 2020
was when Zakhary and I went on our first van trip. (For those of you that don’t know, Zakhary is my fiancé so you’ll be seeing his name a lot.) He was still in the marines so he had to take leave. Luckily, I was on winter break and had time off from nursing school so I flew out there. Taking turns traveling was our norm. Although, I think in the end he traveled more than me, don’t remind him of that. We were approaching five years of long distance in our relationship. And would only see each other once every few months and that was considered lucky.
And at the end of 2020, it was time to see one another again.
Zakhary wanting to stay in a van for multiple days was not unusual. I’ll be honest, when he first mentioned this trip, I was a little hesitant… so no bathrooms or showers? (my initial thought). And that was maybe one of his last thoughts. His first would have been that we would get this dope opportunity to travel and see beautiful parts of nature. He is more adventurous and all for unconventional experiences. One of the many reasons I love him.
We, in fact, rented a van and drove along the coast of California.
Highway 1
That meant no showers and a lack of bathrooms but that was part of the adventure. It’s what made our memories and forced us to be present. Looking back I was definitely suffering from a syndrome called ehh high maintenance… which is painful to admit but the truth hurts sometimes.
One of the reasons I’m creating this page is to better myself. I want to gain the ability to alter those gloomy thoughts I seem to have frequently. After all, this trip is one that I will always remember and to this day is one of my favorites. AND has made me more open to traveling minimally.
Look at all those positives that came out of no showers or bathrooms.
The short-lived van life allowed us to get a taste of a simpler lifestyle. There is not a lot of room in most vans so you learn to make do with what you have. Detachment from materialistic things and practicing minimalism can be pretty freeing.
Christmas Day
we went to Moonstone beach and we practically had the place to ourselves. To no surprise, there are not a lot of people at the beach on Christmas in California. That morning, Zakhary made breakfast out of the back of the van - you already know he had to open the greasy spoon. As we ate, we sat in lawn chairs at the top of an overlook. The sun was shining, the waves were crashing, and there was a breeze from the ocean.
I was consciously taking the time to soak in the view as it’s one of my favorites to look at. I turned to look at Zakhary and he was getting emotional (sorry to expose you, babe). I asked him what was wrong and he wasn’t able to find the words.
“MINDFULNESS :
A peaceful mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations.”
This. This is what Zakhary was experiencing that morning on the beach.
Our thoughts are often racing off to the past and future, feeling overwhelmed by our emotions, or distracted by senses and sensations. But we can teach ourselves to check in to the present moment by getting in touch with those senses and emotions, thoughts, and actions we take.
Practice being present
Notice your surroundings
Focus on one thing at a time (don’t multitask)
Be grateful for what you have now
Accept things how they are and not how you want them to be
Meditate and practice deep breathing
Take a break from social media and technology
Regularly exercise
Be mindful of everything you do
Stay close to people who feel like sunshine
Living in the present moment requires you to take the time to appreciate where you are, what you're doing, and who is with you. Instead of becoming caught up in the past or worrying about what will happen in the future, try to relish each moment as it passes.
Let go of the past and don’t wait for the future.
Amelia
