As a wee little SophintheCity I was notorious for bitting my nails. I bit them when I was scared, nervous, sad, anxious, happy, bored, etc. I didn't really discriminate against any emotion that warranted biting my nails. My mother tried anything and everything to rid me of my awful habit. We tried painting them with pepper nail-polish, we implemented an incentives system and we tried sheet will power. At the end of they day I learned that I had absolutely no self accountability and eyes that were burning.
It wasn't until my high school graduation that I was allowed to get "fake nails". I sat myself at the salon, got my first set of acrylic French nails (with a glittery topcoat as to be expected). It was during those fateful 2.5 weeks that I realized that I liked how my hands looked with long manicured nails. With this realization my borderline addiction and full on obsession with nail polish and painting my nails was born. It has become a hobby that is both aesthetically pleasing and personally satisfying.
Over the years my collection has become quite extensive ranging from black and dark purple to nudes and pastels. To top it off, I probably own every shade of pink imaginable. I have found painting my nails to be one of my favorite self-care activities. On some days, like today, acquiring new nail polish is my solution to a rough day.
Theres something simply therapeutic about walking through the isles at a store and looking at the endless array of color. Testing out color after color until you find just the right shade to fit your mood. While I am admittedly notorious for gravitating to the same color scheme, going home and realizing that I already own that bottle, however, today was a different day!
Today called for something brand new! Something fresh and exciting that was a little bold, a little dangerous and a little sassy! A brand new pick me up that was a vacation in a bottle both by name and by appearance.
Turquoise and Caicos (by Essie) here I come!
Needless to say, my attempt at moving to Chicago and becoming a blogger of my adventures has been an epic fail. I've continued to be a Facebooker, a newly found Tweeter with an occasional LinkedIn post but a blogger I am certainly not! My last post was written in January which seems like it was only a few days ago. In fact, it boggles my sassy little mind that it's July 8th! Where has the time gone I ask? When did the sunny Sacramento summer of 2011 become the windy and snowy winter of Chicago? When did the January blog become the one year anniversary of starting a new chapter? When did this California girl start to actually like the Midwest life?
Well, let me tell you.....
Life happens and you know what? It happens in the blink of an eye. Somewhere between the morning coffee runs, the afternoon workouts, the evening reality shows and the countless meetings thrown in anywhere in between, life creeps up on you. This past year has been a roller coaster as I have grown and learned a lot by trial and error both personally and professionally. I've realized that as "life was happening" I needed to be better about taking a moment to pause and remember that I control my balance and what and who I make time for.
This year which at times has felt like a fleeting moment, has actually been a lengthy reality. The precious seconds we so easily let slip by add up to the monumental accumulation we call our existence. That's deep right? How often do we take those little moments for granted and neglect to enjoy what is around us. The people, the places and the things that are in our lives, regardless of distance, matter more than anything. So take a moment and enjoy what's happening. Savor the seconds ticking on the clock and remember to do what you're called to do.
What will I do you may be asking? Well, I vow to enjoy the city more, keep in touch with those who matter more and as the opening line of this post indicates, I vow to blog more :-)
Turquoise and Caicos (by Essie) here I come!
