Do you travel? Do you prefer staying close to home? Both are beautiful, beautiful things.

My heart delights in travel, and despite being an introvert, I love exploring other countries and cities. I’ve been nearly to 30 now, and my desire to see more places only grows. People ask where I want to go, and my answer is, consistently, “THE WORLD.” Now, I don’t know if I’ll make that list, but it’s fun knowing that there are so many places to see and experience.

But I do love home, too. It’s familiar.

The funny thing, though, is that sometimes the unknown and the unfamiliar BECOME familiar…and that’s a thing too.

Oh, goodness. You all have caught me in a very contemplative place in life. I hope you don’t mind the echos of the things I’ve been grappling with as I adjust to being home after 6 weeks of travel. (just so you know, i’d do it again in a heartbeat)

What I’m Being Inspired By

Current Jam:

If I were to choose a song to sum up 2019, it would be “A Fool Who Dreams” from LaLaLand. I love stories, and it’s very much a story song. Also, this Thanksgiving, I coerced my brother (very easily) to slide into the piano bench so I could belt out these lyrics myself. And, he revealed to me, that this song is vocally lead. The pianist very much follows the vocalist, and ladies and gentle-fellows, this is not my strong point. So, my friends, dream a little more even when it feels so foolish to do so.

Current Food:

Bún chả is a meal I would go back for. Yes, you heard that right. While I was in Vietnam, I wandered the streets, searching for food I had not yet tried. And this is one of the meals I found on my own, and while I had to sneak looks at people to figure out how to eat it, it was amazing. And the price was unbeatable (about $1).

Current Read Listen:

I’m not much of a Podcast listener. It’s just not my jam to listen to people have conversations that I don’t really get to participate in as anything other than a listener, but recently I’ve been loving The Liturgists. And I don’t know how I found them. But, I love the conversations they’re having about crucial topics that don’t seem to be talked about in the faith circles.

Current Obsession:

I love this anti-tragus piercing and earring. If you’ve ever seen my ears up close, then you know I sport a number of different piercings. I’ve always loved the fun of earrings, and I love even more that it’s becoming a trend to have a piercing artist curate your ear. While I’ve been self-curating my ears, I absolutely love seeing the artistry of Ben Tauber on Instagram.

Current Quote:

My gosh, I love this introspective Instagram account. Not only do I love how the words are shared on brown paper and handwriting (which feels so tangible despite the pixelation), but I adore the words that often spur on self-examination and questioning. It’s also shocking to discover where I have unhealthy boundaries!

What’s Inspiring YOU?

As we come to the close of 2019, what are you proud of? How are you inspired? What are you going to do better next year?

Love you!