Julia Roberts said it best

Hi friends,

Dave took the boys out to dinner the other night and I found myself in the very rare position of being all by myself…which meant I actually got to pick something other than Monster Truck Racing to watch.

Don’t laugh, but I settled on Eat, Pray, Love. I read the book years ago, yet never got around to watching the movie, and you can’t really go wrong with anything Julia Roberts stars in, right?

Towards the beginning of the movie, when Julia's character, Liz, is realizing she's living a life she doesn't want, this brief conversation takes place between her and her friend/agent:

Liz: I'm going to Italy Friend: Italy? Why? Liz: What did you eat for lunch? Friend: A salad. Liz: Exactly. I used to have an appetite for food, for my life, and it is just gone. I want to go someplace I can marvel at something.

Man, I really felt that in my soul.

Listen, I am very grateful for the many blessings in my life and I don’t wish for a different one. But I’d be lying if I said I never got bored of my day to day, that I didn’t long to go "someplace I could marvel at something." I am a mom of 2 young boys (and now 3 dogs), which means I spend 75% of my time going to HEB, doing laundry, picking up toys, picking up chewed up toys, coming up with healthy-ish snack ideas the kids will actually eat, and basically herding/bribing them through their morning and evening routines!

At the end of most days, as I sit in the boys room waiting for them to fall asleep, does a year in Italy, India, and Bali sound like a lot more fun? Umm, yeah, 100%.

Is it remotely feasible at this stage in my life? Hard no.

The good news is that I’ve learned how to get around the fact that I cannot get on a plane and have a life of pizza, gelato, and adventure (yet!) All it takes is a little creativity and willingness to change things up. Basically, if you always do things one way, try doing them a different way.

If you always go to dinner on date night, try a day date (scenic bike ride to a brunch is a favorite for Dave and I!)

If you always take a power vinyasa class, sign up for yin or restorative. And vice versa.

If you always watch tv while you eat dinner on the couch, take it outside and enjoy your meal under the evening sky.

If you always sleep in on Saturday, wake up early and watch the sunrise with a cup of coffee on your porch.

If you always do house/yard work on the weekends, plan a day trip to the beach or the hill country.

If you always go to a movie, get tickets to a performance (I’m going to Moulin Rouge next Saturday!)

If you always meditate at night…hahah, who am I kidding, nobody ALWAYS does that:) And if you do, don't change a thing!

If you start feeling bored in your life, try something NEW. Try a new recipe each week. Try a new coffee shop. Try a new route on your morning dog walk. Try a dance class, art class, calligraphy class, or a flower arrangement class. You get the picture. There really are endless ways to add brightness and joy to our days if we’re willing to think just beyond the box of our daily habits. I hope you do that this month, and then share with me what new things - big or small - have made you feel excited to be the protagonist in your own life!

Xo, Carolina