We are better than this...

It's hard to try and come up with a way to say this, without getting political. But I don't want to just sit back and say nothing. Because this isn't okay - we are better than this! We have to be.

I am so saddened in regards to the state of affairs within our country. Hate and discrimination is something I will never understand. I wish it was as easy as saying that love wins but for the times when it doesn't... it's hard to think of what to say or do. It is such a terrible thing when love and acceptance loses to hate, ignorance and fear.

Although my voice may not be loud or even matter, I just wanted to put it out there.
To simply add a small voice to a huge and serious issue.

Photo by Jerry Kiesewetter on Unsplash

Slow Living

For awhile now I have been intrigued by the concept of slow living. A life of slow living is one that is intentional, minimalist in theory and relaxing. A time where you don't make plans or are constantly busy. It means that you actually have time to enjoy yourself and your loved ones. It can be as simple as cooking your meals instead of ordering out, or enjoying a cup of tea or coffee at home, instead of on the go.

For me, slow living is actually a lot of things. It's listening to records on a Sunday morning with Alex. Reading a good book or having a picnic. The way our homemade meals taste and how good simple food should be enjoyable and relaxing to make. Having a cup of coffee in the morning, sitting at my table alone, and enjoying the stillness of it all. It's also about buying less and making more.

Slow living is different things to different people.
It's about finding time for what truly makes you happy.

Here are a few links in regards to slow living - ones that have really inspired me:

• Slow Living: A Beginner's Guide
• How To Find Time for Slow Living
• Simple Living
• Live With Less: A Guide To Decluttering
• What If All I Want Is A Mediocre Life
• 13 Reminders for Single Tasking

What do you think about slow living? What ways do you practice it? Let me know in the comments below, so we can discuss.

The Lifelong Desire To Be Thirty-Two and Knowing That Yours Stars Have Finally Aligned

I'm sitting in our living room as I write this. Our christmas tree is aglow and the smell of holiday scented candles are filling the air. Alex is putting the finishing touches on his artwork for his first art festival; which is tomorrow. I'm sitting here content, calm and incredibly happy. Because in ten days I'll be thirty-two years old.

When I was younger my dad used to ask me what age I wanted to be. I always said thirty-two. He'd ask me why and my response was that by the time I turned thirty-two everything in my life would fall into place. And here I am, ten days away from turning thirty-two... that elusive, perfect age that I've always wanted to be. Things are truly falling into place too. My life is full. I'm engaged to Alex, the love of my life, we have Olive and our own place. In February we will be married and officially starting our life together.

And I'll be thirty-two... It's a little weird to think back on that twelve year old Danielle and think about how much I wanted to be thirty-two. I had no idea how amazing my life would be in regards to that lifelong desire. It's weird to know that it's all coming to fruition. And along with that, comes an interesting feeling in knowing that all your stars have finally aligned.

A Declaration on Skepticism, Beliefs, and Questioning Everything

I've always had a hard time understanding those who are extremely and stubbornly steadfast in their beliefs (no matter what they believe in or don't believe in). There is still so much out there that is unknown. It seems preposterous to me to be so headstrong in such constricted points of view. Things change, the search for knowledge pays off, technology advances, and discoveries are made. I feel as though there needs to be a level of skepticism when it comes to the perception of our world. A child-like inquisitiveness in which we strive to maintain the older we get. To remain dead set on a certain way of thinking is detrimental to the advancement of not only society but ourselves as well.

A simple conversation with others can open us to a variety of other points of views that we may have never considered before. Points of views where no one is wrong and no one is right. All that matters is that your eyes are open enough to where your thought process may become altered in a way that is beneficial to yourself and those around you. If we remain in a life where we so willingly accept what others tell us a fact, how are we to ever search for the truth that is still out there? Stagnation is no way to live. We need to question what is around us. For if we do not question, we simply become the blind leading the blind.

"Beliefs are dangerous. Beliefs allow the mind to stop functioning. A non-functioning mind is clinically dead. Believe in nothing." - Maynard James Keenan
(Yes, I just quoted Tool...)  


What is your take on beliefs or the lack thereof?

Accepting Our Past, In An Attempt To Grow

And we make it through the days. Hour by hour, minute by minute. Sometimes we ponder what the future might hold. While other times our mind is stuck reliving the past. And we all know that the past isn't always good. There are heartaches that we may not have fully healed from. There are happy moments that we wish would never end. There is loss, sadness, pain, and betrayal. But there is also love, compassion, encouragement, and knowledge. All representing a life well spent, a life well lived. So, in those moments when life feels stagnant, overwhelming, or bleak, try to remember all that you have accomplished. Try to recall all the hands that your own have held, all of the hugs, the kisses, the tears, and the smiles. All of it has been for a reason if we choose to accept our past and grow as a result. All of it has led to who you are now and inevitably create who you will turn into as well.

The Emotional Protection of One Self

Light shining through stained glass windows in Ely Cathedral. Ely, U.K.

I think it's safe to say that we’ve all known the type of person who wants to drag everyone else into their own personal hell. We’ve all experienced those whose actions may or may not make sense, but we forgive and forget. Deep inside we hope that they will soon see the fault in their ways. So we try to move on, thinking that our presence alone will make that person feel loved, understood, and not abandoned. Even though we forgive, they still repeat their actions, and each time a little piece of ourselves is burned as an effigy to what loosing ourselves in an attempt to save someone else feels like.

I’ve dealt with this dynamic enough times in my life that I have learned to eventually walk away because I’ve lost myself before and I refuse to let it happen again. So, when someone repeatedly makes me feel like shit for no reason other than their insecurities, I have learned to shut down my emotions in regards to the other person. It may sound cold or cruel, but the part of me that cares shuts off in an attempt to preserve my sanity. I have never done well with self-pity that is extended to others, or those who try to bring everyone in their world down with them. It's a selfish and destructive act that makes my skin crawl.

I have always been, and will continue to be, the girl who easily forgives, but that doesn’t mean that I will always stay steadfast in that person’s life. Especially when I am being made to feel like shit through no fault of my own. Forgiveness does not mean I will continue to go through hell because someone refuses to become aware of and augment their toxic behavior. For me, there will come a point in time where repetition of actions, even if they are followed by apologies, will become more than what I will choose to be apart of.

To me, self-preservation equates to upholding a sense of sanity in one's life, as well as the act of self-respect. Even though that was something I didn’t give myself when I was younger, I’ll be damned if I don’t allow myself that luxury now…


Have you ever experienced anything like this in your life? How did you handle it?

The Correlation Between Blogging & Chapters In Life

Sometimes I miss my old blog... Sometimes I think about blogging in that space again, a lot actually. And then I think about all that has happened between now and the last time I posted there. So much so that I felt as though I needed to start fresh, because something within me had changed. I was the same, but not, and because of that shift, I started this blog - in hopes of documenting my life in a new way, a way where I could control more of what I put out into the world. Because honestly, my old self, that open-book-of-a-girl, was feeling too exposed and I needed a different space to share the way I wanted to share.

In an almost comical way, I feel sad for leaving my old blog behind. I feel guilty for moving on in life without it. As of now it stands as a reminder of the many chapters in my life. I started that blog a little over a year after I married my now ex-husband. I was a twenty-five year old newlywed. I was young and contemplating what to do with my life. During those years I went back to college with hopes of becoming a teacher. I cut negativity out of my life, lost touch with old friends and made new ones. Across those pages and posts of that blog I redefined myself, I became in touch with myself, I grew as a person. Four years of my life are represented on that blog. A blog where I shared every single photo I wanted to share, every ancient memory, every little thought, every event, every single word that I needed so badly to express.

I'm thirty now and I don't blog as much as I used to. I do miss it, but I am accepting of the fact that now I spend more time living life without the constant need to document. I focus more on enjoying the moment, and sharing more with the people in my life, and a lot less in the digital world. And as much as I miss my old blog, I look to this one with hope and a smile on my face in regards to of what the future has in store for me; countless journeys in which to fill up the pages of this blog with what I see fit.

Lynch Pin

Ever since high school I have been in love with all things David Lynch. The first movie of his that I saw was Lost Highway. Aside from the nightmarish-ly dreamy and mysterious plot, I was in love with the dark undertones, as well as the fact that Trent Reznor had worked on the soundtrack. I devoured Lost Highway obsessively trying to find the mysteries that Lynch hid within his tapestry of jazz, murder, and a film within a film. I became enthralled with Mulholland Drive and pleasantly shocked by Blue Velvet. Lynch's cinematic genius has defined a lot of the type of shows and movies that I watch and adore. His show, Twin Peaks, has always been a favourite of mine - even though I didn't see it in order until the past two months (thanks to Netflix). Since re-watching that incredible series, and falling in love with the characters and all-consuming plot, I have felt a wonderful resurgence for my love of David Lynch. For christmas, I received Fire Walk With Me and even though I am only halfway through, I cannot wait until Twin Peaks starts up again in 2016. I am longing to see what unfolds within the walls of that town. But until then, I will be binge watching Lynch's films and listening to his music like mad.

Living In the Now, Apathy & the Lack of Doing

I think I have finally reached a part of my life where I am not frequently reflecting on the past as much as I used to. And a part of me feels a little reminisce-y just saying that. Lately I have been focusing so much on the now, and honestly, very little on the future. Sometimes I wonder if that has anything to do with the current undulating wave of apathy that has pulsed it's way through my life. I am not really sure whence it came or why, but I feel as though my level of anxiety has decreased so I'm not complaining.

Sadly, I haven't been doing a lot of the hobbies that I used to enjoy. Reading and photography have taken a backseat in my life. I'd be lying if I said this was something that didn't occur every time school starts, but this semester I am only taking two classes and I am nowhere near as busy as when I was attending full time. So honestly I don't know why I have become so lackadaisical in terms of doing. I really need to start breaking free from this feeling, but maybe this is lack of doing is something that I need right now... a sense of calm that permeates through every fiber of my being.