Adobe structures are some of the oldest buildings, yet still remain some of the most sustainable. These structures naturally regulate temperature indoors, are made from natural materials, and are able to withstand some of the harshest climates.
If you’re like most of the population, you don’t keep a journal. Despite journaling being a simple tool that can help sharpen your memory, boost your mood and ease anxiety, almost no one does it. It’s up there with walking and drinking enough water as one of the easiest ways to improve your health and well-being, and practice self-care.
Everything we are doing here today- every personal process of transformation each one of us is going through on an individual level, no matter how insignificant it might feel, is in reality much, much bigger than ourselves. Every battle being fought within one’s self, every step towards the healing and accepting of one’s own heart to muster up the courage to express to the world, to reveal to the collective as a brave and vulnerable expression of authentic humanity is of tremendous, vital importance to the bigger picture.
We meandered through the bookstore aisles, my bright-eyed friend and I, the titles inspiring forks and bends in what was already a beautifully flowing stream of conversation. This was typical of times with Gabe, a soul on fire with whom there was never a shortage of awe-fueled adventure or enlivening discussion. He carried the kind of light that always stuck around for a while after he left, illuminating passageways of perception previously undetected.
Tiny houses are becoming a big deal. They offer the freedom from a mortgage (at least a big one) and are exponentially more sustainable than a traditional housing structure.
So, what is a tiny house? Technically, a tiny house is under 400 square feet. These can remain on wheels or be built on a foundation. The houses that remain on wheels are generally even smaller, constituting a micro house (stay tuned for an article on these little dwellings next week).
Everything we consume has an effect on our body, whether it be mentally, physically or emotionally. There has been research done that proves stress is one of the causes of cancer and other illnesses. What we eat, how we eat and even when we eat has an impact on our whole being.
Total Body Consumption
In August of last year I felt like one of the luckiest girls in the world. Because of the generosity my family and friends extended to me after I finally graduated college, I was able to go on a 10-day trip to Dominical, Costa Rica, with my boyfriend. Without their graduation gifts I would never have been able to go (thank you, family!). At the time I was a recent college grad with no money except for what I made at the restaurant where I work... wait, that’s still me, haha.
It’s officially summer; hibernation is over. Like other creatures, humans get out and about more during summer, and socializing becomes a favorite way to spend days in the summer heat. The warm weather gets people outside and brightens their mood, which lays the groundwork for prime friend-making season! It’s hard to make new friends, especially as adults, when we are no longer part of the built in social circles of school or summer camp. But, that doesn’t mean we can’t forge some meaningful connections. Summer means the blue skies have opened up, but you should, too!
Each time I step closer toward a goal I’ve set for myself—each time I let myself believe I’m growing toward something important or becoming the person I want myself to be—I feel terrified. I have no idea why this happens. My friends, a brilliant hodgepodge of medical students and engineers, musicians and itinerant travelers, tell me not only that I’ll be fine, but that I already am. I love them for that. They remind me that my life is not and will not be conventional, because I’m not conventional. I’m a weirdo.
Life can be challenging at times, and it is during these times that a strong support network is appreciated. For those of us who have any sort of community or companionship to support us throughout it, we are blessed. It is the mere presence of company, of sharing space with another to let us feel we are not alone in this journey, that can grant us the sense of happiness and security we need to move on in life with vitality.