I’m revamping how I write my monthly wrap-up posts by using a format Jessica uses for her monthly check-in posts. I love the way she reflects back on what happened during the month and then sets three intentions for the following month. Lately, I’ve only been reflecting on how I achieved or did not achieve the goals I set for myself (and I still plan on doing that with this new format in the future), but I also think it’s helpful to remember and reflect on what happened during the month, unrelated to the goals I set.
March was a pretty average month for me. I felt all over the place with my emotions, so deliriously happy some days and so miserable on other days. It’s the ebb and flow of life, but I also believe that how we view our world and our circumstances has a major impact on our happiness. We can’t be happy all the time, but I want to try harder at being grateful for what I have and taking steps to change what is making me miserable in my life.
In March, I…
1. Booked another cruise! This was a rather spontaneous decision after my mom saw that rates for cruises in April and May for past Carnival guests had been reduced. After looking through the options, we finally settled on a 5-day cruise that leaves from Tampa on April 29. It sails to Grand Cayman and Cozumel. At first, I wanted to cruise to ports of call I haven’t been to before but the only other option was a 5-day cruise that sailed from Miami and Miami is a 5-hour drive from where I live. The Tampa port is a 10-minute drive. SO. I am so excited about our cruise! (And if anyone has any good suggestions for what to do in either port, I’m all ears. Currently, we have toured the ruins and gone zip-lining in Cozumel, and in Cayman, we have gone to Stingray City twice, swam with dolphins, and snorkled. Am I missing a MUST-DO excursion I haven’t thought of yet?)
2. Watched my nephew play t-ball. My nephew started t-ball this month and it is the cutest thing ever, to watch 4- to 6-year-olds learn how to play. There are no rules, it’s just the kids learning the basics of the game. They each get a chance to bat three times and a chance to run the bases. My nephew is the most adorable kid on the field (obvs.) and watching him entertain himself in the outfield is hilarious. And I have to give major props to the patience these coaches must have!
3. Celebrated Easter with my family. We had a small celebration this year since my grandma wasn’t feeling well enough to do anything big. My mom, her boyfriend, and I all went to church (my first time back in MONTHS!) and it felt really, really good to be back there. I have missed the worship and preaching something fierce. Later on, my brother and nephew came over and we had a fun cookout with barbecue chicken, potato salad, potato chips, baked beans, and deviled eggs. YUM!
In April, I will…
1. Eat out less. As I’ve mentioned before, I have a love affair with eating out. I don’t discriminate between breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I just really hate cooking. Picking something up or going out to eat is so much easier than staying in and cooking something from home. But in the interest of losing weight and saving money, I need to get better at eating in and getting over my fear of the kitchen. I may never become someone who loves to cook, but in the interest of changing my story, I’m sure going to try.
2. Start a daily devotional series. One area of my life that has fallen to the wayside has been my faith and more specifically, my quiet time. I plan on using a She Reads Truth series to get myself back into the habit of reading my Bible, journaling and praying.
3. Enjoy another cruise. In just four weeks, I’ll be off on my fourth cruise! I am excited to truly get away and forget about life for five whole days. It’s exactly what I need and I plan on enjoying every bit of my vacation!
I am envious of your Easter weather! My parents still have about 3+ feet of snow on the ground and it was in the 20s on Easter day! We are having SUCH weird weather here these days.
That is exciting that you have another vacation to look forward to. My sister and her husband just got back from Mexico and hearing about their trips makes me want to go on a vacation SO BADLY. But with my move and the CFA, that is just not happening anytime soon. So I will live vicariously through others, I guess!
I have two friends that left on cruises this weekend and, let me tell you, the jealousies would be RAGING if I didn’t have a cruise scheduled soon! I’m really excited to have some time away – it’s sorely needed. Hopefully, once things settle down and you get acclimated to Charlotte, you can plan something. The anticipation is the best!
Cool! Thanks for adopting my monthly check-in style. I appreciate the shout out.
How fun that you booked another cruise! I’m very jealous you live so close to the Tampa port!
It’s really SO convenient to live so close to a port. I’m not sure I would have ever went on my first, if I had to fly to get to one! Makes it that much easier to book them. 🙂
I don’t suppose you could fit me in your bag for the cruise? I was just telling Knight that I really could use an away vacation. As in, some place that no matter what I’m totally unreachable, kind of like how Mexico was. Ah, to dream of a vacation like that…
That’s one of my favorite things about cruising: you are forced to disconnect and it feels like a “real” getaway because you don’t waste all this time keeping up with Twitter or emails or blogging or Instragramming everything that’s happening. You feel secluded and away from reality. It’s the best!
I totally cannot connect with your love of cruises – I hate boats & hot weather, for starters – but I love how happy they make you & that you’ve found a love of traveling! 🙂 Sounds like you’ve got some good stuff lined up. And maybe I need to snorkel?!?!
I’ve only snorkled once but it was an incredible experience. It takes some getting used to (and my throat was raw with all the salt water I accidentally swallowed at first!) but once you get the hang of it, it’s really, really fun. Next on my list is scuba diving!
Seriously girl, you should start a cruise travel blog.
I just wish Carnival (or any cruise line, for that matter) could just pay me to go on cruises and blog about them. Like… DREAM JOB, you know? Man.
OMG April is already cruise month! WHERE IS TIME GOING THOUGH
Have fun on your cruise! It will be a great way to relax and rejuvenate! And of course, good luck on your April intentions… I think you have all it takes to do it but you have to take baby steps! I think that’s one thing running has helped me to understand; you can’t run a marathon without training, and it takes a lot of work! A lot of things in life are similar; you want to jump right in, but you really need to do things little by little. It’s hard to remember, but it’s the best way to do it to avoid failure or disappointment (or in running: injury, pain and fatigue).
I always try to remind myself that I didn’t gain the weight in 1 week or even 1 month so it’s not going to magically disappear suddenly. Slow and steady! Just make healthy choices every day and small changes to my environment. I’ll get there. 🙂