unwinding

when it comes to vacation, it always takes a few days to wind down and get into the fully rested, relaxed state that vacation brings. usually it takes just long enough to unwind, that the next day it is time to go home. thankfully, we still have a day or two left in paradise to enjoy laying by the pool, walks on the beach, reading for pleasure, and family movie nights. the end of the semester brought sighs of relief and it has been wonderful to have a full week of no work of any sort! (even if it has rained a little too much...)

this time my 2 weeks off are a little backwards--a full week off at the beach and then back to a full week of working before I quit! yet since it will be my last week, I can't complain too much, I can do anything for a week. Then it will be back to studying and internship, which will include a new start at Berry College! I am definitely looking forward to this change, but I haven't quite gone there mentally yet. Let me enjoy vacation mode as long as I can...

The nice thing about living life in semesters is the chance for a fresh start and new beginnings. It's like New Years every semester and it sort of forces me to re-evaluate how I am doing with life. Even with quitting work, I have spent a good bit of time dreaming about what I hope this next year will look like. I can't possibly trick myself into thinking that just because I won't be working, I won't have a lot on my plate. However, I certainly have some ideas of the kinds of things I would like to fill that "extra time" with...

--more painting/artistically creating

--more time with Jesus in the Word and prayer

--playing indoor soccer with friends from school

--more preparing for clients at both internship sites

--more absorbing the material i am studying

--more quiet stillness

--making sure to take care of myself physically = exercise!

some of those things are lifestyle things, some are just taking more initiative things. i just hate for my whole life to be spent giving away to school and counseling and not to other areas of my gifting or things that will give life back to me. of course school is just TWO more semesters, thus will quickly come to a close, but at the same time, if I am to get everything out of it, I have to be ready to receive, not depleted all the time.

in other news, the other night we saw a bunch of baby sea turtles hatching!! just about the cutest thing i've ever seen. the one little guy we watched was so darn fast, he was ready to get home to the sea. new life is so cool. i love that there are simple, small things in nature like this that we get to enjoy, just for the sake of enjoyment! what's even better is I know the God who made that little guy and he got joy out of sharing it all with me. He is so good :)