Listing Extravaganza!

I'm embarrassed that I've been away for so long. Especially after paying for a blogging e-course in January. I still have yet to officially tell my friends and family about my new blog. For some reason I'm a little shy, but it's probably for the better since I've clearly lacked motivation and discipline for the past month and a half.

But, I'm back now!

And here are a few somethings I've been up to: listing for 30 days! It was so much fun to keep this little notebook full of creative lists for the month of March. I learned a lot about myself and recorded my '25-year-old-self' that I'm sure I'll love to remember in years to come. 

I also kept a gratitude journal for March, which helped me find joy even in my struggles and the daily grind. I've also started up a blog with a friend where we each post a picture and three things we're thankful for once a week. I was inspired to start it with her after reading these blogs. We're going to keep it private for a while since it's more about nurturing our friendship than displaying it for the world. She is in Colorado and I am in Rome. 

And the final project I've started on is journaling every week for a year following these guided prompts. It's always a lovely surprise in my inbox once a week to read the prompt and settle in to some intentional journaling. I've always been a journaler, ever since I received a furry pink and turquoise leopard print journal for my 8th birthday. I haven't always been consistent, but I do have a part of each year since recorded in one of my numerous journals (buying new ones is an obsession of mine). Yet I always seemed to write similar reflections or go off on the same tangent. But with the help from these prompts I'm able to reflect on parts of my life I may have overlooked. 

So, those are a few things I've been up to while I've been away. But now that's it's spring outside and the sunshine stays close by I'm more motivated to do things I've put off for far too long. 

Currently

Seeing mountains all around me

Feeling snow under my (new) boots

Listening to this song (thanks to my employer's music tastes)

Wanting some privacy

Eating northern Italian food - polenta and beet ravioli

Enjoying my morning off

Smelling wood-burning stoves

Thankful for my casual, laid-back, American up-bringing 

Wishing my bag wasn't discolored by a close-call with a fire 

Writing out my lists and journals for this month (keeping me sane 

as the kids yell & scream all.the.time.)

*photo of Virginia, Enrico, and I after snow-mobiling out to a restaurant in the middle of the Dolomites

Wonder Where Wednesday

 Wonder Where this is?

Every Wednesday I'm going to post an image or two of a previous travel adventure. 

Then, on the following Thursday I'll post an in-depth photo collage and travel story 

of the destination. This will help me to record memories and fully appreciate the experiences I've had in past months and years. 

Perhaps this reflection time will help quench my stirring wanderlust

and keep my feet planted in one place.  

Any guesses about the pictures above? 

Where do you think it is?

Why blog anyway? What's the point?

My history with blogging has been sporadic, but well-intentioned. I feel inspired, so I blog. I feel stressed & overwhelmed, so I don't. I take pictures that I want to share, so I blog. I feel blocked & unmotivated, so I don't. I want to remember something, so I blog. I feel protective, so I don't. And this ongoing battle between my brain and my heart (not to mention, my fingers too) has been has been raging for far too long.

I wrote in an earlier post that I often blog for a purpose (mostly travel related) and tend to neglect other daily and "this is just my life" kind of blogging. Yet, from an early age (perhaps 5 or 6) I've kept a journal, off and on, for at least part of each year since. I want to remember little things and big things. Normal days and special days. I don't want to forget. I feel a need to record, but to do it in a creative way. I guess I see blogging as a needed venture, but also whimsical & frivolous self-expression.

So, since I love making lists, this is why I blog:

1::to reflect and to remember

2::as a creative project

3::something to keep me focused and from wandering aimlessly among other blogs

4::to learn & to improve some skills--writing, photography, messing around with design

5::to always give thanks and show gratitude

6::to glorify God in all that I do

7::to inspire others to travel and live abroad

8::to motivate & encourage myself to keep on pursuing

9::to organize my previous, current, and future travels--mostly in picture form

10::to nurture my own little space for (hopefully) years to come

Photos found here and here. 

Gratitude list::ABC’s::

A:: to be ALIVE

B:: the BIBLE

C:: Choice

D:: Downton Abbey

E:: Excavations

F:: Freedom

G:: Girlfriends

H:: HABITS (the good ones, at least)

I:: Italian

J:: Jesus

K:: Keeping space open for spontenaity

L:: Laughter

M:: Mornings

N:: Nail polish

O:: Oportunity

P:: Poetry

Q:: Quiet

R:: Rome

S:: Slumber

T:: Traveling

U:: Urban gardens

V:: The Vampire Diaries

W:: Walks

X:: xoxo (kisses & hugs)

Y:: Yogurt

Z:: zucchero (sugar in Italiano)

Photos found here, here, here, here, and here.