Happiness Is....

What do I write about most often? Things that relieve my stress, which tends to mostly be created at work. We call stress relievers "self-care" and, as cheesy as it sounds, it's actually an important thing to think about every single day, no matter what you call it. If you don't refill your proverbial tank, there is no way to be happy in the long term. And isn't that what we are all seeking, ultimately? Happiness.

So for me, a few things that relieve stress and I tend to write about a lot are reading, traveling, reality tv, and spending time with friends.For the 4th of July holiday, I took an extra couple of days off from work and was able to cover most of these bases. Here's a little recap:

Reading: I read "Before I Fall" by Lauren Oliver this week. She also writes the Delirium trilogy. All are young adult books but I think that's what makes them as yummy and addictive as gummy bears. Characters in high school are so relateable because we have all been through similar ups and downs and at the heart, they are all about identity and I think identity is something we spend a lifetime honing. I have been on such a dystopian kick that I actually had this book for months before finally giving it my attention. I think I read one too many dystopians and just needed a break and I could not be more pleased with this book. If you have ever visited the site www.foreveryoungadult.com (which you should), you might be familiar with the term "TEABS" The End of an Awesome Book Syndrome. I totally had that last night as I cried at least three times while reading the last chapter and felt a little hollow when it was done so I had to keep the book near me, almost to visually trick myself that I still had more to read and wasn't totally disconnected from the characters.

Traveling: I didn't get to officially travel this weekend. However, the pictures from my trip to Atlantic City two weekends ago were finally released by the team photographer and I got to live some moments over again as I scrolled through them, which was pretty awesome. It was a girl posse trip, for a friends bachelorette party and you know I think girl posses are the best way to travel!

Reality TV: It was really beautiful outside and there were lots of fun things going on to celebrate Independence Day so I didn't do a lot of tv watching. I do think I caught up on HGTV's Design Star and decided that I just can't stay committed to Pregnant in Heels even though it's a really cute show.

Time with Friends: This is really where I excelled this week. 
On Wednesday, to celebrate the holiday, I went to a friend's house. The group is one filled with people I have known since high school and it's really cool to see people as the evolve through life. Seeing people who you used to party with parent their children is just precious. They also live on the water and when it got dark the whole neighborhood gathered, along with people on boats, to watch as a few local houses set off town display grade fireworks and people passed out glow sticks and sparklers. 
On Thursday my bestie came to my parents pool for some down home relaxing and sun worshiping. I headed out in the late afternoon to get a long awaited massage. AHHHHH.
Friday I drove to Salem, MA, home of the witches:) My life long partner in crime/maid of honor was in town from St. Louis so it was great to spend some time with her and her family. I so appreciate that I love her family just as much as I love her and it felt great to be with such warm people.
Saturday was the best as I went to my cousin's raucous cookout. It's my favorite party of the year! There are so many eclectic people and the family gets to sit down and share stories. Days like that just can't be replaced. Then I went out with another set of friends to watch the UFC Pay Per View. It was a late night but a great fight night. I'm kind of manly in my passion for MMA fighting:)
And then Sunday....a day to regroup. To reflect.

It's amazing to me how just a few days off from work can make such a huge, rejuvenating difference. And it matters less where you are than who you are surrounded by. And that it's so easy to get happy.