I’m baaaaccckk! This post may be a little lengthy, because I have a lot to say. Also, I know carpe la vie isn’t actually a thing, but it maybe should be.

First, let’s talk about my trip. DR was basically amazing, for several different reasons. It’s a beautiful place, so you can’t really go wrong there.. but I also met some really awesome people. Turns out that wedding crashing has a few perks!

One of the beautiful things about going to a place like the Dominican Republic is the opportunity to completely disconnect. I am admittedly very connected all the time, and I sometimes feel very lost when I don’t have a phone or tablet nearby to stay up to speed on what is going on. In Punta Cana, I was able to step away from that. Ok.. the WiFi sucked ass, so I was partially forced to, but you get the point. I’ve been trying to be better about stepping away from screens, and this was a good opportunity to do that. I didn’t record performances, I didn’t take a shit-ton of selfies (just a moderate ton), and most importantly.. I just focused on the moment. 

Focusing on the moment can be a truly amazing experience… especially if the moments are good.

One of the things that I have been working on this year is being more patient and mindful. This trip reminded me of the benefits of mindfulness. I am naturally high strung, I worry a lot, and if you’ve done any reading (Anxiety) then you know I struggle with anxiety on a pretty regular basis. Being disconnected in a foreign country gave me an even larger opportunity to focus on the moment.. as well as reminded me that I haven’t really been doing a great job with that in life. So, December goals, let’s do this. 

Anyway, the trip overall was wonderful. Good people, drinks, laughter, connections.. #takemeback.

So let’s talk about carpe la vie. Again, not my word, but it fits with the next segment of this post. I’ve been telling my friends for a while that we need a new “YOLO” because, Jesus Christ, that phrase is terrible. It’s also catchy as hell, though, and has a good meaning. Operation “replace YOLO once and for all” has been failing miserably. Suggestions have ranged from “Fuck it”… “Carpe Diem”…”Lo que paso, paso”… “C’est La Vie”. None of them quuuiitteee fit.

Carpe la vie though, while not a YOLO replacement, does have a pretty good meaning. Seize life. Not just the day, not just accept life, but seize it. Take it, and make it yours.

This kind of ties in to some other things I realized while in DR. I settle. A lot. It’s kind of shitty to realize this about yourself, by the way, but it’s true. I’m just going to own the fact that I’ve been doing it, but I’m also going to seize life and fucking stop. Life is too short to be anything but completely happy.

Life is also too short to waste it with fuckboys who treat you like shit, when there are actual people out there that you can connect with. You can have a real, tangible thing, the kind of thing that lights your soul up and that you can feel in the core of your being.. those things can happen. But not if you’re settling, and not if you don’t open yourself up to it. People, myself included, too often forget that your life can be whatever you want it to be, you have to be steadfast.

The thing about it is.. not settling is kind of hard. You have to really set your mind & heart on what you want and stick with it. And there are often things that look okay and become tempting, because they’re easy. Is easy the better path? Things that look good on paper are great, but how far will they really get you? Sometimes the good things don’t come easily.. you have to fight. 

Ok.. enough ranting from me for one evening. Until next time!

xoxo, Tempest.