Yesterday I bought a cute spring dress on sale at Anthropologie and today I wore it all day. Just because. I cleaned my room, watched a Food Network Challenge and did a workout video (don’t worry — I barely sweat) all while wearing my cute spring dress. It’s bedtime and I’m still wearing it. It’s just really swingy and and comfy and I don’t want to take it off. I feel like my little sister when she was 4 and wouldn’t take off her shirt with the pink bow and it was a huge ordeal because she had worn it for like a week straight and it was dirty and smelly and all the relatives had to get involved and there was lots of pleading and bribing and tantrum-throwing. (Okay, I don’t feel quite like that — I just wanted to tell that story.)
To me, wearing this cute spring dress makes it officially spring. And that means it’s almost summer. And summer is something to look forward to, I suppose. Summer means Saturday barbeques and pitchers of sangria and the chance that my legs will no longer glow in the dark. All good things. But today, while imagining myself sprawled on some pool chair reading some celeb gossip rag and eating chips and salsa, I couldn’t help but feel unsettled. Why do I always need something to look forward to? I’m in a constant state of anticipation. Whether I’m counting down the days to a new season or a big vacation or a career move or my next stage of life, I’ll forever be that horse reaching for a carrot. Why can’t I just be?
This bothers me often. I guess it’s not a huge deal. I do like my life now. It’ll just be better when …
It’s really hard to live in the moment, but it’s something we should all make an effort to do. It’s easy to miss out on the thing we have in this life because we are too busy looking for more. Sometimes when I am on vacation, I manage to set my watch and planner aside and live in the moment. It’s moments like these where you really notice the sunset, and really taste the seaside air, and life seems so amazing. But when the vacation is over, I go right back home and start living for my next vacation…Lesson effectively ignored.
Nothing wrong to be ambitious as long as you take the time to appreciate what you have… before moving onto something better. :)
Come on Spring! I wore a nice floaty dress out shopping yesterday. Then it started raining and I had to buy a hoodie. Stupid England weather.
i have this same problem every once in a while. like if i know there’s a vacation coming up, that’s all i can think about for months and then after the vacay is over..i’m all sad & gloomy.
but i can definitely relate to wearing a favorite dress/outfit ALLLL day.
Think about it this way: What would happen if you always felt the opposite? In other words, what would happen if you were always living in the moment not looking forward to anything, planning anything? You would be complacent and would never want to move forward. Instead of stopping to smell the flowers, how about you take a wif, chop the flower at the stem and bring it along with you for the ride?
I think it’s somewhat healthy to look forward to things! But of course, I agree that you should take notice and enjoy the current things in life too.
What’s the dress look like? I wanna see!!!
i wore a skirt this weekend and man it was exciting. i love living in california :)
I went to Anthropologie yesterday and wanted to take all the pretty dresses home. Post a picture of the one you got!
i struggle with living in the moment as well… I have ALWAYS looked forward to the next chapter of my life, and not fully enjoying the one I am currently in. I don’t know how you can control that though? I’m still trying to figure that out….
i hear ya. i’ve been looking forward to moving back to CA for four years and it looks like that may not happen.
I heard about this really good book by Eckart Tolle called, The Power of Now. I haven’t read it, but people I know who felt as you do say they loved it. I think you can do both, appreciate now as well as look forward. Come to think of it, one must do both in order to really relish life.
Also,
Love your blog! You can write, girl! Do you know how funny you are? You’re gonna go far, you have plenty of time. You’re a baby at 28. Its like you’re 8 in adult years. Oh yeah, and you must wear that dress the next time you come to get your hair cut. I’ve got to see it!