I love, love, love this sunflower. Bright, bold, and energizing. I think that's what summers are all about for me. The change in temperature motivates me to put on a gorgeous sundress, find some sandals, and just shine.
June Highlights
Indulging in Art Journaling I've finally completed the Artist's Way, and I've started on my next art journal class, Soul Restoration 2. It's been a great adventure so far. I really enjoy starting my mornings in solitude- reflecting over current dreams and really thinking about what makes me excited and renewed. The above is some awesome paper I picked up in lower Manhattan on vacation. (If you have the chance, check out the artist Jon Burgerman. He designed the crazy monster gift wrap in the photo.)
Delightfully Delicious The summer has really motivated me to experiment with my cooking more. Since it's hot outside, I've tried to indulge in more salads, veggies, and fruits. My salads might have grilled nectarines, strawberries, blueberries, cherry tomatoes, green beans, mozzarella, and goat cheese. I've also done some desserts: chocolate banana freezer pie and raspberry scones. Cooking is something my lovely boyfriend and I enjoy doing. One evening he made a beautiful meal with pork medallions and grilled peaches. Very divine!
Y Freedom Triathlon Hot, challenging, and dare I say fun! I competed in my first triathlon since 2009. I took a year off from intense athletic training when I got sick last summer. So, it was nice to get back into training. I had a 10:05 swim for 300M , 41:41 bike for 11 miles, and a 34:44 run for 3 miles. Not bad for taking a year off... I really do need to get into the pool more often especially if I do an open water competition in the future.
Escape to the Northeast NYC and Montreal was amazing. Taking a week off, indulging in cooler temperatures, and diving into adventure. The train ride along the Hudson River was gorgeous. What a beautiful way to travel getting to see views of upstate NY and watch the sunset over the Montreal skyline (photo above from my train ride). The retreat was relaxing and decadent.
July Dreams
1. Mid-Year Evaluation: Half the year is over with and I'd like to make sure that I'm accomplishing what I set out to do. I've got ideas swirling in my head mostly leaning towards new career challenges, my upcoming art journal class, and other things.
2. Another Trip Already in the Works: My sister will be finishing up her studies at UBC soon, and my family will be vacationing up there in November. There are other locations I must consider as well. There is Africa, Paris and Provence... There's also a yoga retreat in the Hill Country and Chicago has been calling out to me. Not sure where I'll go. I'm still basking in the glow of my most recent trip. I'm really blessed to have these opportunities ahead of me. We'll see what I actually end up doing.... ONE trip at a time, yo!
3. My final month of figure drawing: I really hope that I really take my next few weeks seriously. Drawing the human body is friggin' hard. I think it's actually harder than doing a triathlon. Honestly... it's THAT hard. But, I'll keep trying. Bad art is better than no art. And bad art eventually blossoms into good art.
4. Continued Weight Loss and Health: Blame it on my vacation for the weight loss. Yeah, I attribute this to the 6 yoga classes, walking, running, and biking that I was able to do. I've been trying to keep up with Weight Watchers since mid-April, and I'm almost to my target weight. It should probably take me another two months since I'm doing this slowly and leisurely.
5. Research on New Projects: I'm launching some new programs at my job that I'm so very excited about. And, I'm leading my first art journal workshop in August. I'm really looking forward to seeing how these will blossom.
I hope your summer is going well,too! What are you dreaming about this July? May your days be filled with brilliance, boldness, and inspiration.
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