My Big, Little Adventure

Over Spring Break, my friend and I went to hear one of my favorite authors and blogger, Gretchen Rubin, speak about her new book, "Better Than Before." I read her book, "The Happiness Project," a few years ago for book club and I’ve been following her blog ever since. Her latest book, Better Than Before, looks at the different aspects of peoples’ personality, specifically relating to our habits, and how we can take those tendencies and shape them to be better. I LOVE this kind of stuff!

First, I have to note about the process of getting there…

When I first heard about the event, I was excited about it and really wanted to go.  Talking about books is my jam. But, as I thought about it, I was fearful and anxiety-ridden about whether I could actually get there on my own. Then I wondered if it was worth even going. Let’s face it, any time Mom needs to go somewhere, it can be quite the process and requires an excess amount of coordination. (If both parents want to go out together at the same time, world-renowned chest players must be called upon to figure out the strategy and exit plan! At least that’s what it feels like at our house.) I’m realizing that it’s never going to be easy but I have to start taking time for myself anyway.  I have to start doing the things that fill “my love tank.” Otherwise, I become a not very happy person. Thankfully my husband was super supportive and basically pushed me out the door.

It was quite an adventure. Husbands had to come home early from work or work from home. My friend and I had to navigate the metro (with a transfer!) into the city and then find the venue. I’ll be honest, I was nervous to do it. I rarely venture out on my own and I wasn’t sure if I could still navigate the outside world. But, guess what?! I can still do it! I can still function as an adult human in the big, crazy world. Yay!

The humor of forcing myself out of my comfort zone to attend an event about changing our habits was not lost on me. 

Ok, back to Gretchen….

It was completely worth the time and effort. She’s so relatable and encouraging. It’s like having a heartfelt conversation with a friend over a cup of coffee. Hearing her speak about her book was the same way. She gave us great insight into peoples’ habits and tendencies but in such a light and fun way. We laughed, we learned, we were encouraged. It was great!

If you haven’t read any of her books, I highly recommend them. Her blog is great, too. She recently started a podcast with her sister, Happier with Gretchen Rubin, which I also highly recommend. It’s a fun discussion with interesting tips about life and people. Good, good stuff!!

Website: http://www.gretchenrubin.com/

Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/happier-with-gretchen-rubin/id969519520?mt=2

So, that was the highlight of my Spring Break (which I think qualifies me for the hashtag: #nerdalert)!