I woke up early last Friday morning and decided to be productive… I got up, put my sneakers on and went for a run. I go to turn my iPod on and of course it’s dead. I didn’t want to wake Sam up by going to get my charger, so I just left it there and started out the door. I got down to the bottom of the foot path and saw this sweet old lady sitting by her windowsill looking out on the water, she looked down and we waved at each other. Then as I kept going I noticed people going out of their way to say good morning to me as I moved past them. Instead of me being in my own world and letting all these things go by, I stopped to notice them and appreciate them. When I hit the end of the footpath I stopped running and walked back. I didn’t want to rush, I wanted to let it all soak in for once. So I sat on the bench, walked on the beach, and exchanged good mornings with more and more people. I’m so used to New York I guess and thinking about what I have to do next and just going going going. I can’t really blame it on a place actually. I’m sure people back home stop and appreciate all these things every now and then, but I guess I just feel like it happens more here, for me anyway.

I’ve been noticing all these things more and more. The little things. I got up off the bench, walked off the beach and back up the hill and past the fruit trees towards the house. The house I was lucky enough to live in for the past month has big beautiful windows and looks out over the water. And even though four guys live in it, it was cozy, clean and comfortable. Weeknights were spent with everyone taking turns making dinner and picking out new movies for us to watch. Weekends going by too quick, full of the beach, paddleboard tours, friend’s birthdays and funny random moments that made us laugh uncontrollably. I couldn’t have asked to live in a better place with better people.

So that brings me to today, Sam and I in a new place, ready for our next adventure. We were up early enough this morning to watch the sunrise. It was beautiful too, bright yellow, orange and pink. Then we made tea and breakfast together before he went off to work. And just like I did that Friday morning and every morning since i’ve been here, I thought to myself, this is the way life should be. I could’ve never planned this. Some things just have to happen on their own. I remember when we were little, my best friend Diana and I used to plan how we thought our lives would go. There was college, then get a job we loved, fall in love, get married, have a family etc etc… But things don’t work out the exact way we plan them to. It happens how it’s supposed to when it’s supposed to. You just have to trust it and keep working hard along the way. And you have to stop every now and then and enjoy it. Because no matter what, it’s all those little things that we sometimes miss out on while we’re too busy planning… that end up mattering the most.