Chicago got some snow this weekend. In fact, we got some snow pretty much every day starting on Thursday and going all the way through Sunday. I think we got something like 10 inches total? I don’t know. All I know is that there was a lot of snow. 
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Monday motivation
Tacos & Arcade Games
I’m seriously the worst at taking pictures during events. Either I’m so caught up in what I’m doing that I forget or I just feel weird whipping out my phone to take pictures of people/things.
Blogger fail. 
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Donuts, Face-Slamming, & Picture Hanging
I’m going to be totally honest with you, I literally JUST wrote this blog post. Usually, I have my Monday post ready to go Friday or Sunday at the latest but I was not feeling it this weekend. It wasn’t like I was super busy either, I just didn’t know what to write and didn’t want to force out a blog post JUST to have a blog post.
So, while I was walking to Walmart this morning to grab a few things, I pondered if I had anything to write. No inspiration struck. I hate when that happens because then I fall into this weird depressing hole of, “Am I even a worthy blogger/Does nothing interesting happen in my life/Why can’t I be creative all the time?” 
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Back To Reality
I feel like there are only two camps when it comes to returning from vacation. Either you are super ready to get back to things and your regular routine or you just don’t wanna return to reality.
Our little cottage for the week. We stayed at Timber Ridge Resort and it was awesome!
I’m definitely in the second camp.
Made it up one of the many dunes at Sleeping Bear Dunes.
We’ve been back home since Friday, but I’m still resisting getting back into the swing of things. Saturday we spent the day at the beach and Sunday was just a lazy-do-nothing day. I know eventually (like today) I’ll start being an adult with responsibilities, but I really enjoyed my week away from the “real world”.
View at the end of the Empire Bluff Trail.
Have you ever just checked out of the everyday grind? Like really unplugged? I won’t say I totally removed myself from social media, I mean, who finds a taxidermy museum and DOESN’T share it on Instagram and Facebook? Selfish people, that’s who. But I will say I didn’t check my email, or constantly scroll through my Facebook or Instagram feed and it was really nice. If I missed anything, it wasn’t life-altering because the world still turned.
View from the highest point on Mackinac Island. There is more on the island than fudge and horses!
I don’t need to be connected 24/7.
Me refusing to get any closer to the dead stuffed lion than this. Also, that ox is blue in the background
The albino deer we dubbed the “Come at me bro” deer due to his hoof placement
And that has been a really hard concept for me to grasp because I work from home so I am ALWAYS connected. I always feel like there is something I could be doing. I always feel like I’m not working hard enough. I always feel like if I take a break, I’m missing out on some opportunity to better myself, my life, my home, my blog, my work.
We found a lot of fun stuff to take our picture in front of like this giant rooster….
But that’s ok. This vacation taught me that in order to give my best it’s completely ok to not always be working, or doing something, or checking something, or fixing something. Things will be just fine and life will keep on coming and if I actually rest, I and my work will be better for it.
And this wooly mammoth made of scrap metal….
That’s just one of the many lessons I learned during my week off, and I’ll share more in the coming weeks, but enjoy some of these awesome adventures I had and maybe schedule some down time for yourself.
And this ferocious bear!
Who knows? You might find your own two-headed calf to marvel!
Not making this stuff up folks!
The Power of Your Mind
Do you ever feel like you get trapped in your own mind? It sounds weird, but the mind is a pretty powerful thing and mine can be my worst enemy sometimes. 
I feel like I’ve been in a little bit of a funk lately and my mind is largely to blame. It keeps telling me things that aren’t true and it’s tough not to believe them sometimes. Like, I’m not good enough, strong enough, creative enough, special enough, healthy enough…. the list honestly goes on and on. Every time I try to be positive, the little voice in my head has to bring me down. 
Of course, it isn’t constant and I do have my good moments or days where I feel completely in control, but that voice is just lurking back there waiting for a moment of weakness to pounce. What’s worse is that I know how easy it would be to just give in because I’ve done that before. It’s pretty simple to let your mind tell you you’re worthless. To tell you that you don’t measure up to everyone around you. To convince you that you are just an average, mundane, run-of-the-mill human being. There’s almost a weird comfort in knowing that you can never be great because then you don’t have to try. 
But as much as I want to just let my mind take over and go on auto-pilot, I’m going to fight it. Because I’m NOT just an average, mundane, run-of-the-mill human being and neither are you. Don’t let anyone, even yourself, tell you that. It’s tiring to struggle with something that is so internal, something that you can’t see, but every ounce of effort you put into that struggle is completely worth it. 
Some of you reading this might have no clue what I’m talking about. You might think I’m a little strange for going to battle against my mind but the people who needed to read this will understand. They will get that fight and I hope this encourages them to know that not only are they not alone, they’re strong enough to keep going. To keep fighting. And to one day…
Win. 
Life Healthfully Lived 