A Needed Break-- In Puerto Rico!!

It's been a minute since I have done any posts and while I didn't mean to leave you hangin' - sometimes we deserve a break - even from things we love!

I love writing on my blog. It's a fantastic outlet for what is going on in my brain on the daily (which let's be honest, there is a lot goin' on up there!) but sometimes I just cannot put certain things into words. When that happens, I recognize the need to step away.

My wonderful husband and I

Recently, my upline coach Jennifer and her husband Michael took their top coaches on an all-expenses paid trip to Puerto Rico. Dare I compare the location to heaven? Huge house, panoramic ocean views, palm trees everywhere you looked, and a treehouse-style chill area complete with hammocks that blew ever so gently in the breeze. 5 days of relaxation. And for once in my life - that's what this vacation was.

Typically I live my life according to an itinerary and I realized that I needed a change. This small change of allowing myself to be on, and thoroughly enjoy, "island time" was just the first in many changes that would begin occurring in my life the following two weeks.  I won't talk too much about them in this post, but you will start to see the changes within my blog format. It's interesting and exciting how our favorite places can inspire so much wonderful changes in our lives. Imagine if we "let go" more often - the way our lives could transform.

A little morning meditation in the hammock

Back to Puerto Rico -- for the first time in a long time I felt FREE. Many of my friends know that when I am at the beach or in the woods "Real Nicole" comes out - and it is true. Those two surroundings allow my favorite version, and I think the best version, of myself to come out -- but pair it with the no-agenda-style-life, and it turns into magic...or at least it felt that way!

No anxiety. No worries. Taking time to take it all in - the sun on my face, the island breeze, the steel drums provided via Pandora radio (lol), the sound of the palms rustling around us -- it was as if nature provided the perfect concoction for pure happiness. Pair that with the amazing people on the trip with us and you have a vacation you could only dream of.

I learned a lot about myself on that trip through silent meditation in the hammock, long walks on our private beach, and laying on the surfboard as waves rolled under me. Everything beckoned me to become more. To become a better version of myself.

Yeah buddy we surfed!!! With a surf legend!

So often we allow our surroundings to negatively influence us. We are always on a time clock. It is always go, go, go with little time to just stop, think, and consider. It needs to be done, and it needs to occur for all of us more frequently than just when we find ourselves on "island time". I challenge you, wonderful person taking time out of your busy day to read this blog, to put aside a few minutes a day for YOU. To daydream. To think of who you are and where you need to improve - but most importantly just a small amount of time to begin MAKING those improvements. Imagine where your life could take you, if you took the time to consider and apply positive change.

**Special thanks to Mike & Jenn for a wonderful trip to Puerto Rico. Additional thanks to the other members of the Fit Fam who joined us. After this trip, I really do feel as though we are truly family. Love you all!**

Family doesn't necessarily mean blood.