28 Ways I’ve Grown In My 28th Year
Another year around the sun [almost — August 31 ; )]. Surprise, surprise — I’m reflecting!
One of my favorite cliche quotes is: “Most people overestimate what they can do in a day, + underestimate what they can do in a year.” It’s so true! My favorite practice that has helped me with this is my “daily + yearly journal process.” Let me know if you have any questions on my process! This is my third year of filling a daily + yearly journal, + I still find so much joy in it.
Okay! 28 ways I’ve grown…
#1] Finally stopped picking my face… for the most part ; ). THANK YOU TARA! I’m going to write a post on this — so stay tuned. Major things that have helped clear up my skin [aka I have nothing on my face to pick!]:
- PCA Skin Daily Exfoliant: exfoliating every other day
- SkinCeuticals Blemish + Age Defense: expensive, but seriously so worth it + it lasts awhile
- PCA Skin Retinol: finally got into putting retinol on my face, #blessings
- Microneedling + chemical peels via Tara — refer me at Spa Derma Chicago + we both get $50 off ; )
#2] Took my longest instagram break ever — It started with 1 day… then: 7, 10, 15, + 20! Read about why I needed an instagram break instagram here. I plan on continuing to experiment with “breaks.”
#3] Prioritized travel [again!] — My heart aches to travel the world, + I’m so grateful I’ve experienced so many places: Portland, Denver, Boulder, India, Punta Cana, Ecuador, California, Hawaii, Kripalu, Ojai, Copenhagen, Greece, + Bend… next up: Jackson’s Hole!
#4] Started working with a trainer — Robbie from ENRGI in Chicago if you’re wondering [message me if you want his info!]. Isaac has been seeing him for a year + a half, + his constant raving about him finally made me cave. I’m seeing him for mobility, glute strength + backbends. He has the strongest Ashtanga practice I know [besides my teacher], which is inspiring as heeckkkk.
#5] SURVIVED VIPASANNA — Aka 100 hours of meditating in 10 days. Curious? Grab some tea + read on.
#6] Gave up coffee, reintroduced coffee, weaning off coffee again — Oh the dilemma! It started with the “No Coffee November” experiment + lasted until the end of May… when I went to Copenhagen [Guide To Copenhagen!] + was blessed with unlimited oatley cappuccinos. Then, summer happened + my love affair with iced lattes started. I will say: I make my own iced latte [I used to always buy coffee out]. But, I’m totally addicted again, so I’m slowly weaning off. Currently struggling with one cup a day! Stay tuned.
#7] Became obsessed with Peloton last winter — I’m totally late to the party, I know. My apartment complex, which has a tiny, barely any equipment gym got ONE Peloton… + the crowd went wild [seriously, they use a sign up sheet for it, aha]. My first class was with Ally Love, + I never took another Peloton instructor’s class. She’s amazing.
#8] Took a 3 day workshop with my favorite meditation teacher, Tara Brach — If you meditate + don’t know Tara Brach, you need to give her a listen. Seeing her in person at Kripalu was incredible [SHE GLOWS] + further inspired me commit to my meditation practice. “One of the best decisions you can make is to believe the world is a friendly place.”
#9] Met new friends through The CHAARG Podcast — Looking at you, Russo + Jenny + Ariel. It’s hard to meet friends post-college, so I’m thankful for this platform for connecting me to so many incredible humans.
#10] Invested in nice bedsheets — Oh, the little things. Obsessed with Parachute. The next thing I decided I’m going to invest in: a wooden bed frame! Let me know if you have recs.
#11] Learned about my birth chart + human design + aura — Thanks to Lauren [The Modern Astrologer] ++ Cindy [Revealing Soul]. So facisinating. They do virtual readings, too! ++ they were both on the podcast:
#12] Created CHAARG’s largest post grad event ever — The CHAARG DAYTREAT! This was so fun + a new challenge. Check out the video recap of the event! I’m excited about more experiences for both college women + post-grads. See CHAARG at Wanderlust + grab your ticket for SWEAT FEST! : )
#13] Became Reiki 1 certified — I’m glad I got certified [so interesting!], but I must say… I haven’t practiced it all. Taking what resonates with me at the moment, + leaving the rest — allowing myself to pick it back up if I want to explore it further. If you’re interested in learning more on Reiki, I had Molly [my teacher] on the podcast.
#14] Hired CHAARG’s fourth employee, Tori! Most of you reading know Tori, but if you don’t — listen to her on the podcast! She’s amazing, + it’s so fun to have four! Wonder who the fifth employee will be…
Let’s see if I can think of 14 more ways I’ve grown… aha. Stay tuned for part two!
Rooting for you always,
++ Elisabeth