Thursday Three

Thursday Three

Oh, what a week it has been. It’s been one of those weeks when it feels like the sky is falling, but then you look around and realize you have a lot of really awesome people in your life to help you through it. This week has been hard and good all at once. Crazy, right?

1. Don’t give up. Don’t give up on your dreams. Don’t give up on your budget (especially not when car shopping). Don’t give up on the people in your life. Don’t give up on yourself.

2. Have fun. Should be a no-brainer, right? Sometimes I forget to have fun and just stress instead. This week’s fun consisted of a nerf gun war, lots of baby monkey sing-alongs and dancing in the rain (literally, because I am that fun–just ask the neighbors).

3. Choose your adventure. While a bit cheesy sounding (and also the name of a book series and at one point the marketing slogan at my alma mater), it carries some truth. The situations and the choices you are presented may not always be what you want, but you probably do have a choice in how to respond and in determining what you value most. Our couchsurfers this weekend were at the beginning of a road trip across the country to discover their next location and occupations. It’s always good to remember that you have more than one option on how to live this life, so choose what you want it to be about.

NY Couchsurfers | Moving Peaces

Couch Surfers Welcome

“That’s not something I’d ever think you’d do—I put it one tier above hitchhiking.”  -someone after finding out we were hosting a couch surfer.

Before we got married, the hubby and I talked about what kind of qualities we wanted in our household. At the heart of it, we wanted a welcoming home. We wanted to be able to open it up without hesitation to those we loved, those in need and anyone else really. No matter what we had to offer, even if it was little, we wanted to be available to offer such a home. We strongly desire to love people which starts by being willing, open and transparent with others, regardless of their background or beliefs.

Sometimes though I get caught up in what the house “should” look like. My impulse reaction is to say “our house is too messy!” as soon as it’s suggested. Growing up, having someone over required hours of deep cleaning to make it adequately presentable, not because we lived in total disarray but because there was a certain image we were to uphold. As much as I try to escape that mentality, it still gets me sometimes. But the reality is, people live here. We have dirty dishes on the counter, an ongoing pile of laundry to fold and bills strewn about the kitchen table. Of course we want people to be comfortable and welcomed, but we also don’t want to be a slave to the upkeep of an image of perfection. We aren’t perfect people and don’t have an immaculate house. But that shouldn’t get in the way of sharing our homes with people, just as our personal flaws and imperfections shouldn’t stop us from sharing our lives with people.

A few weeks back, I mentioned we hosted our first official couch surfer. In all reality, we’d had couch surfing experiences before (on both sides of the couch) without an official membership. If you don’t know, it’s a website where you can post that you are either hosting or traveling in order to match people up for a free night’s stay in local homes all over the world. When we moved into this house, I knew I wanted to officially open the doors in that way and was so glad we did.

Ultimately, we learned more about someone else’s life and were able to be hospitable and give what we had. There was something awkward about not knowing what to say or do when someone you’d never met was staying in your house. But there was also something powerful about being mildly uncomfortable in order to show love and learn about someone else’s perspective and experiences.

Thursday Three

It’s that time of the week. The time when you look around and say, “hey! I’ve almost made it to the end!” This week feels especially that way because in a matter of 20-some odd hours we will be IN IOWA. After work tomorrow we will head straight to the airport. I am super excited and also a bit overwhelmed by it all. Am I packed? No. Am I blogging? Why yes, it appears I am. This whole trip managed to sneak up on me. Lately it seems like we’ve had to take one day at a time and it might be that way through September or October. Here we go!

1. We went apartment hunting—for my sister. That’s right, folks. One of my little sisters is heading to the East Coast in a matter of weeks so we went to check out a few places for her. Official details are still being sorted out, but it’s really happening! She’ll be living about 85 miles east of us and even closer to the beach (lucky girl).

And the winner is…

2. We had a few visitors throughout the week.The hubby’s parents came for a day and half to check out where we live and we had some couch surfers who stayed a night after playing a gig as a folk duo. It was fun to host a bit and show off the place that we live in and love. I think we’ll try to host more couch surfers in the future. It’s fun to hear stories from others as they travel around and also to hear what they want in a place when it’s time to put down new roots.

3. We tackled a closet. Quite the accomplishment if you ask me. It was beyond time to go through some boxes that were never unpacked so we spent Saturday night going down memory lane and found a few good photos and some items we didn’t even know we had in the first place. I can’t wait to donate some of these things we no longer need and clear some space. It’s amazing how much a person can acquire in life yet go on thinking you still need more stuff. Here’s a look at the mess we created.

Alright. Time to pack! IOWA TIME!