together again

it's funny to think how time just happens. years go by and then we look back and wonder exactly how did those years go by without me knowing? i'm realizing it's actually a beautiful thing. life is being lived and days are being spent creating these individual worlds. i realize it's even more fantastic when life "just happens" and then we stop for a moment, invite old friends over for dinner, and enjoy each other where we are now. three years later (and hopefully the wiser).

last night, g and i had an old college friend, peter, and his wife, emily, over for dinner. the last time i had seen these two was after graduation at their summer wedding. three whole years ago. back then, we were all in different places. peter and emily tying the knot, me finishing nursing school, pre-gino. there was no thought as to when we'd really hang out again because, of course, we were just living the moment in joyful celebration. and as expected, life just happened.

thanks to social media, there was always some knowing of what was going on in their lives, making any inkling to actually visit seem unnecessary. then came the day when i said screw it! here is a great friend and his wife, living nearby, without kids, with an appetite for adventure. so g and i invited them over for a summer evening dinner.

at once, my two worlds merged: my past and my present. it was surreal. here is peter - the guy who played guitar on our patio on ophir, the one who was guaranteed to attend all our parties, the one who collected cereal boxes to hang on his apartment wall - sitting at a table set for four. two college buds, joined by the loves of our lives.

we drank and ate, lit the candles when the sky grew dark, ate some more, and enjoyed reconnecting. yeah three years passed, but those three years bought us here. now. as is.

my heart is gleaming with joy having peter and emily back in my real life, the one shared with g. as peter played the guitar last night after dinner, i felt like everything was so right. we may not have been sitting in our past on ophir, but what joy it was to sit in our present at la casa de erica and g. three years gone by, but that moment lived to the fullest.

inspired

i don't know if it's spring with its blossoms and fruits and what-not, Mother Flow's soon arrival, or hints of my puerto rican daze, but i'm feeling sensitive. emotional. inspired.

i've always been an enthusiast for simple pleasures, but i noticed there was a lapse for a wee bit of time prior to our puerto rico trip. little things got on my nerves, setting the tone for the rest of the day (i.e. traffic, bratty kids, people jay-walking). and of course with such focused attention on things that were out of my control, i forgot to take deep breaths and just be. 

somehow, someway, i feel like i'm back to the real me. the joyful me. all of a sudden, i have a keen fancy for simple, lovely things.

...like mornings spent drinking tea and letter-writing outside.

and long, unhurried walks. (erica one month ago would have said "ain't nobody got time for that" with shreds of cynicism clearly apparent).

lovely things like wearing dresses and long skirts. doing yoga in my underwear.

i can't tell you enough how i am totally digging this song and this album right now. sitting in traffic doesn't seem so bad after all. (yeah, freakin', right. traffic still stinks, but at least i have some great tunes to ease my anxiety).

dinners eaten outside at dusk. or by candlelight. tenderness.

again, i don't know why i feel this internal warmth after a few weeks - or quite possibly, months - of feeling stagnant, anxious, and frustrated. i do know, however, that it feels great to be back.

on being a big, big girl

i'm 26.

most people my age are doing things like getting married, having babies, closing escrow on houses, planning for their "next" baby. it's serious stuff. adult stuff.

now, i don't want to invalidate those life-changing milestones of the greater 26-year-old population, but i must tell you about my recent big girl step: investing in the proper bra.

seeing that i'm not  exactly what you call "voluptuous," i've never felt the need to have a bra fitting. i would just go to the store, choose the smallest size available, buy it, and wear it. no lace, no frill. patterns on a bra never made sense to me, nor did neon colors. my modest bosom had always been content with the nude t-shirt bra.

with such indifference to bras, i never felt it a priority to replace them. i would rather spend money on a great bottle of wine or a week's worth of tasty treats. consequently, my plain bras were forced to succumb to the everyday wear-and-tear. loose, thin, and sometimes stained, they were pretty much useless. still, i never gave a damn. i just repeated to myself, "my boobs are small. treats are good."

but leave it to g to intervene during my lapse in womanhood. noticing my unsupported bosom in a dress, g encouraged me to have a proper bra fitting. according to this apparent bra guru, it didn't seem like i was wearing the correct size. and my bras were just plain old. so he made a plan for me one night: have a fitting, choose the proper bra, and buy it. price, not an option.

after some internal kicking and screaming and a few eye rolls, i put on my big girl pants and did it. i walked into nordstrom, told the specialist i didn't know what the heck i was doing, tried what seems like millions of bras, and found THE ONE! a size completely different than what i had been wearing, nude with a touch of lace on the borders, just enough padding, and comfortable, my bra gave my bosom just what it needed: love and support.

wearing my new bra, i feel like a new woman. an actual woman. sure, it was far more than what i would have paid in the past, but i see it as an investment. my boobs are snug, my clothes fit right, and damn, i just feel pretty.

so to all those twenty-somethings out there doing big things, brace yourselves! erica is on her way!

no one else

in light of mother's day tomorrow, i raise my glass to the most incredible woman i know: mama. she is my confidante, my forever sidekick. she will listen patiently on the phone for as long as i need to vent; will eat a treat even if she is full, just for the sake of spending time together; will plan a trip on a whim; and will worry when i drive late at night because she knows i have tendencies to fall asleep.

mama is a survivor, a true victor. she may not have a taste for seafood, but she sure does have an appetite for life, with those beaming eyes, glowing skin, and sassy 'do. words cannot describe how much she means to me, nor can they express how much i love her. so i'll just let it be. and i'll say this: thank you.

how to appreciate

...annnd we're back! you know that feeling of needing another vacation just to recover from the vacation you just had? you just need to wind down and rest? yeah, well i don't feel one ounce of that. if anything, i feel like grabbing life by its horns and hauling a**! our time spent in puerto rico was centered on replenishing our bodies, nourishing our souls, and healing from the everyday battles that tend to exhaust our well being.

prior to traveling to puerto rico, i was a little worried that g and i would have high expectations. i feared that we would compare our time in costa rica, last year, to this current trip. would the beaches be as breathtaking, the fruit as sweet, the memories as lasting? thankfully, i left those worries stateside and embraced puerto rico 2013 for exactly what it was. and it was heavenly. 

g and i stayed in a puerto rican woman's guesthouse, set on the outskirts of the rainforest, with the bright blue sea in clear sight. we felt like we were visiting family. mornings were spent eating breakfast outside, listening to our host share stories of the natives and their traditions. we practiced yoga in the patio, as the warm, albeit humid, breeze wisped by. beach after beautiful beach was laid upon, downpour after fleeting downpour was embraced. g and i let the days guide us, our bodies dictate the level of activity. and for the most part, it was just being. 

coming home, g and i contemplated a shared thought - that traveling is essential to not only color our lives, but to, more importantly, allow us to appreciate the things we have so easily accessible. like kale and greek yogurt. or honest-to-good bakeries. i'm excited to wear dry underwear instead of a damp swimsuit. and running! thank the Lord above for less-than-80% humidity. my days will be enjoyed NOT reapplying sunscreen over and over again. afternoon walks to the park with chase - let's do this! 

none of this is to say i didn't enjoy my time or that i wish things had been different. no, that's not the point of traveling. for some time, g and i vacated the routine and the hustle, submerged ourselves in another land, learned and grew and loved, and now we're back home to embrace the simplicity to which we refer to as life. i feel so thankful.