A little bird

Life is amazing.

Almost three years ago, I sat on my first overnight flight to another country. I was absolutely restless with excitement. After twelve hours or so (I honestly can’t remember because it is all like a dream to me now), I stepped off the plane. I was giddy with anticipation of how different everything was going to look and feel once I got outside. It was such a build up- we had to go through the different security, explain to the officials what we were doing there, find our way to the right luggage pick-up area, then mosey around trying to find the driver that was supposed to pick us up and take us to our hotel. All of which was inside this concrete, monsterously-sized airport. My emotions were dizzying. I was only picking up a few hints that we weren’t in Kansas anymore. Even after searching a sea of signs for our name and following the driver to the car garage, I still couldn’t really see anything different about this place other than much smaller cars and black taxi cabs. The only other difference was the accent. I had officially landed in London. Heaven, I asked? A little too dirty for heaven, but pretty darn close.

The car ride was ridiculously “zooming.” I really feel like it is only possible to zoom in London. Or maybe it was just being on the opposite side of the road that was freaking me out. Or the ridiculously narrow lanes and streets. I do come from Texas, where everything does quite stereotypically seem bigger the majority of the time- all the pick-up trucks I could literally drive my Mini Cooper into the back of and hitch a free ride- there definitely weren’t any, nor would that be safe on those tight streets. I don’t know how the double deckers do it….

So, I still couldn’t quite quiet my nerves down enough to get my bearings, and I felt like I was in a zooming sea of concrete and cars. But the closer I got to our hotel, the tidier and all together quintessential it got.

Anyways, nature was beautifully incorporated in this bustling city unlike anywhere I had experienced before. I have to admit I’m not a big city person just because I like nature too much, but there were flowers everywhere! And trees! Does that exist in New York, other than in the parks? I must sound so biased. I just kind of fell head over heels out of the cab and remained that way the remainder of the trip. Every little detail of everything (literally) I could’ve taken a picture of had I had the time (tourist alert!), lucky for you and all my family, I didn’t. My camera probably would have killed over anyway.

 

I miss it. A lot. I especially miss this tiny little guy that I am taking a picture of in this picture:

He kind of became buddies with us when we were visiting Warwick Castle and were exploring the town (although I’m pretty sure he just wanted food). He just hopped right up to me when I was sitting on the bench and didn’t seem bothered by us at all. We gushed over him for quite a while (mind you I was with two other men, and even they gushed, so our little robin friend was pretty awesome even by manly-men standards!).

We took pictures, and as we said our goodbyes to our little friend, something happened to me. Not physically, but I just felt so so incredibly present in the moment. I wanted to burst into tears (still do to be honest).  This is how I should live everyday. I felt so alive and the world felt so incredibly beautiful, every little inch of it. Because, it was and it is.

Leaving the UK, was really, really bittersweet. It was one of those life experiences you never can really shake no matter how far away from you it gets. I talk about the trip with my father and my boyfriend often, and we all agree it was one of the best moments and certainly one of the best travel experiences we have ever had. It was not just because of where we were physically, but because where we were emotionally and spiritually. We were just there, in the moment. So, when I have my bouts of depression and anxiety from being back home in my day to day life, I have found that “realizing deeply that the present moment is all you have” (Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment) is so incredibly important for my happiness. I never thought I could reach that “deeply in the now,” really zen happy place. But I had when I met my little bird friend and it gave me the strength to realize that every day can be like that, every moment, because that is all there is.

So, without further ado, (with a full heart and lots of sappy tears forming in my eyes) I present James Avery’s Bird Ring.

I am happily going to place my little friend on my finger to remind me how precious life is, and within that, how precious every little moment is. Thank you to that little garden robin that opened my eyes to the world, and thank you to the awesome Dad who made it possible not only to experience that moment, but forever wear it on my finger!

I hope you have lots of happy moments this weekend–and if you are interested in James Avery Jewelry or purchasing this beautiful ring yourself (I’m such a good little advertiser…. but really I’m obsessed with this ring and love it- so I couldn’t help but to share) here is a link to their website: JA Bird Ring