on doing the best you can.

this is something that has been on my mind for a while, and while i may not be able to articulate my feelings perfectly, i figure... if i've been thinking about it for this long, i might as well jot it down and throw it out to the universe. so, let's see how it goes! 

last week, i almost had a full-blown breakdown in costco (that saturday shopping zoo after an exhausting week isn't worth the samples... it just isn't). and today, i couldn't get out of bed all day. we didn't make it to the grocery store this weekend (apparently should've spent a little more time in that costco on the bulk goods), so i munched on stale trader joe's tortilla chips and white chocolate chips all afternoon, and my husband made us some eggs for sunday dinner. the clean laundry is still sitting in the laundry basket, waiting to get folded (i did laundry last monday). i've wanted to paint my nails for a good six weeks now, but they're still as plain as ever. and you know what? that's okay. it's all okay. 

i used to live in this tight little "type a" world, where i lamented over ninety-two percents for test scores and got stressed when i got dirt spots on my shoes. and while i have a shiny diploma with the phrase "magna cum laude" about .5 inches tall on it and had a few nice pair of shoes in my closet, it's not everything. and it doesn't make me any better of a person. i have come to realize something-- that it's okay to not be perfect. it's okay to have faults and struggles and leave it all on your sleeve for the world to see sometimes. it's okay to deal with tough stuff and to let details fall to the wayside sometimes. it's all right to let your hair down, to let out a good cry, and to just let yourself be real for a second. 

we're all human-- vulnerably and perfectly imperfect human. and as the seasons in our lives change, we all experience trials and triumphs. but it's those peaks and valleys that keep us going; they make the beautiful times in life even sweeter. and i think, as we're in this fast-paced world with the ever-growing influence of social media all around us, it's so easy to feel pressured to live a "perfect" life. to compare ourselves to others and to think about all of the things we don't have that we see our friends and acquaintances possessing. and while it's absolutely fine to yearn for a beautiful, pinterest-inspired life, it's also okay to let yourself feel-- to let yourself get messy, take things a step at a time, and just do the best you can. 

whenever i sit and reflect on the last seven years of my life, all of these emotions rise up out of my stomach and i want to smile and cry and laugh at the same time. it has been a beautiful ride. but it has been oh, so hard. at some point during my freshman year of college, i became labeled "the sick kid." i was always sick, or so they said. and seven years and a second bachelor's degree later, and the title has stuck. i have gone through what feels like some twisted version of groundhog day, where i wake up and experience the same illnesses and mystery diagnoses and diagnostic tests over and over and over again. like i am always saying, "it will get better when they just figure out what's going on and can get me a treatment," "it will get better after this semester when i'm less stressed," "it will get better when..." i don't really remember what it feels like to wake up after eight hours of sleep and feel energized and ready for a new day.

and although i have suffered in some ways, i have learned so much and been blessed immensely. i feel overwhelmingly grateful for the incredible experiences that i have had during this time frame-- the people that i have connected with, the places i have explored, and the lessons that i have learned. i've loved it. but i believe that part of the reason i have been able to love it is because i have been able to let go. to let go of some of my perfectionist tendencies and to just let myself live. to try my hardest, but to cut myself some slack. to take comfort in knowing that i'm doing the best i can and pray that others can see that and be okay with that and to take comfort in knowing that God knows my heart, my capabilities, and my intentions. and he knows that i am doing the best i can. and to learn to loosen up and cut others some slack too. because i don't know what they're going through. i don't know their secret battles or what their past seven years have looked like. and they'll surely appreciate extra support along the way. 

 i'll say it again: we're all human. and we're all part of this same exciting, messy world. life comes at us too fast sometimes, so let's be kind to each other. let's acknowledge people's efforts and try to gain insight on their circumstances. let's throw out enough good vibes and support to keep those around us afloat. and if you ever find someone crying in a costco, put your arm around them and buy them a frozen yogurt.

thank you to all of you people in my life who have supported me. who take me as i am and love me unconditionally, messy-haired and all. i know it hasn't been an easy road to follow along with my illness(es) over the past few years, but i really appreciate it. i earnestly and honestly mean that i couldn't have gotten through it without you. i have needed you and continue to need you. and i am grateful that you've been okay with me just doing the best that i could and helped me enjoy all of the good that is still around.

to all of you out there who are dealing with something: you're doing great. you're okay. you'll get through it; just keep doing the best you can. 

and if you need a pick-me-up, i've got some chocolate chips on my nightstand calling your name.
XO.

((photo from the one time i cooked mateo a "fancy" breakfast, even if it was the only time i cooked during that week of school...!))

p.s. speaking of "doing the best i can"... i'm actually too tired to proof-read this soooo.. please forgive/laugh at any mistakes. besos. 

i can do hard things.

this post has been marinating in my mind for a few weeks now. i've hesitated to actually sit down and write it because i have wanted it to be good-- to be empowering, to be insightful, to be full of heart. 

i'm not completely sure that i'll ever actually make the time to sit down and write something powerful, but just for my own sake + maybe the sake of my posterity or something, i'll start here. 

this summer, i realized something really, really important:
i can do hard things. 

i've heard the phrase tossed around for a while now, and it never really meant much to me. for years, i have just kind of experienced life as it's come. i've dealt with my struggles and celebrated my successes for a short time before moving onto the next thing, never really actually thinking about the significance of what i was going through. 

and then this summer, it's like every challenge i could possibly think of piled up and smacked me in the face. i started an incredibly rigorous/tedious/intense program at johns hopkins, with over 35 hours of class time a week (and then studying). i moved across the country, into a completely unfamiliar culture. i helped my husband complete the immigration process and prepare for interviews. i moved my little business into a new market, networked, and tried to balance work with school. i helped my husband adjust to life in the united states; i helped him apply for jobs and for school and worked with him in his quest to conquer english. i figured out all sorts of things that newlyweds just have to figure out. and then i got sick. really, chronically, frustratingly sick... again. 

there were so many times that i couldn't figure it all out... i couldn't figure out how one person could possibly bear all of it. how this little body of mine could overcome such stress and anxiety. how i could survive the summer, and be successful at that. 

but you know what? i survived. i did it. i can do hard things. 

i write this not to toot my own horn or tell you how awesome i am. i write this to reassure you, that in fact, you can do hard things too. you are stronger than you think. 

after i completed my last final a few weeks ago, i took a deep breath of that fresh (?) baltimore air, looked up at the sky, and sighed. i couldn't believe that i had survived... that i had passed my classes! that i had been able to make it through a semester of hell-- a semester that pushed me to my limits emotionally and physically on a consistent basis. i looked back on the countless hours of late night studying, the photocopying of birth certificates and leases and all sorts of other evidence to prove we're in fact in love and genuinely married, + all of the physical pain i endured. and just like that, my confidence boosted 115 percent... all because i gave myself a second and a half to be proud of myself.

i know that we're never given challenges too great for us to bear, although sometimes it may seem like too much. we can pull through; we can always pull through. and once we've crossed that finish line, oh, how good it feels!

if you're struggling or going through your own trials, please keep your chin up. know that it will all work out, in the end. i like to remember what my friend gordie b. says,
"it isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is. it all works out. don't worry.
i say that to myself every morning.
it will all work out.
put your trust in god, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future.
the lord will not forsake us. he will not forsake us."

lean on those who love you. let them help you. let them feel your pains for a minute. i cannot tell you how wonderful my husband, parents, family, and friends have been; it may seem cliché, but i could not have made it through without them.

keep your faith. do not lose hope in sunnier days.

treat (yo)self. seriously, take a second to breathe. to eat popsicles and nap and read your favorite book. sometimes, it's okay to let your guard down. and even cry a little (or a lot).

you can do hard things.

and although i'd love to say that this is a completely retrospective concept, it's not. maybe that's why i'm writing this, so i can revisit it in a few weeks or months or years. so i can be reminded. i'd love to tell you that i'm done with every hard thing in my life. that i'm out of school, that i have perfected the art of marriage, that i'm not still suffering from a very depressing, mystery illness. but none of that is the case. i have a long road ahead of me. so with that in mind, i'll just keep remembering this little nugget of strength:
behold, god is my salvation. i will trust, and not be afraid; for the lord jehovah is my strength and my song; he also has become my salvation. -2 nephi 22:2 

thirteen.

so here i am, almost completely through the first month of 2014 (seriously, you guys... seriously?!) finally deciding it's time to dust off the old blog and share an actual update or two. i've had a lot to share these last little bits of time, but the last part of 2013 really escaped me. besides being terribly ill, i had a great deal of work from my busy season to catch up on, a fiance visa (!!!) to acquire, + some television (five seasons of breaking bad, ten of grey's anatomy, two of scandal, six of private practice, and then some...) to watch. but in my defense, all of that binge watching was done either a) whilst editing photos or b) laying in bed, too sick to do anything else. and i did read a novel or two (or four) to prevent complete brain rot. 

i digress.

moral of the story is, i'm here. i'm alive. i'm recovering. i'm with my love and my wonderful family in my cozy home prepping for an inevitably crazy year. 

but, i realize i slipped into some forbidden blogger's abyss during arguably the most exciting year of my life. i left so much out! i neglected to share so many incredible travel stories and photos. a few poignant thoughts. and probably a million pictures of mateo. you're all missing out a lot more than you might think ;)

so although i'll likely catch you all up at some point on most of the important stuff, i figured i'd start it off by sharing thirteen things that i learned in 2013, cool experiences that proved growth, + tidbits that i find important or particularly poignant. 

1. people matter. through everything, i always keep coming back to this. how every single person out there is so important. and how each person has struggles and joys and everyday challenges... and when it comes down to it, it's one of the most important and  transcendent parts of life-- to care for others, to connect with others, to think of others. and even the smallest, most simple things (like sincere pleasantries to strangers you come in contact with and going the extra mile a time or two) can make really big differences in people's daily lives.

2. eating yourself silly through europe (and australia and peru and chile) may end up in a 12-pound weight gain. but it will probably be worth it. i promise that you won't find any gelato in the united states like the real deal you found back in italy. 

3. i am all grown up. i realized that i officially became an adult this year... not because i paid my own rent or got engaged or turned 23 or traveled the world alone, but because i bought a retainer. i had a retainer that functioned decently, and my teeth looked awesome pre-retainer. this completely non-cosmetic, $270 purchase was rooted in a gap that had formed between two of my back molars, causing discomfort and potential gum disease in the future. so i used (nearly) a whole portrait session's earnings on a ruddy retainer and declared myself responsible. i guess it's about time. 

4. god knows us. he knows every single one of us-- our needs and and our desires and our struggles. and although sometimes i don't understand why things happen in my life (the good and the bad), i'm grateful for the faith that i have in god. i do know that time and time again in my life, he's given me blessings that are better for me than i could've picked out on my own. 

5. the best wedding diet around is a south american parasite. still trying to figure out how to rid myself of said mystery parasite, but that's beyond the point, right?

6. family is everything. i have some pretty incredible friends (who i pretty much consider kin), but i'm endlessly grateful for the friendship i have with my family members-- immediate and extended alike-- for their love, support, + jokes.

7. adventure feeds the soul. this was easily the most adventurous year of my life, and now i just want to adventure more and more and more! this year, i traveled by taxi across africa with four people i had just met. i pet koalas. i was proposed to by a spaniard (again. same spaniard, different year). i talked politics with a swedish family in their 17th century farmhouse. i showered in a concrete box while looking out the window at the andes.

8. life is fragile and precious. i had a few traumatic experiences that really shook me this year. i don't want to be dramatic and think that they were worse than they actually were, but i do believe that i had a guardian angel or two looking out for me. and even just coming this close to something terrifying reminded me that life is so fragile. it can end or change drastically in a second.

9. life goes on. i had a few setbacks this year-- with school stresses and missed flights and shattered windshields and health problems and broken cameras and the like. there were times i felt like i just wanted to quit it all. but after those dark moments, time inevitably passed, and things inevitably improved. minor setbacks made me stronger, more experienced, and more knowledgeable.

10. showers are not overrated. please, please, please never take a hot shower for granted.

11. gratitude matters most. i think this could be one of the most poignant parts of my year and of what i learned. looking back on the year, i struggled a lot emotionally in regards to reconciliation. after traveling so extensively and seeing the many different ways in which people live across the globe, i just couldn't figure out how it all works. why it works the way it does. why some (seemingly undeserving) people are blessed with so much and why other kind, hard-working individuals live in such dire circumstances with really no hopes of escaping them. i was the happiest and most grateful when i forgot myself and my troubles and spent my days serving others. and i was the most miserable when i sat around worrying about myself. so i know, one hundred percent, for a fact... gratitude changes everything.

photos ® red poppy photos by stacy thiot

i feel like this post needed to be exceptionally awesome to make up for the serious lack of posts for the past five months. sorry if it disappointed, but it can only go up from here, right?

bring on 2014! 

under water.

this whole entire month, i've pretttty much felt exactly like this little peruvian chica.

it's been a rocky month... yet oddly invigorating. i feel like i'm constantly under about ten feet of water, but at the same time, i feel ready to make big changes in my life. to focus on who i am, who i want to become, and how to get there. to define myself as an artist and a scholar and a daughter of god. to brighten my own days and especially the days of others. to choose to be happy and to ignore the stress of the everyday. to love and to serve and to be inspired.

i haven't given myself much time to breathe since my hectic summer. but who needs to breathe, anyway, when you dive head-first into life? 

i kinda sorta {definitely} feel that my life is always going to be a bit under water. and you know what? i'm okay with it.

photo ®anna gleave photography 2013. cajamarca, peru. 

my peruvian paradise.

well, it's official.
i'm in heaven down here.
despite the smells and filth and ice cold showers, i've grown to love this place, and i've grown to love these people.
i've had a hard time writing about my experiences here over the last few weeks because i guess i'm a bit at a loss of words (for once) about all that i'm feeling and all that i'm doing and the immense culmination of changes that are occurring within me every single day.

these kids are changing me.
they are teaching me how to live more simply and to love more purely.
they're teaching me what it means to be happy.
i love their resilience, their smiles, and their enthusiasm--
the way they sing and dance and laugh,
their constant need for hugs (even our little tough guys love em),
and how excited they are to learn.

these past few weeks, we've been really getting to know the kids better.
though a lot of them fit in with the cultural norm of being very timid, we've finally broken down some walls and developed friendships with them.
though it's only been three-ish weeks, these kids have my heart.
i've found myself worrying about them all weekend, and i can't wait to get back to work with them tomorrow!
i feel like we're making progress with all of our educational work, too, which is so exciting. the past two weeks, we've focused on nutrition and dental hygiene, and we've had some great successes!

between the crossword puzzles and health classes and games and art activities, the kids are definitely beginning to grasp some of the most important concepts.
plus, it's mango season, so we've been buying them tons of fresh mangoes a few times a week as their postre (dessert), and they've been going nuts over them!
and we gave them their very own toothbrushes (with some old egg cartons jerryrigged into a stand), and really, they couldn't have been more thrilled. they all jump at the chance to brush their teeth after lunch, and some of them even beg to brush a second time!
none of these kids have toothbrushes at home, so their poor little mouths are not in the best shape. many complain of their teeth hurting, some of them have visible signs of decay, and a few of the littlest ones have holes in their teeth.
i've never seen such gratitude for something so small as a toothbrush before; it almost seems unreal.
but that's really what these kids are full of-- so much love and gratitude.

i am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity i have to work here. i am learning and growing every day... from these children, from my co-worker/roommate/amiga (she is really so very wonderful), from my host family, and from my surroundings.
i am continually humbled and amazed and awakened down here in south america.

in some ways, i feel like i've become the mother of forty-something peruvian babies. and i never want them to grow up or leave my sight.

caraballo.

no matter how many international films i've watched, global health reports i've studied, development books i've read, or how informed i've chosen to make myself, there is nothing like real-life experience.

a real-life experience with people who live every day in poverty, who know nothing else.

today, we went to caraballo, a little batey about an hour's drive away from cabarete. 

and after spending only a few hours there, i feel as if am a changed person. 

i've come into contact with poverty, with extreme suffering, with pain.

and sure, i've seen it a lot in films and on the news and in books. 

but never in my life have i come into contact with it in such a manner, 

spent time with an entire community living in such dire circumstances.

historically, the bateys of cuba and the dominican republic are sugar-cane-centered communities that house many immigrants from haiti who come to harvest every year. 

well, the sugar cane factory in caraballo has been shut down for a decade,

so this very remote community has virtually no source of income.

it is filled with a combination of haitians and dominicans,

and it is suffering immensely. 

one-roomed shacks made out of scrap metal serve as houses.

trash is everywhere. 

pigs, horses, goats, chickens run around with barely-clothed children. 

remains of once-successful humanitarian efforts litter the community. 

a single room serves as a bedroom, living room, and shop for a family of (soon-to-be) four. 

and it doesn't stop there. 

but though their living conditions are bleak, 

the people of this little batey are so, so kind.

and the children? where do i even begin...

i spent the afternoon sharing secrets with my new little amiga, 

playing soccer with the sweetest child on the planet, elso, and his buddies,

exchanging contact information with a group of the nicest teenage boys,

and filming the music class in DREAM's montessori preschool.

when i think about all of the inequalities out there,

the huge disparities between what i have been blessed with and what many in the world are lacking,

my heart physically aches.

thinking about my experiences today literally brings me to tears. 

but i am thankful for my experiences.

they have re-ignited my humanitarian flame

and will hopefully serve as a reminder of all i need to be constantly grateful for in my life.

i feel as if i can't really articulate what i'm trying to say in an eloquent manner,
so i'll stop writing before i get too ramble-y.
but if you're in an air-conditioned home reading this, with a full belly and clean clothes on your body,
please take a second to be grateful for what you have.

youth.

sorry i'm being a bit wordy lately. 

words have just struck me lately... and i've been reminded why i used to be so fond of them.

when reading this earlier today, i came across the following: 

"how beautiful is youth! how bright it gleams with its illusions, aspirations, dreams!"

-henry wadsworth longfellow

and then i thought back to this weekend. 

to the two living-room forts i played inside,

to the raucous dance party held in a parking garage i boogied at,

to the frontyard bonfire i attended,

to the many, many tacos i consumed and the saturday night basketball game i cheered at,

to my impactful sunday at church.

and i realized that mister longfellow was spot on. 

amidst the stressful studies, feelings of being overworked, and post-teen angst, 

this time of life really is so bright. 

i have so much to be grateful for from my past and in my present... and i have so much to look forward to in the future.

really though,

these feet have been to some pretty cool places in recent years... can't wait to see where they take me in the next little while! 

so here's to a bright (sort of) senior year and 2012... 

the long road back...

i've been thinking for a while what to say, how to explain my sudden, unexplained absence from here. and there is really no way to explain it without getting really personal. i'll try and keep it a little bit ambiguous at least, for your sake.

i've spent the past week or so mourning, recovering, and attempting to take a break from my own life.

i have suffered from three years of chronic illness now.

i've had periods of hope-- times when i felt as if i was getting better.

but mostly, i've experienced a lot of pain.

waking up every day feeling awful and trying to find the motivation to get out of bed is difficult. and after three years, it's taxing.

i was blessed with relatively good health for the first part of my stay in europe, but then illness returned midway through my adventures. and it hasn't left since.

so i returned to see my doctor last weekend. and after a week of antibiotics & steroids, it looks like surgery is the only option.

another surgery. surgery number four in the past two years.

this news changed my life... or at least re-shaped my path for the time being.

i am now faced with the heartbreak of giving up a dream.

and another uncertain era of illness.

i think the uncertainty is the hardest part.

i have tried so, so hard to maintain positivity throughout this whole experience.

but this week, i let myself feel sorry. and feel sad. and cry.

i don't know what the future will bring, but i do know that i've been given so much strength and courage throughout these past three years.

i feel so lucky to have been able to accomplish and experience so much, even if i had to "fake" good health to make it happen.

i'm so grateful for those who have stuck with me through all of this.

for my family, who is continually encouraging me, nursing me, and loving me.

i am grateful that my health isn't worse. because i know very well that it could be.

i am thankful for the knowledge i have of eternal life, of what's to come.

and that i know the Lord has felt what i'm feeling, infinite times over.

and someday, i know i will get through this.

and i'll be the good, fun old anna again.

and with this knowledge, i will continue onward.

it's not going to be easy, but i can do it.

i will regain my optimism,

because in the end, it will all work out.

in other words...

i'm back.

thanks for sticking around.

food for thought.

life can be really tough. just trying to keep a little bit of perspective....

If I were to say, "God, why me?" about the bad things, then I should have said, "God, why me?" about the good things that happened in my life.

-Arthur Ashe

looking forward.

i taught a lesson about overcoming opposition in church yesterday, and so i've been thinking a lot about this lately.

life can be so hard. i am still sick. and i am insanely stressed about a big exam. but the promise of knowing He will be there to help us through our trials is all that we need. i know that, in the end, all will be well.

i know this has been around for awhile, but i love mrs. nielson's perspective.

such an inspiration.

in other news, i'm back in utah.

i've got that (aforementioned) killer chemistry final to take at the end of the week, so i'm forcing myself to take a break from the blog.

but, have no fear! i've got some awesome guest posts lined up for you all!

i've got some new sponsor info to share next week, and i'm planning a blog makeover as well.

so much to look forward to, no?!

what do you have happening this week?

el fin.

so, i've reached another crossroads in my life.

tonight marks the last night i'll spend in europe on this grand adventure.

it's a little bit surreal to think about going back to "real" life after this. sometimes, i can't even remember that i actually had a life before this-- that's how long it feels like i've been here.

but at the same time, i feel like i've been here for no time at all.

it feels like it was two weeks ago that i packed up my bags and arrived here in alcalá.

time is a funny thing.

i am so grateful for this incredible experience i have had.

in a lot of ways, i feel like a changed person.

my eyes have been opened to new cultures, perspectives, and ideas.

i've learned a lot.

i have made some new best friends.

and i've missed some old friends.

i've been reminded, again, the importance of familia,

and have been continually reminded of the beauty of god's good earth.

i have tasted new foods, heard new languages, and have worked toward mastering a language that i love.

and i've gotten the chance to take so many pictures--

thousands, and thousands of beautiful pictures.

and i have learned a little bit more about myself.

this being said,

i am ready to get some normality back in my life.

i'm ready to be with my family again, to eat a bit less ice cream, and to sleep in my own bed.

i just hope to keep remembering my new perspective and to relish in my spanish memories...

though i'm sure the latter will be no problem whatsoever!

but if you've been enjoying my european travels, don't worry... i have many more pictures and stories to share!

there just might be more real-life stuff in my future...

life can't always be only fun and games, you know.

well, maybe in spain.

inolvidable.

it really doesn't take much to remember that we're all children of God,

that we're loved beyond measure.

my time in spain with these people truly reinforced this idea for me--

that no matter where we come from, where we go, or how we choose to live,

we are blessed and loved.

i am grateful for the chance i had to live in spain...

to get to know such a wonderful group of people,

and to have incredible experiences every day.

give peace a chance.

today we remembered columbine.

thinking back to april 20, 1999, i can't remember every little detail.

but it's surprising how much i do remember.

we weren't allowed to go out to recess because of a lightning storm.

i remember being slightly confused, since there didn't seem to be a cloud in the sky.

shortly after, i was pulled out of my third-grade class by my dad.

i asked why he was bringing me home early,

and he said that there was a shooting at the high school.

i didn't think much of it... i guess that in my mind, violence occurred every day in high school (i was clearly jaded by movies.)

when i got home, i realized the tragedy of the situation.

i spent the rest of the day at home, watching the same news pieces play time after time.

worried, confused, curious.

and when i think about our world currently, i feel the same.

today, my mom went shopping at our local mall in littleton.

she was told she needed to evacuate the mall because of a "fire."

she thought there was just a small fire in a corner of the mall,

so she didn't take the situation too seriously.

turns out, someone had placed a bomb in the mall,

along with two propane tanks, right by the fire.

i'm so grateful that the bomb didn't go off-- that my mom is okay.

are these two dates correlated?

who knows.

what i do know, is that these events could most likely be avoided.

dylan klebold and eric harris brought bombs and guns to columbine because they were treated poorly by their peers.

granted, they had some serious psychological issues, but the bullying they endured from their fellow students led to their terrifying actions.

if we were all a little bit more mindful to those struggling around us,

a little bit kinder,

i think that some of these tragedies could be avoided.

a few less people would suffer,

and less conflicts in the world would arise.

i'm no ghandi, but i think peace is really great.

what do you think?

be the change you want to see in the world.

-ghandi

to live.

...can you feel your body? stop for a moment. feel your body. one septillion activities going on simultaneously, and your body does this so well you are free to ignore it, and wonder instead when this speech will end. you can feel it. it is called life. this is who you are.

-paul hawken

spring break dreams.

sometimes, i just want to take a spring break from my own life.

this week has been exceptionally hard.

the hardest of the semester... even more difficult than those gloomy weeks of tonsillectomy recovery.

and that's saying something.

it's right about now that i just want to escape from everything.

to take a break and fly off to my paradise with my family.

to take a hiatus (i wouldn't be opposed to a year-long hiatus...) to costa rica.

but i also know the importance of hard work.

how after that awful, terribly stressful and emotional week is over,

life will carry on.

and i will be happy.

the hard weeks teach us to appreciate the good.

and are crucial in accomplishing goals.

but maybe, just for a few minutes this weekend, i'll pretend i'm in costa rica, listening to this and this.

and all will be well.

i hope that you have a relaxing weekend.

*photo of tamarindo, costa rica. august 2010.