"Me" Time

We have all experienced a very full and hectic schedule. For me, May was one of the busiest months of my life! The hardest part was working 40 hours a week and being a part-time student at UC Riverside. On the days I had class; I woke up at 5am to be at work for 7am. I then left at 4pm to drive 2 hours to class from 6-10pm. I did not get into bed until earliest 11:30pm. I did this twice a week and it had been exhausting! My free time after work and on my lunch breaks were filled with homework – accounting is SO much work! 

I didn't have any free time!

And that’s exactly what this post is about. When you’re life gets crazy you need to make sure to fit in some time to relax and quiet your mind. It’s extremely important to find that “me” time in order for you to continue to succeed when things get difficult. 

Because I spend so much time at a desk, in the car, or in the classroom, I take a walk around my office building at least once a day. I also try to walk up the stairs (to the 7th floor!) in order to get my heart pumping. This time-out is for me to reset. I do not think about anything that I need to get done; I listen to the birds and the nearby fountain. I feel the sun on my skin and the wind on my checks. I let the beauty of nature fill my heart. This activity only takes 5 minutes so it’s very easy to fit into that chaotic schedule!

Another trick of mine is to watch a 30 minute TV show I like during dinner. Two birds with one stone! (That’s so morbid…) I love TV; it helps me to relax because instead of worrying about my problems, I’m consumed by the characters. Therefore, on the days I’m on my own for meal time I take advantage. All the health blogs tell you not to eat while watching TV but I can’t take any extra time I have away from homework. So with my plate in hand, I cozy up on the couch and join the world of Younger or New Girl! And by the time the show is over, my plate is empty. No precious time has been wasted and I feel refreshed. 

These tricks are what helped me survive the month of May. I look back and wonder how I stayed strong and realize that I never felt drained. On paper I should have been but I did a nice job of balancing my responsibilities with my “me” time. 

What tricks do you use to optimize your “me” time? Let me know in a comment below! 

Cage Diving

Vacation is one of the best times to discover new dreams. You research and plan and then comes along that “I HAVE to do it” task! Well, when I was preparing to study abroad in South Africa I discovered shark cage diving. South Africa is known for its large number of Great White Sharks and the county has many opportunities to have a once in a lifetime experience with these creatures.

Now you must be thinking, 

"SHE’S GETTING IN THE WATER WITH A GREAT WHITE SHARK!"

Yes, yes I did! And to this day, it’s one of the most fun dreams I caught. Lucky for me my friends were very interested in doing this with me; it was something that was on all of our to-do lists before we even met! So the 7 of us scheduled our outing and made the trek out to the coast.

We had a wonderful lunch together and learned facts and interesting tidbits about the sharks as well as rules to keep us safe so we can have the most fun! We headed to the boat and found a spot on the top to watch the waves while we headed out to sea. No nerves yet! But finally we stop and drop anchor. The shipmates are luring the Great Whites to our boat with fish guts and a foam board shaped like a seal. And the shadows arrived. Slowly swirling around the boat; they look so graceful but the memories of past Shark Weeks just pop right into my mind!

We get the cue that our group is next. We head to the deck of the boat and slip into the wetsuits. We are laughing and goofing around but I can feel the nerves creeping in. We walk to the edge where the ladder leads into this metal cage alongside the boat. I was very nervous now and too scared to be the first one in, so I waited until I would be in the middle of the cage. The water was cold and you could feel the suit suction to your body as you took each step down the ladder until you were completely submersed!

Once you’re in, there’s a bar you can stabilize your feet on and another bar to hold onto above you. Shaking from the cold ocean water and the nerves, you wait until you hear the shipmate yell a command. She would yell front, left, or right. This was the direction you were supposed to look and there you will find that wonderfully ferocious Great White shark.

FRONT!

I dunk myself, the goggles are clear but the water is foggy. I know the shark is going to be coming from the front but I didn't know she was coming straight for me! Through the dark water the figure gets closer, the teeth are seen first and then the black eyes. Directly in front of me she swims until she senses the cage and slips to the side, her fins grazing the cage in front of me. Her nose just about slipped into the small opening for our unobstructed viewing. At times the cage would shake because she bumped into it. (Apparently this one female shark circled the boat for a very long time and just wanted to be near our cage while in the water, we had to stay in longer because she wouldn't leave).

The extremely close proximity I was to such a powerful animal was invigorating. I can still feel the adrenaline when I think back on this experience. I could not have dreamed of how rewarding this was going to be. The ocean is so mysterious and magical to me and I am frightened to be in the deep dark water, but this was a dream I had to catch. I never let fear take over, and used my friend’s energy to power me through. Reaching dreams with others is important. So if there is a mutual adventure you and a colleague share, take that journey together! It’ll bring your friendship to a more meaningful level and will create a memory that you both can hold special in your hearts because it is yours, something created by both of you and no one else. And personally, sharing a rewarding experience with another is WAY more fun! You can reminisce for years to come, reliving that incredible memory! 

Comment below and let me know if there are any dreams you have caught with a friend?