Patience

Madewell Skirt | Woodbury Lane Tank| Sandals | Coco Oversized Sunnies| Leather Clutch

The end of the last season of my life was a scream for drastic change and getting out of WI was a decision I am still happy that I made. While beach life is just as relaxing as you would think, there have been some aspects of living here that have caught me by surprise and made me question if this life is for me right now (my bedroom back home has been beach themed for years. I’m supposed to love every second of this right?). What I didn’t expect was the off season here to be so intensely off. Most farmers markets are closed, the population literally cuts in half, and some businesses don’t even open up again until the snowbirds come back down in late fall. I'm about to get all psychologist on you so bear with me. Jess Lively introduced me to the U-Curve of cultural adjustment and I quickly realized that I am past phase 1 (the honeymoon phase) and that most of this summer has been phase 2 AKA "culture" shock. Time truly stands still here in Naples, which is amazing when you’re looking for an escape from reality. A place to clear your head. I highly recommend this beautiful city if that’s what you’re desiring! That’s what I wanted when I originally came down for an intended two-three months. Now that I’m here full time, I feel myself becoming restless and aching for city life.

I’ve chatted with some friends about it, both my age and a few years older and we’ve all agreed that any place can become mundane after a certain amount of time. As much as I love the palm trees, the Gulf, and the daily sunshine, it feels like this might be a better fit for me at a different time in my life (there’s a reason people retire here). It’s slow paced and not many people our age. So right now I’m practicing patience and going with the flow which has taken on a whole new meaning this year. Going with the flow means instead of impulsively buying a one-way ticket to wherever I want to be, I'm living up this beach life while I can and focusing on the parts that are in my control right now. I'm kind of looking at this as a challenge to see how many fun things I can discover around and maybe even take up a new hobby :) The biggest thing is just focusing on all the beauty this state has to offer while I'm still in it!

Photos : Stills By Hernan