I’m a big believer that there’s always something to be learned – every interaction and experience we have creates a new opportunity for us to learn something and all of those individual learnings, whether big or small, are what contribute to our growth. And being that I set my intention for 2015 to be “growth”, I’ve been making an effort to be conscious about my progress toward that goal and what exactly it means to grow (which is actually pretty hard to quantify or measure when you think about how complex life is).

One of the areas where I’ve started to recognize the most learning and growth has been in adjusting to life in California – what started out as a bit of a shock at the beginning of the year has shifted into embracing life on the west coast and the opportunities for learning that this life change creates. A few lessons I’ve learned from California so far:

1. It’s okay to slow down: Before we moved life was flying by at 100 mph. I was working really long hours, traveling a lot for work and spending the majority of my weekends on blogging. I was under a lot of stress with the holidays, planning a move and keeping up with everything and it all felt incredibly consuming. And then it all came to a halt – the holidays were over, I left my job and we moved – and all at once, the stress that felt so familiar was gone (not saying I was stress free, quitting your job without having anything else lined up isn’t exactly a walk in the park). But as I’ve gotten into a groove with a new job and life in San Francisco, I’ve realized things are just a lot slower here, and that’s pretty awesome. The west coast definitely has a more relaxed vibe to it – people aren’t interested in hearing how “busy” you are, people tend to work less crazy hours and even wardrobe’s are more laid back. I’ve learned the beauty in leaving the office at a reasonable hour, cooking a dinner at home and sitting down together to enjoy it and even spending a weekend that doesn’t revolve around work or the blog. And I’ve gotta say… it feels awesome to slow down a bit.
2. Beauty is everywhere: As filthy, cold and gloomy as San Francisco can be, it is also totally gorgeous in a really unique way. From the colors and architecture to the street art, you can find a touch of beauty anywhere as long as you’re open to looking for it. I’ve also gained a much deeper appreciation for the beauty found in nature since moving out west and I’m still amazed by the fact that there are redwood forests, windy highways along the ocean, cliffs and even vineyards within an hour’s drive of the city. I’m learning to soak it all in and feel more eager to explore and see new things than ever before (hell, I’m even considering going camping! Everyone in SF seems to LOVE camping and their enthusiasm is rubbing off on me).
3. Taking care of yourself is important: From the food we eat to making an effort to be as active as possible, wellness is an obvious priority of life on the west coast. I’ve found myself being more conscious than ever about what I eat, not only from a health standpoint but an environmental and production standpoint as well. Having access to local produce and the actual people who grow it each week at the farmer’s market has opened my eyes to the impact that our food choices have, not only on ourselves but the livelihood of those whose farms it comes from. I always joke around about the fact that living in SF has made me eat more kale, quinoa and green juice than ever before but being healthy really is a way of life out here. I feel more inspired than ever to take care of my body and actually enjoy working out and being active, much more so than ever before.

What lessons has your city taught you? Did anyone else set an intention for 2015? How is your progress so far?