Having No Plan Is The Plan

One of my favorite things about Sundays is purposefully not having or making any plans at all. Last week I was in Costa Rica for my sister's wedding and perhaps one of the greatest parts of the week (besides staying at a ridiculously gorgeous house on the beach, going zip-lining, horseback riding, rubbing hot lava clay all over myself at a hot springs spa in the middle of the forest, seeing spider monkeys swing and play in the trees, eat amazing seafood, ohh and of course see my sister at the happiest time of her life!!)....is to be without any connection to the digital world. 

That's right...no cell phone, no computer, no facebook/twitter/gmail...and best of all...no watch!  Most of us had no idea what time it was at any point in the day.  Unless we had to be somewhere (the rehersal dinner, a cab ride, the wedding lol), we all just enjoyed Being.  We guessed the time based on the sun set....how organic is that?!  In a world where we are attached to our bberrys and iphones, it was amazing to be forced to give that up.  I felt liberated.  I felt like I can actually enjoy where I am without worrying about what I should be doing. 

I have to admit though..the first few days I did feel a twinge of anxiety that maybe I was missing something by not being 'connected'?  That a patient needed to speak to me?  After my initial mini panic attack, I got into the groove of vacation-mode.  I could actually feel my nervous system getting a break from so much stimulation from the bustle of every day life.  I vowed that upon my return to chaos, aka reality, I would turn off all my electronics...one day a month.  In fact, I'm going to schedule it into my iphone right now! Kind of an oxymoron...but seriously I encourage everyone to take a mini digi-tation.  You will be surprised that because you can't search the web, text a friend, or scroll through facebook...you may spend some time actually seeing these people in person! 

As soon as I'm done with this blog....Im going to unplug from the digital world...and enjoy the real world around me.  Its Sunday so there's always a fantastic Farmer's Market in La Jolla on Girard at the Elementary School.  Some of my favorite stands are the Majestic Garlic stand, where they have raw/vegan garlic spreads and hummus of about 15 different flavors.  The jalapeno-sun dried tomato, cayenne pepper, basil, and curry are absolutely delicious, on their own, as a marinade, spread, or as a base for dipping crackers or fresh bread. Yum!  The green juice stand is also incredible....a liter of fresh greens, apples, grapefruit, and agave makes for the perfect Sunday wake-up or cure for too much fun on Saturday night.  Just looking at that stuff makes you feel healthier and after I drink it I swear I've added 2 years to my life.  Lastly, the Thyme of Essence is another of my favorites...they have 3 different blends of spices...all of which are MSG-free, gluten free, and preservative free.  They all are distinct but have a Middle Eastern flare, and are delicious to use on seafood, poultry, or mixed with olive oil and dipped with bread.  My favorite is the Zaatar blend....which is a mix of Wild Thyme, Dried Sumac Berries, Roasted Organic Seseame Seeds, and Sea Salt.

Valentine's Day was this past week, which for a brief moment was a reminder of just how single I am.  I decided to romance myself despite how cheesy that sounds.  You got it...I made myself a romantic dinner and spent the night reading and watching a great movie.  It was fantastic.  It also reminded me of how much love I've had in my life the past year, and how each year I meet even more amazing and beautiful people.  Valentine's Day for me isn't just a celebration of lovers, but a love of all things and people you appreciate.  In that way, I feel truly blessed.  This year I thought about the meaning of connection, and how it's not necessarily the number of facebook friends you have or texts you can spit out in a day, but those moments of common bond and joy you share with another human being.  On that note, I'll end with a quote I recently stumbled upon.... "A year without love is like a year without summer."