pine nuts
Lately, I’ve been starting to re-appreciate the paper magazine…an ancient artifact to modern day life.
I used to lose myself in the magazine aisle with my older sister as our mom scavenged the aisles for food; oh, how I miss when my only worries were how I could dress like Hilary Duff in Lizzie McGuire and learn hair secrets from Selena Gomez in J-14.
I’ll be honest, I’m not the biggest fan of online reading…it’s just something about having another reason to be staring at a screen that turns me away from it on most days. And maybe this isn’t the best place to admit that but… take me as I am or not at all!
Today, I took my little sister to a hair appointment and as I waited, had a travel magazine glaring through my soul.
This is when I truly fell head over heels for magazines all over again — they hold such an abundance of information, stories, advice, and inspiration all on one topic in a way that keeps my interest engaged (meaning: it’s short and sweet enough that I can maintain focus, and retain what I’m reading instead of having to read it over and over again because my brain started wandering.)
Not only so, but magazines hold various arbitrary bits of information, and I absolutely love a good random fact!
What I learned today was that half of Norway’s vehicles are electric…and are planning to be fully free of gasoline vehicle sales by 2025.
Simply poetry.
The travel magazine I stumbled upon (or perhaps it stumbled upon me) today was called Afar.
They also have a podcast which I listened to while cooking lunch.
With an open mind, I chose their most recent episode, It’s Not Too Late to Plan Your Summer Travels.
Which reminded me that I have done no travel searching this week for this summer that’s already started!
In all honesty, and fairness to myself, I truly needed some time to collect myself from a job that took a toll on my stability…not to be dramatic!
I also decided I want to be slow with this process this time around; last summer, I was so anxious and desperate to get out, I set out on my journey with a completely wrong mindset: to get away as soon, as far, and as long as possible.
That, in turn, set a negative undertone to my travels entirely.
Now, I feel as if I have a better, healthier and more clear perception on what I want to experience, accomplish, and gain all together.
One of those being ride on a train.
I’ve never been and feel as if it’d be just what I need to slow down, see more, and cross something off my bucket list!
While listening to Afar’s podcast, I made beet pasta for lunch.
Beets take the earthy taste to a whole new level that I can’t get enough of in any form. The pasta was perfectly paired with cashews, lemon juice, and pine nuts, harmoniously coming together to create a vibrant fuchsia spaghetti.
Aside from electric car takeovers, I’ve also learned that pine nuts come from…*pause for dramatic effect*…pinecones!
Maybe I’m alone here, but this was definitely news to me that pinecones had nuts at all.
It was also news to me that they take up to 18 months to grow, therefore must cost a few limbs just for a handful of pine nuts! I’m still appalled, though have eased into the idea of expensive nuts that dawdle once I tasted them — they have a subtle earthy taste to them, which are also oddly crunchy yet simultaneously soft.
I don’t understand it but will be back for more…or I might just crack open a few of the endless sea of pinecones at the park behind my house.
Is that legal?
Along with taking things slow with travel planning, I haven't been in good spirits all this week until today to be fully ready to set some adventures in stone.
My theory is that my inconsistency with taking my daily vitamins has been taking its toll as well.
Here me out…I have a slow heart rate, so, I tire and lose enthusiasm easily.
And it’s not just a “I’m tired, I need to take a minute to relax” kind of tired, it’s the kind of tired that you feel from spending your day out in the sun — completely drained of life entirely.
And when I don’t have energy, I dissociate, and then I get sad.
When I was more consistent in taking my vitamins, I noticed that when my stamina waned, it leaned more towards the “I need to kick my feet up for a few minutes” kind of tired.
Not only so, but the medication I’ve been taking to help stabilize my anxiety and depression is anticipated to be unpredictable the first few months.
Well, that’s all I got for today…if you made it this far, I appreciate you and hope you're having an amazing Thursday!
Go lose yourself in a magazine aisle and see what happens, maybe you’ll find a new passion, let yourself relax, make a checklist (finish it slowly, but surely), and don’t forget to take your vitamins!
Talk again soon ❤
