It was bound to happen...me getting sick that is--with a weekend of staying up late and still getting up early, stress at work (not all bad, just A LOT going on) - class on Monday night, getting my workouts in (I'm addicted, I know)...I'm once again guilty of burning the candle at both ends :). I've been beefing up on Airborne lately, but I guess there's just no substitute for a little R&R from time to time. Unfortunately it usually takes me getting sick to actually indulge in a little R&R. It's a fault of mine, I know - I just have too many things that I'm excited about or interested in to ever allow myself to slow down for an extended amount of time.
I've been thinking lately too - being a resident of the bay area doesn't help. Don't get me wrong, I love this place - in fact more and more lately I am feeling like I am right where I am supposed to be in life--but geez louise bay area-do you have to be such a stinkin over achiever all the time? You make my head spin.
Now I know I haven't been everywhere in the world, but I think I'd be hard pressed to find another part of the world as unique as the bay area - this place is literally teeming with intelligent, successful, eager to learn about the next best thing type of people. I mean where else can you work downstairs from Condi Rice, and amidst about another million and one geniuses at Stanford, drive 15 minutes to hang out at Google with Kat and Erik and run into founder Larry Page, drive another 15 minutes to Apple - one of the most innovative, cutting edge companies out there, loop back to Palo Alto and visit the offices of facebook, live in the same town as the producer of Michael Pollan's recent documentary, "The Botany of Desire," get to hear different design industry celebrities like Tim Brown of IDEO every Monday in a continuing studies class, drive by the offices of Sunset Mag every day on your way to work...the list goes on and on and on and on.
There's the quote that says, "You learn something new every day." Well sheesh, living in the bay area, I feel like I learn or am exposed to about a million new things every day - maybe a slight exaggeration here...but the truth is this place is chalk full of new ideas, wisdom etc and if you don't watch out it will knock you over. And while most of the time, I eat this up because I'm a sucker for learning new things-- there are also times when I feel like I am being paralyzed by information overload.
So I have to say, I am partially thankful that I am sick today - for no other reason than it gave me an excuse and a chance to spend an entire day in bed albeit with a groggy head and a stuffy nose. Although I love the constant stimulation, I often feel like all this information is just whizzing by me and I don't have a moment to give any of it any genuine thought...and then I get crabby, because I enjoy genuinely thinking about things. It's hard to do though when you're hit with one thing after another.
So, yes, call me crazy but I am actually thankful I caught a little (hopefully little) cold ---It's so wonderfully refreshing to have a day of nothingness---I am surprised that it is so hard for me to remember this when I am well.
Health is definitely a gift I try not to take for granted, but maybe a little cold every now and then is a good reminder that it's okay - important even, to slow down from time to time.
1 comment:
Amen! There is nothing like feeling a little under the weather to force you into some r&r! I am a busybody myself so I can totally relate!
The bay area is an amazing place! When we used to live there my parents would refer to it as the "rat race!" :) They could hardly handle being back there a few weekends ago but I was soaking it all in! So much to do, so many things to see, and yes, so many smarties around! It's a great, motivating vibe there!
Hope you're feeling better! Thanks again for your sweet words the other day!
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