FROM THE DESK OF: Nina
Getting sick in the middle of summer – particularly during Fourth of July weekend, when the holiday is actually a three-day weekend – really blows. In the time of pool parties, outdoor concerts, backyard BBQs, and endless sunshine, all my body wants to do is rest… even though my mind tells me otherwise. It’s frustrating.
That’s exactly what happened to me this past weekend: while in Las Vegas, I caught this weird bug going around, just in time for Fourth of July fun. And despite the efforts of my mind telling those sick symptoms “nnnooo”, my body, my booooddaaayyy, decided she was gonna say yeeessss to sleep, rest, and sitting out on some of the fun. -__- Bummer.
That said… there lies hope in this, er, bummery! Being forced to rest sometimes causes me to just sit there, think, and learn how to enjoy the little things in life. I start finding little seeds of joy in random places, and this ends up countering the FOMO side effects of staying in that so often come with getting sick during particularly inopportune times like holidays.
Here are some things that brought me joy this week.
Family Time. It’s always kind of funny assuming the role of kid again when reuniting with parents and siblings. But it’s nice to be able to let loose a bit and act like a goofball around them, if just for only a little while. It’s particularly comforting having them around when I’m sick, not just because they bring me yummy comfort food (although that is a pretty big plus), but because they also infuse fun and warmth into an otherwise boring situation. Always cheers me up!
Shark Week. I got rid of cable years ago, and admittedly, having access to Shark Week every year is probably one of the things I miss most about it. While taking a break from napping, I decided to turn on the tv and was pleasantly surprised to find out my hotel this weekend had Discovery Channel and was showing Shark Week. Thus, being sick in a hotel enabled me to get my fill of ridiculously-titled shark excursion shows like Bride of Jaws and The Killing Games. Awesome.
Honey Vanilla Chamomile Tea. Admittedly, I have become a bit picky with my tea choices in recent years. I typically only buy Tazo, which honestly, probably costs me a lot more than it should for grocery tea. #snob. This weekend, though, I rediscovered the beauty of the basic Celestial Seasonings Herbal Tea Sampler. That honey vanilla chamomile? Life-changing when your throat feels like it constantly has sandpaper rubbing against it. I was sippin’ that stuff like:
This video from The Global Goals’ #WhatIReallyReallyWant Campaign. Honestly, this is probably the most exciting part of this entire post. This Tuesday marks the twentieth anniversary of the Spice Girls song “Wannabe”‘s release (dang, am I actually getting old??), and to commemorate the milestone, Posh Spice Victoria Beckham posted this awesome video created by The Global Goals. A 17-goal initiative established by the United Nations, The Global Goals project focuses on promoting sustainable development “to end poverty, fix climate change, and tackle inequalities”, according to the official website. The #WhatIReallyReallyWant campaign video takes elements of the original music video and sets them against backdrops illustrating messages of empowerment, such as providing equal pay for equal work and promoting quality education for all girls. The video is meant to encourage viewers to share what they “really, really want” to see in the fight against gender inequality and tag them with the hashtag – you guessed it – #WhatIReallyReallyWant. Childhood pop songs and girl power with a healthy heaping of humanitarian efforts? Count me in.
Brb, gonna watch all of the Spice Girls music videos real quick. And I may or may not watch Spice World, while I’m at it. Little pieces of joy, I’m telling you.
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