So many thoughts run through my brain with a prevailing feeling of happiness and contentment. Could it be the food compliance piece of the BTD, or the physical compliance piece, or perhaps the soul compliance piece? My bet is on a combination of the three being in harmony; whatever the cause, I’m feeling so good right now. So calm. So relaxed. It’s August 18th, and summer vacation is finally here. Never mind that I’ve been in school every day this week, and will be REQUIRED to be there soon enough. The fact is that I CHOSE to take the morning off today. I CHOSE to eat breakfast and drink my coffee on the porch. I CHOSE to finish my book, enjoy the cool air, feel the sunshine, and eavesdrop on my neighborhood…all with my feet up and a sweet smile of utter contentment on my placid face. Deep intake of breath into the lungs, eyes closed lightly, lungs full to capacity, slight smile upon the lips, hold it for a few beats, slow exhale with lips parted, eyes open…and…life is good.

Thank goodness that life is good.

There are so many things to worry about, race after, finish, fix, clean up, and DO for others, the house, the car, society, that a few stolen moments offer a bliss unequalled by anything store bought or fabricated. Among the many lazy thoughts shifting through my brain this morning, is an overwhelming sense of peace at my decision to move back East. It will be a year over Labor Day weekend that I’ve been in New Hampshire. A lot has happened in that year. A lot of CHANGE has happened, and change isn’t always easy. But change is typically a good thing.

I have to laugh at my misgivings of a year ago. I was worried to leave Los Angeles. I grew up in the Northeast, and knew about winter, which while cold, isn’t that big a deal. I knew about living in the country; rural settings are such a comfort to me. But I had been a CITY girl for seven years. Seven FUNDAMENTAL years. Would I go crazy in the country? Would I be able to survive without the noise and bustle of a metro area? How could I not have live music, theatre, friends, and constant HAPPENING all around me, at all times? Again, I have to laugh. I have to laugh at myself for worrying that I’d be too far from a city. I have to laugh because I live in downtown Manchester, and it is a city. It’s a city with all the city noises—sirens blare, trains rumble the walls of my row, neighbors scream at each other, stray kitties cry in the night, airplanes roar overhead, birds chirp, bees buzz about my patio garden, sun shines, and breezes cool warm skin. I can walk to my Y for a workout, walk to the museum of art, walk to classes at the Institute of Art, walk to my little coffee shop, restaurant, and just about anywhere else that I might want to go downtown. I live in a city, but I don’t live in a metropolis. And, much to my surprise, that’s okay with me.

The pace here is slower. The people kinder. The parking spots cheaper. I can go to the coast, or the mountains, or the countryside in a moment. I feel at HOME, and am so thankful for that. I’m also thankful for the lifestyle that the BTD reinforces. Though I often forget, and get caught up on the running wheel of thoughtless BUSY-NESS, the BTD helps me to reconnect. It helps me to reconnect with myself, my body, and my LIFE. I have let the actual calendar days of my summer vacation slip away in a haze of work, and social commitments. However, I’ve been able to enjoy the essence, the renewal of summer vacation in these past few days by being fully present. Present in my eating, my exercise, and in my rest and reflection. Life is good. The BTD is good. And I am good. As always, thank you Dr. D’Adamo for being a light in the dark, and a guide on the path to wellness.