How blessed can one be to have such amazing people in their life? Is not the most important – and forever lasting – thing in this earthly time truly relationships? I believe so. Friends do come and go, but I believe that you meet certain people in life at exactly the right time. There are no coincidences.

Some of you may know that I recently became a brand ambassador for the boutique paddleboard company, Suplove. Their fast growing reach first started Down Under, but was then moved to California where they currently reside. I cannot say enough good things about this board, and I will share that with you another time. Today, I just want to share about the importance of finding time to unwind (which relates to paddleboarding for me).

That may seem  ironic coming from the girl who lives on a tropical island, but let’s not forget that this very same girl is also a graduate student (can I get an Amen?). But for real, when was the last time you took a morning or afternoon off to spend with some good company – other than your spouse? Like…. a ladies day. It’s science that women are naturally better at reserving this sacred time, and regularly scheduling it. I think we understand the importance of stepping away from the workplace, even if just for a few minutes. Subconsciously we know it’s healthy, so subconsciously we seek it (i.e. flipping through Pinterest scoring travel photos while you daydream at the office). But ladies, let’s be honest with ourselves, nothing beats swapping stories with your girlfriends while doing something you all love.

For us, it’s getting outdoors. I met these three beautiful, strong and encouraging women through yoga. Yoga brought us together, now our love for the outdoors and sharing experiences keeps us together. These photos are from a recent paddleboarding excursion on a beautiful day here in Rincon (thanks to Caitlin for all the underwater shots!). We paddled out to a great snorkeling spot, Steps Beach, then jumped in the water and messed around to cool off. Quality time. Time spent in nature, time spent stress free.

And then how easy is it to truly embrace the beauty of the world around you. You’re in the ocean, eyes wide open in the salty water, arms pulling yourself down toward the reef, body and mind working together, legs kicking you back to the surface and your first sight is a gorgeous palm tree lined beach, blue sky and smiles of the people around you. This is being present.

I encourage you to set aside this time. Get outside, go explore. Unwind!