Curbing Curb

Eek, I didn’t blog for the past few days. I could have squeezed it in, but I’m realizing that doing this daily is a little more challenging than I predicted. On top of that, doing this for 365 days feels downright daunting at this point.

I’ve been watching more TV than I want to be in the last few days. Not during the day – that’s been going well. However, as soon as I finish work (right about 5:00), I have this habit of coming downstairs, getting dinner ready while my husband picks up the kids, and watching TV (currently, it’s old episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm). It’s a distraction, but I also really enjoy it and it helps me decompress after a busy day focused on other people's needs.

When I was a junior in college, I went abroad to London for a semester. It was one of the best times of my life, not only in terms of a great experience, but also my lifestyle there was so much healthier. I didn’t have a phone (except a landline in the hallway of our flat), TV, or anything more than a bed, desk, and a suitcase full of clothes. I was trying hard not to overspend my parents’ money, so I wasn’t shopping or buying much other than the necessities. That semester, I read more than I ever have, discovered new music, went to bed really early every night, and walked everywhere. If I wanted a bagel, I would walk 25 minutes to get one. Now, if I want a bagel I would drive (even though I could walk) 5 minutes to the grocery store and have it almost instantly.

My life in London lacked superficial, highly concentrated forms of instant gratification but I was truly happy there. That’s what I’m hoping to get back to, but the problem is that I’m surrounded by temptations now – in London, I really had no choice but to be mindful, present, and patient when I wanted something. For the rest of this week, I’m going to listen to music while cooking dinner instead of plopping on the couch and watching Curb. That's a step in the right direction. Or maybe I move back to London?? :)