Hi friends! Just a few days ago I happened to look down at my shoes. I noticed the dried mud from my run days ago. I noticed how bright and colorful my laces were. I noticed how perfectly snug they fit. It was a moment of being reminded just how much smaller moments are often overlooked. How we all put our shoes on quickly to head out the door on time for our next obligation. We don’t often pause to notice the brief simplicity that exists in between. In this moment of reflection, I thought of where these shoes have taken me.

I’ve been asked lately about my travels. I’ve had the good fortune to spend the past 5 years traveling around the country, (hopefully the world one day!) Some of my favorite trips being Texas, Utah, Cayman Islands, South Carolina, and The Virgin Islands. All were trips that welcomed unique tastes of culture, sights, and delicacies.

Back in 2020, I made the decision to continue living at home with my mom while I finish college virtually, in addition to consciously saving up some money. Among many interests of mine, some of those being nannying, fitness, and performing music, I later realized the opportunity I created for myself. I had time on my hands that I wanted to be put to additional use. This began my overwhelming interest and curiosity in traveling. I began to intentionally build a schedule that allowed me experiences I was so badly craving.

I’ve always had an “appetite for life.” I thoroughly enjoy a balance of hobbies, a variety of friends that each offer something different, exposing myself to connections and opportunity, and ultimately, building a life that I can guarantee will always lead me home. When I look down at my shoes, I see a hint of what they’ve experienced. Some “turmoil,” if you will, from hikes on days where I didn’t know how to get out of bed. They’ve been on airplanes, in sand, in snow on a windy winter afternoon. Yet, they’ve always led me home.

My shoes have taken me far. They’ve walked me home on nights I shouldn’t have walked alone, pressed the brake pedal when I was moving too fast… They’ve encountered what my mind has. I haven’t always been nice to my shoes. I haven’t always been nice to my mind, either.

So, these silly shoes I speak of remind me of friendship. Of feeling worthy of unconditional joy and success. These shoes remind me of the people who openly share themselves with me. The vulnerability that exists in taking the next step forward. How the individuals in my life take a sideline seat to encourage me repeatedly even when not instructed to. My shoes do the same. Whether it be a Target run or a muddy hike, they are taking up space that is mine to indulge upon. I urge you to take up space. To not limit where your shoes will guide you, as you will find that you will always be led home.

All my love, Grace.