5 Realizations To Living A Happy and Purposeful Life

Hey guys! I know you haven't heard from me in a while but I promise it is for good reason. My semester abroad in Florence is coming to an end and I have been so busy trying to soak up every moment of this beautiful city before I have to leave in a week. Yesterday for one, I spontaneously took one last "hoo-rah" trip with my best friend Emily to go hiking through Cinque Terre, which to say the least, made for the most UNBELIEVABLE day (16 hour day actually to be exact!)

Cinque Terre is made up of 5 of the cutest little villages on the coast of the Italian Riviera and has some of the most breath taking views I have ever seen. I mean come on, somebody pinch me this can not be real life!

One way to get from town to town is by train but since this healthy and happy girl likes her adventure and exercise, Emily and I opted to hike in the mountains along the waterside! The day started out a little rough at 6 am with some cloudy and rainy weather but hey, with a little bit of good vibes and positivity the weather turned out perfect! The sun was shining after a few hours and there was the most refreshing ocean breeze to top it off! Nothing was going to stop this dynamic duo!

Since it would take around 6 hours to hike through all 5 towns, we decided to just do the 2 hour hike from Vernazza to Monterosso. So off we went: two girls and our two VERY heavy backpacks might I add (i'll admit, mostly filled with food because of our fear of getting lost in the mountains and starving to death waiting for someone to come save us…)

Some snickity snacks we packed to keep us fueled:

-carrot and celery sticks

-peanut butter to dip the veggies in

-sugar snap peas

-pink lady apples

-banana

-homemade trail mix of walnuts, almonds and goji berries

And we can't forget my favorite protein bar that is organic, non GMO and also just plain delicious! I made my mom bring me some from whole foods when she came to visit last month because I was going through withdrawal!

Any who, yesterday turned out to be much more than just a hike. The crisp ocean breeze, the wide open ocean, the thrill of doing something new and exciting, it all contributed to 5 realizations I had about what it means to live a happy and purposeful life. With my mind clear, these realizations really sunk in and I hope they hit home for you too!

1. Life is a really big place and we tend to live inside our little heads. Open up, let stress and anxiety go & just be!

2. We should all peruse jobs and activities that bring out the fire in us. We all have a purpose, ask yourself what lights you up and then follow that!

3. Social media, gossip, texting: it's all nice pleasures, but its keeping us from living in the moment and experiencing life to the fullest. Put down the phone, get outside and be grateful for things that money can't buy: family, friends, green grass, blue skies, the day.

4. The more positivity you put out in the world and the more positive people you surround yourself with with determine your level of happiness.

5. The only one stopping you from your dreams or being happy is you. What do you want? Who do you want to be? Visualize it and make it happen. Let that drive be greater than any person or thought trying to hold you back.