September on NANTUCKET

Two weeks I have been here  and I am NOT ready to leave…September is my FAVORITE month on Nantucket (I mean, if you know, there really isn’t a month that I dislike, but this month is extra special)! There is something so magical about being here after the summer people have left, the island is still buzzing with new season kind of energy,, the nights are cooler and the days are still hot, the ocean is still warm and the beaches are empty…It’s really really really beautiful, peaceful, amazing, and I’m not ready to leave. Did I already say that? Shannon, can we move up here for September and October?

As always, I like to cover the basis of my Nantucket adventures and what it has taught me and what I did and well…you know…ALL THE THINGS! Two weeks straight is the most I have been up here this year. Shannon even came up for 6 days as well and we had ourselves a time. I am so glad he was able to experience this time of year in all its glory.

It was a REALLY good trip and I can honestly say that each time I come up here, I am becoming less controlling, worrisome. I am  learning to relax, step out of my comfort zone, breathe, and enjoy life! Of course I still had “moments”, but the moments weren’t as frequent in the past, and I recognized the “moments”, learned from them, and moved on. The work is always working and I am proud of myself. I know I repeat myself, but I am so grateful for my life, my health, my family, my friends, that Nantucket is home, and of course, Shannon, my love, my rock, my everything. Nantucket makes me feel all the feels and that is why I love this island so much. Its magical powers are mystifying!

So on that note, let’s dive into the THINGS…

FOOD

I didn’t really take many pictures of food. I DID have lots of amazing meals here though as always and I enjoyed all of it. I maybe had one night where I went a little overboard with the pizza, but I’m going to blame that on the wine and that the pizza was so damn GOOD! The food on Nantucket is amazing, fresh, and worth spending the extra money on. It is expensive, so I don’t go out as much as I used to, plus my Mom, as you know, is an amazing cook and I love sitting with her at the dinner table and being present in the moment.

I don’t know if it’s the switch up in the workouts or the salty air or all the damn walking I did, but Nantucket makes me ravenous. When I allowed myself to relax and not have anxiety about eating out, to enjoy whatever food was in front of me, my body responded and almost said THANK YOU! I was eating more up here. I was eating ice cream. I was eating bread every day. Pasta. Pizza…say WHAT?!? I ate every single thing my Mom put in front of me, which is different from my plain Jane meals, so my boredom with food disappeared and my taste buds screamed HELL YES!

It was extremely freeing and a big step for me. And I can honestly say that my gut health has come so far and there was no bloat, no constipation, no issues and that my friends are years of hard work and work that has been 100% worth it. It is me letting go of the control, the worry, the RULES!

A random little tidbit..I left ALL of my vitamins at home and only took my Ameo Life probiotic twice a day. I wanted to give myself a break from taking 10 vitamins a day. As I was packing them to come up here, I had a Ziploc bag that was full to the brim and I looked at it and thought, this is kind of ridiculous. I don’t want to take this with me. I don’t want to take these twice a day, so I left them and you know what, I am okay.

WORKOUTS

Lots and lots of STRENGTH TRAINING and lots and lots of WALKING…so much walking…I think there were some days when Shannon was here that we walked over 5 miles. When you have access to quiet roads, side walks, and bike paths, why wouldn’t you take advantage of it. Plus looking at the houses, the boats, and just being outdoors in this unreal weather is pure bliss to me.

I also shared three NEW workouts this past week on Instagram, that require your bodyweight and a pair of dumbbells. These workouts can be done ANYWHERE and will do it all, hence why I love them. They will help strengthen, build endurance, improve balance, and make you feel good from the inside out.

You can check them out - HERE HERE and HERE! You should just follow me and join the fitness party!

I also only did three outdoor runs this trip. In the past, running is all that I would do, but strength training workouts have just been feeling really good, so I have been listening to my body and doing just that. I also love going to my gym, so that I can see all my people, but also get inspired to put together new workouts. At 43, I just want to do what makes me feel good from the inside out, but let me tell you…running on Nantucket is pretty EPIC! It’s so nice to have trails and wide bike paths, so I feel safe and literally can go anywhere. No driving necessary. It’s runners heaven out here!

READING

I read more than normal this trip. I rarely watched any television and I didn’t listen to ANY talk radio. I turned off the noise and negative energy that is occurring in the world and damn does it make a difference in my overall mood. When I would wake up early to work for a couple hours, before heading to the gym, I would just pour my coffee, open the doors and listen to the wind blowing and hear the horns of the ferry boats. It is a lot healthier and peaceful and a much better way to prepare myself for the day.

I like to be informed as to what’s going on in the world, but watching the news, listening to talk radio, and scrolling through Twitter became a very unhealthy addiction for me and I noticed how it was affecting my positivity. It’s been over 3 months since I have scrolled through Twitter and it was the best break up ever.

I finished False Witness one week into the trip and it was INTENSE! I haven’t read a dark book like this in a while, where I think it was actually affecting my sleep, but I couldn’t put it down. It’s a intense thriller, that involves mystery, murder, rape, drug overdoes, and two sisters trying to hard protect each other, their families, and their dark past. WHOA is all I can say and if you are ready for a dark book, then this is it.

Then my good friend Patti gave me this book, which I started after Shannon left. The Island of the Missing Trees…OMG…LOVE…I was skeptical at first, because when I read the inside sleeve I didn’t think this was what I wanted, but now it’s everything I need. It’s about war, love, a fig tree, nature, family….stay tuned as I probably will be down with it in a few days!

LIFE AND SUCH

I did everything I wanted to do these two weeks here, so my mind, body, and soul are filled with so much JOY! I am leaving with no regrets, which in the past I have felt, because I would hold back, try to control things, restrict or binge, but this time it was just different and I am proud of myself. YES, there still were some hiccups, but gosh darn I have come so so so far and it proves as always the WORK WORKS! And as always this island taught me new things, which I love and take back with me to Charleston. I am not ready to leave, but in a way it is time to go back. Sigh…

Until next time Nantucket…I can’t wait to come bACK!

xoxo