Living in a World of Color

Everything's a little brighter for the highly sensitive person. Join me as I navigate my way through the world.

The Quiet Land of Thuringia

images found here

Known as “The Quiet Land”, Thuringia, Germany is home to idealism and enlightenment. This small state rests on its contribution to literature, poetry and music while also remembering its dark past.

To follow in its 12th century footsteps Philip Hensher of Lonely Planet Magazine urges, “Go at dead of winter, when the trees are rimmed with frost and, hanging in the sky, the snow crystals turn the light an unearthly pink, and the only noise in the remote corners is of your boots crunching through the untouched snow on the forest paths. Walk up into the hills above Ilmenau, where Goethe walked, and relish the utter stillness.”

For my next traveling adventure I think I will bypass the crowds of London, Paris or Rome and head to Thuringia to find a deeper connection.

image found here It’s always a relief for me when the holidays end. Don’t get me wrong, I love the holidays but I finally feel that I can breath again. I think I’ve finally perfected how to survive the holidays as an HSP. 1.) It is a must to get your Christmas shopping done early. This year I made a big effort to get all of my shopping done before Thanksgiving. I was able to avoid the pressure of last minute gift buying and the crowds of crazy shoppers. 2.) Set your boundaries. When visiting family and friends you need to set boundaries from the beginning. Decide ahead of time when you are going to leave and your exit strategy. It is about knowing what your triggers are and not overextending yourself. If you are staying with family be sure to find a place you can retreat if you find that you need some down time to recharge your batteries. 3.) Don’t put pressure on yourself. The perfect Christmas sounds pretty alluring but that is a lot of pressure for one person, especially an hsp. It is okay if the house isn’t clean 24/7 and decorated like the homes in house beautiful. Try your best and give yourself a break. Now that the holidays are over, I am going to spend the next few days resting, relaxing and recharging.

image found here

It’s always a relief for me when the holidays end. Don’t get me wrong, I love the holidays but I finally feel that I can breath again. I think I’ve finally perfected how to survive the holidays as an HSP.

1.) It is a must to get your Christmas shopping done early.

This year I made a big effort to get all of my shopping done before Thanksgiving. I was able to avoid the pressure of last minute gift buying and the crowds of crazy shoppers.

2.) Set your boundaries.

When visiting family and friends you need to set boundaries from the beginning. Decide ahead of time when you are going to leave and your exit strategy. It is about knowing what your triggers are and not overextending yourself. If you are staying with family be sure to find a place you can retreat if you find that you need some down time to recharge your batteries.

3.) Don’t put pressure on yourself.

The perfect Christmas sounds pretty alluring but that is a lot of pressure for one person, especially an hsp. It is okay if the house isn’t clean 24/7 and decorated like the homes in house beautiful. Try your best and give yourself a break.

Now that the holidays are over, I am going to spend the next few days resting, relaxing and recharging.

The Mary Onettes

“Explosions”

….and it can make your heart stop.

Around the World in 2000 Pictures

Here’s an amazing video that I recently found. It goes along with the “theme” of today! 

Video created by Alex Profit found via Lost in Cheeseland

“On Wanderlust”

I recently wrote a post (on my other blog) about my love for travel and obsession to live abroad one day. It’s a great depiction of how my mind works when hooked “on wanderlust.” It got me thinking of how my love for adventure affects my life of a highly sensitive person. You would think these two worlds are at the complete opposite spectrum’s and what you least expect for an hsp. I’m not saying that us hsp’s are boring but if you are anything like me, you like to know where you stand, you hate surprises and need to feel in control of your surroundings. So why do I love the thrill of always wanting to live some place new and have this strong desire for change all the time?

At first I have to admit, my want to move constantly was a coping mechanism used to escape my problems. If I didn’t like a job, I would move to a new state. Looking back I think I was trying to escape that life that I set up. It was like putting on a pair of pants. If I didn’t like the way they fit off they went and on to the next one. Let’s face it, I hate confrontation. What a way to get rid of the problem without having to deal with the problem. Now that I’ve realized this, I can make a more conscious decision of what is at the root of the situation and fix that. Okay, well that’s sorted but I STILL have the desire to move.

I hate the idea of being stagnant and not growing and experiencing life. I want to take in as much as I possibly can before I die. This coming from an hsp, I know. We’ve lived in Boston for 3 years now and what I love most is just to be at home tucked away in my own little world. I’m not out there every day “experiencing” things but I guess when I think about it, when I do go out I make it meaningful and isn’t that what being a highly sensitive person is all about?

I’ve moved from Pennsylvania to San Francisco and then to Boston. Each move was incredibly difficult. Uprooting your whole life was hard. A new job, new environment, no friends or anything of comfort around. It’s way too much stimulus to take in. In our time in Boston it’s just now starting to feel like home. I don’t have many close friends and both of our families are many many miles away so sometimes I feel disjointed in the world. We’ve thought about moving closer to my family and there are advantages to that but then I start to worry if I will feel stuck and won’t get the “culture” that I crave.

As I talked about in my post, I’ve always wanted to move abroad. My husband is from Ireland so for me to live in Europe is not out of the question. He too is like me with our grand ideas (yet, he’s a little more grounded.) We’ve talked about moving to Belgium, Ireland, France, England, etc. Each time the idea gets planted in my head, I go crazy. I am thrilled with excitement and start researching “life” in these countries endlessly until my head pops off. Sure I might have a romanticized view of life in Europe, I’ll admit that. I did live in London briefly (on my own.) It was a great growing experience but I would’ve enjoyed it much more if I had someone to explore this new journey with.

When I “move myself around the world” I always end with crippling self doubt and I’m incredibly nervous. I seem to have overwhelmed myself again. It must be the hsp in me. All of this traveling in the States and possibility of traveling to Europe is life changing (good & bad.) As I said earlier, I love being in my home but what happens when “home” keeps changing. Is it just the thrill of the chase that I enjoy?

Sometimes I question if this is who I really am or if this is who I wish I was.

via gp2305 Peacefulness, thoughtfulness & calm.

via gp2305

Peacefulness, thoughtfulness & calm.

Why an HSP should never be a Wedding Planner.

4 years…that was the amount of time in the professional world that I was a wedding & event planner. I thought this career was it for me. Since I was 15 all I ever dreamed of was to be a wedding planner. I was creative, loved details and always had a plan. In college I got a bachelors degree in event planning then moved to San Francisco to start my career in events at a hotel. I had no intention to start in hotels but knew this was the only way for me to gain experience before any client would think I was credible. During my time at the hotel I would help local wedding planners and floral designers in my spare time. My dream was getting closer, I could feel it. After a year, I transferred to a hotel in Boston and became the wedding specialist. I was incredibly proud. Things were finally coming into place.

There I go again with my rose tinted glasses. We all do it, right? We think things are more glamorous then what they really are and have the tendency to only see the good and forget the bad.

Here is what my job really entailed:

-Monthly Sales Quota

-Meetings with Clients Daily

-Selling

-Networking Events

-Strategy Business Plans

-Negotiating

-Late Nights/Weekend Work

-Emotionally Driven Clients with Unrealistic Expectations

Let’s see which of those do I really enjoy…hmm, yes. Nothing. I’m not a driver, I hate competition, I’m not motivated by money, I hate small talk and I’m not a fan of confrontation. What did I enjoy about this job? I loved making people genuinely happy and seeing such a special day come to fruition (given that the bride was happy.)

As a highly sensitive person you know it’s unbearable to spend hours and hours in a job that doesn’t suit you. I needed a job that was more “me”. I finally decided to jump ship and start on a new career path.

When looking back I am extremely proud of my accomplishments. I’ve planned countless weddings in all flavors (Indian, Kosher, African, Mormon, Gay, Jewish, Greek, Christian, Catholic…the list goes on.) More importantly I stayed true to my dream and pursued it for over 10 years to see it come to fruition. Just before leaving the industry I became certified as a professional wedding planner. I can’t think of a better way to end this part of my life.

Although it has been a hard road I don’t regret it at all. I’ve learned so much about myself, about what I want and the direction I want to go. I just don’t think I’ll be planning another wedding anytime soon.