My Life is a Map of the World

This past weekend I found myself with a lot of solo time on my hands. Times like these are vital to my mental health and balance in life. And more times then none, they lead me to deep thoughts and discovered inner joy.

During a moment of reflection where I was bundled up in a cozy sweater, perfect for fall, and watching the leaves fall from the tree in our backyard, it dawned on me. It dawned on me that I am a small reflection of the world and that so much of what I do is inspired by the world. Let me dig a little deeper.

My birth certificate and current zip code prove my U. S. Citizenship but my ancestors give me the history of England, Scotland, Poland, Lithuania and Native America.

The man I love most is someone who descends from Africa and Europe.

My religion originated in the Middle East.

I own a dog whose breed was made popular by Germany

I like to carry out my skincare routine like the Koreans.

I like to drink coffee like the Italians.

I’m inspired by the natural aesthetic and use of make-up and hair care like the French.

I like to eat like the Japanese.

I dress myself and fill my home with furnishings that you’d find easily in Scandinavia.

These are all just a few of the things I value, love, am drawn to and want to know more about. And it’s in all of those curiosities that I find, that we find, how truly connected we are to the past, the present and the future. It’s in those things where we find connection to others no matter how near or far.

Who or what are you connected to?

-Kriss

Grand Rapids, MI

This past weekend I traveled up to the mitt and spent some much-needed time with my best friend Ashley.

On our first full day together I got some much-needed extra sleep, had brunch with Ashley and her husband Jake and then us ladies headed out to the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park. They were having a month-long butterfly exhibit in which hundreds of butterflies are free to fly around from flower to flower. Sadly none of them decided to land on us.

Ashley and I have been friends for a couple of years and our friendship has seen us through so many different seasons in each other’s lives. One thing I value about our connection is that I never have to fear to be me. I am far from perfect and I have my fair share of good days and bad days. But with Ashley, I can always count on open arms and the warmest of hearts. I definitely encourage you to find her on Insta @mrs.ashley.lewis and hint hint it’s a good time too because she is preggers!

After getting a dose of butterflies, plants for days and a little too warm for my bodies liking, we headed out to Madcap for coffee and conversation. Meeting up with someone over coffee will always be a favorite pastime for me. It warms my soul in ways that few things can and allows time with that one person, for a true connection to be had.  And goodness did we have fun talking!

^In this picture, I just really enjoyed seeing this man enjoying where he was and how peaceful that looked for him.

Our day ended up in some delicious Thai food at Bangkok Taste Cuisine in downtown. I ordered red curry with coconut milk, various vegetables and chicken (spoiler alert: I’m not vegan but I’ll blog about this topic later)! Best part was that the order was so large that I could take half home to eat for breakfast the next day.

And I sure did! Sunday morning dawned and we were all up to get ready for church. Ashley had taken Jake to church earlier that morning because he is in the praise band, then came back for some downtime at the house with me. I always miss my church and the family I have found there whenever I am away. It makes me think about ways in which I could go deeper and be more of the body of Christ. But with that said I still enjoyed my time at The Well that Sunday morning and the life that it spoke into my life.

After church, we indulged in donuts for lunch. A whole meal spent just eating donuts = the life! I think the best part about it was where we were at. We got our donuts from the shop Cindy’s Donuts and Ice Cream but when we got there the Sunday crowd was definitely gone and we got to enjoy the whole place to ourselves. This feeling of calm and peace would be exactly how I would sum up the whole trip. I feel like it gave me a break from my norm, gave me perspective and -my favorite- gave me some wonderful moments with great people!

Till Next Week!

XOKRISS!