Summer is rapidly coming to a close. The evenings feel quieter, shadows are getting longer, and my yearning for sweaters has reappeared. The change of seasons stirs something inside me and I can't help but feel the chapters of my life change with them. 

This is particularly true this year as I embark on a new journey in my career. After four and a half years with Urban Outfitters, Inc. I have decided it is time for me to find myself elsewhere for awhile. Instead of rushing into this "elsewhere" however, I'm giving myself a moment to pause, reflect, and evaluate what's next. For someone who is often described as a workaholic, this is a gigantic leap for me and one I do not take without hesitation. 

It's terrifying to think I'm walking away from a hard fought career in digital marketing and into the unknown. What if I can't find a job when I try to re-enter the workforce, extending my three month sabbatical to six months or a year? What if no one understands this need for a break and holds it against me in interviews? What if...I won't bore you with the endless self-doubt. All of this to say, I'm not naive in the risk I've taken, but I've taken it nonetheless.

The reason? I've been working so hard I've forgotten what it was I was passionate about to begin with. My creativity has shriveled to almost nonexistent and I'm just not fun anymore. I got so busy making a living, I've actually forgotten how to live. It wasn't enough to simply say these things, attempting to make strides towards them, I had to stop completely in my tracks and reroute.

I'm also excited though. I'm looking forward to reconnecting with my center, spending time with Ryan in the mornings, and examining what is most important to me. I'm eternally grateful I have a husband to support me in this endeavor, and savings to alleviate some of the stress of leaving immediately vs. holding out for whatever the next position will be. My one goal in all of this is to find the girl who used to laugh uncontrollably and hold onto her for dear life.

Goodbye summer.  - b.

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Raise your hand if you've ever tried quitting caffeine? I think once or twice a year I contemplate the notion, but I've never been able to see it completely through. That is until recently. A couple weeks back I got really sick (like insides on the outside sick). Suddenly coffee didn't seem very appealing...

I decided to take this opportunity as a sign I should kick the caffeine habit. I haven't had coffee in a little over 2 weeks, but I do have a cup of caffeinated tea a day, because weaning yourself off of coffee is not for the faint of heart. I swear I went through drug-level withdrawal! There's an article about it in fact. 

Each day I try to wait a little later in the day to have that cup of tea, making it when my headache is at its peak. At this point I'm good until about 4pm. Now I'm also trying not to finish the whole cup, getting about half way through before I throw the rest out. 

I am not a health coach, and I don't pretend to be an expert in anything, but I think this is actually working. One thing that has really helped me is drinking a cup of warm lemon water each morning. I think part of the "habit" for me was wanting a warm cup of anything in my hand when I wake up. For more on the health benefits of drinking lemon water, read this article. I use half a lemon and squeeze it into warm, not boiling, water each morning - right after I feed Nellie of course.

One Google search will tell you there's a lot of contradicting research out there on the benefits or risks of drinking caffeine. I don't want to sway you one way or another, but I'm always striving to be more natural, and less dependent on just about anything.

Any tricks out there from the other non-caffeine drinkers? Tell me on Instagram - b.

Once upon a time we lived in a place where farmland was plentiful and the sun seemed to always shine. Organic produce seemed to grow everywhere- It was the land of milk & honey. Ok, that's an exaggeration, but we did live in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia where finding locally grown produce was a lot easier than in Philly. It's sad to think that what comes naturally to people of one region could be seen as a granola-loving hipster ideal to another. 

Now that we live in the (big bad) city it seems the only place to get really good organic vegetables is Whole Foods. No offense to the holier-than-thou natural foods chain, but that sucks! So this summer we decided to try a CSA share with a pick-up within easy walking distance of our house. We love you Greensgrow! 

Also know as Community Supported Agriculture, the idea is that you pay for a season's worth of produce up front so that the farmers producing your food can cover the expensive start-up costs of the season. It helps them stay profitable throughout the year and gives you access to organic produce that's grown within an hour-or-so of your house.

Here's a sampling of dishes we've prepared from our share:

The downside is you typically have to pay for the entire CSA share up front- ouch. We did a half-share this year, which means we pick-up every other week, but we're looking forward to upping to a full-share next year! Once the produce starts flowing in the dent in your bank account starts to feel less painful, not to mention our grocery bills are almost non-existent. 

A sample summer share:

1. 4x Tomatoes
2. 4x Mini Eggplant
3. 4x Ears of Corn
4. Large bunch of Kale
5. Large bunch of Celery
6. 3 lbs. purple potatoes
7. 6 Cubanelle Peppers

What do you think- Would you ever consider buying into a CSA share? I'd love to hear your thoughts- follow me on Instagram (@bekuhb) and start the conversation. - b.