Shifting gears to "My Most Delightful Thoughts"

2016 has already been a big year, and appears to only be getting bigger.

Moving? Check.

Selling my house (and all that entails)? Check.

Traveling and seeing fun places? Check. Always check.

So in the midst of Life and all those Checks, I have been thinking about this blog and the direction I want it to go.  I've felt a held back lately in my writing, which is totally my doing. There are lots of things I want to write and blog about that don't necessarily fall under the header of Disney or travel. What I didn't really think about 2+ years ago is how much my business and personal life would evolve, and how I'd pigeonholed the blog into a narrow focus to where I didn't feel like I could post about other topics that interest me - current events, news items, thoughts about popular culture, etc in addition to content about my travels.

To be honest, this feeling is probably why I am not posting as much as I used to. I wasn't getting as fired up about my blog as I was in the beginning, and after thinking about it a lot I came to realize it was because there were lots of things I wanted to write about and didn't see how I could talk about those items with a more narrow travel-only focus.

Could I have kept this blog as it was, unchanged, and then done another blog? Yes, but the mere thought of maintaining two blogs (as well as their related social media accounts) was already making me twitchy, so I abandoned that idea right away.

BUT, I do love my Delightful little place here on the interwebs and wanted to incorporate that "old" concept into the "new" branding.

So, enter in....drum roll please....My Most Delightful Thoughts. Ta-da! The new blog name is meant to not only signify that I'll have a variety of blog posts about whatever trips my trigger (vs just travel or travel-centric posts) but also to be tongue-in-cheek as I am not assuming you will think my opinions and musing as indeed Delightful. That remains to be seen.

The website address will change in the coming weeks but will always re-direct to the "new" site for those who type in mostdelightfulplace.com. I am also updating my social media accounts to reflect my new branding and the new direction of the blog so when those change in the next few days, don't be scared.

Ooo, and my my super-talented friend Alex is designing me an ADORABLE new logo which I am very excited to show you!

I hope you'll continue to read and will enjoy the new direction of the blog. I'll still be talking Disney and travel - as they are two of my biggest passions, they won't go away - don't worry! But also be prepared for posts and my random thoughts about such delightful topics as The Bachelor, my favorite new albums, and much more.

Take care and have a great week!

What I learned from being in Florida for the winter

Hello, friends! I am back in Iowa from my three-ish months in Southwest Florida. Now comes the not-so-fun task of getting the house ready to sell (my to-do list is already overwhelming me)!

[Oh yeah. About that. I am selling my house and relocating to Ft Myers, Florida. Yahoo!  I'm getting ready to list the house in a few weeks, with a hope / plan of being back in Ft Myers by Labor Day this year. Say your prayers and send your good vibes that the house sells quickly!]

This winter was an awesome experience and I learned so much about myself and what I really want. In no particular order, here are some of the things I learned in the last three months; I hope they can help you, too.

1. You can live with FAR less "stuff" than you have.

We are ALL guilty of having crap we don't need, use, etc. Go ahead - right now, go to a closet or drawer, open it up, and look at all the stuff you haven't touched, used or even thought about in months.

For extra bonus points, do the same in your basement or crawl space. YIKES.

The most eye-opening aspect of this winter was that NOT ONCE did I think "Wow, I should have packed more stuff" or "I really wish I would have brought that thing with me." Not a single time. Now, I was staying with my sister in her place so of course I didn't have to bring essentials for day-to-day life (dishes, bed sheets, pots and pans, etc) but it still holds true. Of course there are items I will bring with me when I move because they are special to me, sentimental, etc - but I have a LOT of items that are going to be donated, sold or thrown out.

My challenge to you - every week for the next two months, go to one drawer or one closet or even one box in your basement that has been there since you moved (don't lie to me - we ALL have those) and go through it. Be ruthless. Donate and sell what you can, and then trash the rest. You will feel lighter and happier and not bogged down in crap. And you might actually be able to open that closet door. Winning!


2. Sometimes the scariest part of change is BEFORE the change actually happens.

I was super excited to go to Florida, but also nervous. What if I didn't like it? What if I missed my family and friends too much? Was I making a big mistake?  Etc. [Insert your own fear-based narrative here.]

But what I found was the lead-up to leaving was not as bad as making the leap. Sure, I missed people when I was there (and I certainly will when I live there full time). Those feelings don't go away, and of course there are always pluses and minuses to making a decision like this.

Bottom line - for a long time, I have wanted to live in Florida. Closer to the places I love (the beach and ocean, for instance), the weather I love, etc.  And now I am doing it, and I feel AWESOME.  (OK, a little freaked out too - I am me after all! Just keeping it real.)

3. Want to make a change? The time is NOW (or at the very least, SOON). Make your plan.

Look, I'm not saying you get in your car tonight and run away from home. You're not four years old - changes do take some time and planning. But please do not wait for "someday" or "maybe" - start TODAY on your plan. For you, that might look like a 6 month plan. For someone else, it'll be 5 years. It doesn't matter. Don't wait - because the "right time" will never come.

Life is so short, guys. SO SHORT. Heck, I blinked and 90 days was gone. Over. Done. 90 days of my life that I would never have again - and I was spending them the way I wanted to. There is such a wonderful peace about that, I want you to have that feeling too.

Your change or goal doesn't have to look line mine, or your neighbors, or anyone elses. My change was making a move to another state that I've wanted to do for a long time. Your goal might be mending a relationship, or moving on from one that no longer works. You might have financial goals, goals about work, goals about creative pursuits, etc.  The particulars don't matter but what does matter is you start to make changes TODAY that will get you closer to where you want to be.

Please comment and share - what are some of your goals? What step can you take TODAY towards that goal?

And please share how your "getting rid of crap" cleaning goes! I want to hear all about it.

Have a magical day!