There are so many aspects of back home that I love so dearly and miss so much. I’m not sure why we, as humans, get so attached to places we go and routines we follow. I don’t believe they get the slightest bit attached to us. Before leaving home, I worried so much about how things would go on without me. Would these places I love so much still function without me? Would they change? What if I came back and they had changed? It’s scary to think they will change and even scarier to think that they will go on just fine without me.
Change is hard. Change is one of those things that I don’t think anyone enjoys. Change means unknown and unfamiliar. It means being alone within yourself and being confident and loving of who it is you are. Sometimes change happens to you, without you telling it it’s okay. Other times, you choose change. You choose to walk into all black with everything you’ve ever known and been comforted by behind you. This is when change is the scariest, but also the most beautiful. This petrifying feeling is the feeling of opportunity, the feeling of aliveness.
I have lived almost my whole life feeling angry and defensive toward change. It wasn’t my friend. Because of these negative feelings towards change, change didn’t like me either. Instead of seeing it for what it is, an opportunity to grow, I saw it as something trying to take something away from me. It seemed that way to me; every time change came along, it took away something that made me feel secure.
The past two years of my life have been completely filled with change, big and small. I have had so much trouble maintaining myself through these changes. Dealing with change has been one of the things I struggle with the most since I was young. It has always seemed to startle me more than anyone else I have known. The past two years of non-stop change has really tested the strength I have within to stay positive, healthy and loving minded.
What is change? Will it ever stop?
I don’t think change will ever stop. We are change. Life is ever-changing. Nothing is ever going to be what it is in this moment ever again. That thought can both make me cry and laugh. It can fill me with deep appreciation and deep sadness. As time passes, though, it fills me with more appreciation then it does sadness.
It’s true, “change is the only constant.” Change is the only thing I can rely on to be consistent throughout my whole life. Change is always going to be around the corner, day in and day out. Change is now my friend. When change comes to visit me, I choose to embrace her with open arms and let myself become the best possible version of myself through whatever change happens.
One of my favorite parts of home is the comforting smells and kind people in healthy food stores. I am such a strong supporter of local, healthy, whole foods. I am so passionate about feeding your body the nutrients it needs to perform in this chaotic world we live in. I want to nourish my body so that I can live a long, healthful life and be around to see my family grow as I turn gray and wrinkled.
I have been going to healthy food stores with my mom since I was a baby. The aromas in healthy food stores is much more than just a pleasant smell.. It’s a comfort that I have experienced for many years. Wherever I travel in my lifetime, I hope to always have a place to go that’s filled with organic, local foods.
I had yet to find a place that I can sit and relax as well as shop for the groceries I prefer in Richmond, so I went out searching for one. After some searching, I found Ellwood Thompson. It’s such a lovely little community store. It has all of the foods I love and, of course, the natural smell that I have always loved.
I went and did school work for nearly five hours. In those five hours, I saw four people that I knew. I felt welcome and comfortable. It was easy to relax and I am so thankful that I have this place to retreat when I need to get away from the scholarly environment of VCU.
This is my favorite beverage on the planet; kombucha. It is a fermented drink filled with healthy probiotics. It has so many health benefits and I can immediately feel the difference when I drink it.
Some health benefits are:
- Improved Digestion
- Increasing Energy
- Cleansing and Detoxification
- Immune Support
All of things things are essential for your body to function normally in every day life.
At Ellwood Thompson I can refill my many containers for a relatively inexpensive price- yay!
Here are some of my favorite tea’s.
This is where you can buy kombucha and refill your own jars.
Another great thing about Ellwood Thompson is that there is a buffet of organic food. Not only is the food so delicious, it is made without canola oil which is a very processed oil that causes inflammation in the body which can lead to bad gas and stomach pains.
My lovely friend Eden accompanied me on the fifteen minute bike journey to Ellwood Thompson.
Here is our food we got at the buffet. You can sit either inside or outside, both of which are very clean and comfortable.
If you know me, you know that I love nuts and trail mix. Every healthy food store I’ve been in has had a nut selection similar to this and you can always find me testing out all the different kinds of nuts and trail mix.
Again, if you know me, you know how much I love natural body products. There are so many chemicals in the pharmacy sold beauty products. These chemicals are very, very harmful to your body over time. On a smaller scale, they can cause irritation and dryness on the skin.
Sounds like a great place to spend an afternoon – Comforting and nourishing.
First, I want to start off by saying that you write so eloquently; it’s honestly a gift. I feel like we grow attached to places because of the memories we have experienced there. Consequently, change can seem so terrifying, especially when were pleased with the way things are. Yet, as you have discovered, if we don’t embrace change, then we deny ourselves an opportunity to grow. Moreover, the fact that you were able to find a place that is similar to the things you loved about home is awesome. The place sounds truly incredible.
You are such a beautiful writer, and so detailed and exquisite. I feel like when we live somewhere for too long, we grow attached to that specific place.. since I was little I’ve moved around a lot and I have never really had the time to grow attachment towards a place until I reached high school. And I can’t even start by how much I miss my city now..even though I always thought I would not. Even though I miss it, I still try to find places here to feel like home! And I can tell you have found yours too 🙂
That place looks delicious! I wish it wasn’t so far away. I really enjoy how you write, and specifically how you address the idea of “change.” Just recently there has been a huge change of going to college. I also like how you looked deeper into change and admitted you have differences.
You are so pure, alive and raw. I can’t get enough of it. I wish I had more friends that looked at things like you do. Your views are great and even better accompanied with your amazing writing skills. Change takes away bad and good, but always keeps coming for us. It’s the only thing we can rely on, and I’ve learned to roll with it too. Change is such a beautiful thing. Love yourself everyday because you are a great asset to this earth, my friend 🙂