shifting to a suburban hippie life: in both home + body

if you walked through my front door today, you’d see a home perpetually 'in-progress'. the new wallpaper is up, but the baseboards are still leaning against the wall, waiting to be cut and nailed back into place. outside, the landscaping has naked spots - empty patches of mulch where the right plants just haven't found their home yet. even in the bathroom, there’s a small mountain of organization bins shoved under the sink, waiting for their permanent spots.

for a long time, these unfinished things felt like evidence of being disorganized, behind or less than. I looked at the gaps in the garden and the missing trim and felt a pull to just get it done so I could finally feel good. I realized I was doing the same thing to my body.

personal failure + persistent pain

I spent years treating my body like a machine that was constantly failing inspection. there was this heavy underlying shame in being unfinished, as if a missing baseboard was a personal failure, or as if my persistent pain made me less than or broken. I was so busy trying to force a final version that I ignored all the great things that were already there - in both home + body.

I’m starting to see it differently now

those empty spots in the landscaping aren't just holes; they’re space for growth. the bins under the sink aren't a mess; they’re the initiative I’m taking to make my daily life function better.

the same goes for my body. my pain isn't something I have to "fix" or a reason to feel less than. it’s actually an invitation to build a deeper relationship with myself. it’s a signal to listen and adjust accordingly.

being in progress isn't a failure

it's a win. it means I am actively taking the steps to make things the way I want them to be. some days I easily embrace these ideas, other days it's a struggle.

this is the heart of suburban hippie

it’s the beautiful blend of both: accepting where we are today while also putting in consistent effort to reach our best version. suburban hippie life is a permission slip to stop forcing the fix and start finding the flow with subtle shifts - in both home + body.

as a movement designer, occupational therapist + avid diy'er I’ve learned immediate changes aren't realistic. as frustrating as it can be there is so much growth on the path of 'getting there' if we allow it. I truly believe the 'doing' is what [re]builds the connection back to ourselves. leaving us with a deeper sense of confidence, compassion and gratitude. in both home + body