I started a post to list lessons from May and June goals, and then I completely neglected it. So now, on the 6th of July, I find myself writing out the lessons I learned in June and thinking about what my goals are for the rest of July.

Charles and I spent 10 days on the east coast the last week of June, which was a lovely and fun change. I enjoyed meeting more of his family member’s at their family reunion and we spent a full week as tourists in DC. It’s such a wonderful city and I can’t wait to go back someday. Nevertheless, at the end of a long trip, I always find myself yearning to bury my roots deep down again. For me, this looks like cleaning and organizing my home, eating clean to purge all of the bad vacation food, and diving back into my personal and professional goals.

I guess now that I think about it, coming back from vacation is sort of like New Year’s. Not only do you need to rest and recover after both the holidays and a vacation, but it’s also a great reset. You can come at normal life with a fresh perspective. With that in mind, here’s what’s been stewing in my brain:

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This was taken at a wonderful winery we visited in Maryland. I couldn’t get over how beautiful it was!

Lessons I Learned in June

My husband and I have incredibly different travel styles.

To be honest, this wasn’t a terrible shock. I’ve traveled plenty with friends and so have learned that traveling styles can really vary. This was our first time traveling together on a big trip and we realized just how different our wants and needs are. One of us has more energy. Our interests are varied. Neither one of us wanted to take control over the schedule for various reasons. We learned a lot about each other and have some things we plan on doing differently next trip. Which leads me to….

It’s important to state what you actually want.

This goes back to my husband and my different travel styles. We found that we were both trying to soften or dilute what we really wanted in order to be more amenable to the other person. As a result, neither of us were terribly happy about some of the compromises we made. It would have been much more helpful if we had both just stated exactly what we wanted in the first place and then worked from there. Stating what you want doesn’t mean you’re being selfish or that you’re going to insist on getting what you want. You’re just being forthcoming with your feelings. The important thing is to be able to say your desires out loud and then be okay with another outcome. We started doing this as soon as we made the discovery and it was a huge improvement in our communication.

Airbnb is a wonderful way to travel.

We stayed in some really, really great locations for less than half the price of a hotel. There was a small hiccup with our stay in Pennsylvania, but Airbnb took care of it right away and it was pretty painless. There were absolutely no issues with our stay in DC. We were a block away from two different metro stations, right by a grocery store, had a garden apartment all to ourselves, and it was so quiet and comfortable. If you’re interested in trying it out, here’s a coupon for $40 off your first stay. If you use the link, you’ll get $40 off and I’ll get a $20 credit for referring you.

July Goals

Eat clean

This month, my husband and I are enacting some new food rules to help us with our goal of eating healthy.

1. No added sugar (in coffee, tea, recipes, etc. Sadly, this includes honey + artificial sweeteners)
2. No candy
3. No desserts (unless offered to us at someone else’s house, and only ONE serving)
4. No buying alcohol for home
5. One drink limit if we’re eating out
6. Eating out must be planned at least 24 hours in advance

We’re eager (and nervous) to try out these new rules. It’s certainly going to be challenging, but our bodies will thank us!

Start a running plan

We decided we’re going to start running together. So far, we already have one run down. My plan is to take it slow and steady and let this app do all the thinking for me.

Read 7 books

This sounds like a lot, but I’m a voracious reader and Charles will be busy for a couple weeks this month. I’m planning on filling the time I would normally spend with him with lots and lots of reading. I’m working on my Summer Reading List right now and loving some of the titles.

Find a budgeting technique to try out

This is something Charles and I want to do together so we can see what will work for both of us. I’m thinking about doing the envelope budget first. It seems really extreme, but I’m kind of drawn to that. I can be really all or nothing when it comes to implementing new habits or changes in my life.

Clean out my iPhone Pictures

I’m ashamed to admit that I currently have 11,288 photos on my phone right now. The situation has been so out of control for so many years that I’ve just avoided thinking about it. But that’s not a great long term strategy so this month I plan to attack it head on. Have any advice?

I’d love to hear more about your goals! Leave a comment and share what you’re currently working on. Also, let me know if you have any advice for any of my goals!