Then one day I woke up and realize that life was happening NOW, and was I really spending it the way that I wanted? I was focusing so much on how to ensure that I would have this wonderfully creative life that I wasn't leaving myself time to actually live it. I can not imagine I was once the person who, when my son went to bed, immediately pulled out laptop to work until wee hours of the night, when my job requires that I rise before dawn!
It took time for me to learn how to slow down, be happy with what I have and what I've accomplished, and learn to live in the moment. Time and lots of experiences have taught me, however, that simple things bring me the most happiness. Like a day in the city, Greenville SC, with my son that includes a trip to Yarn n' Ya'll, a picnic in beautiful Falls Park downtown, and a visit to Mr. K's Used Books, Music and More to trade in some old books for new titles. We looked forward to this all week.
Here in SC, in summer, there is always 50% chance of thunderstorm. For us, the weather held out. It was perfect, not too hot, and just enough cool breezes.
First stop Mr. K's Used Books, Music and More! You can trade in books, movies, and/or CDs for store credit or cash! I took cash option this time, but my son took store credit and left with four new books!
After stopping by Yarn n' Ya'll, our next stop was Falls Park! This is a favorite place of ours for picnics. I think Falls Park is truly a gem for the city of Greenville, and it's definitely much enjoyed by the locals as well as visitors to the city.
So much beautiful green nature, right in the midst of an urban area! Greenville really knew what they were doing with the creation of Falls Park!
A short walk from Falls Park leads to this water feature, which my son and I have enjoyed for several years now. It's very refreshing cool-off spot for him after we've spent time exploring the park on summer days! It is great to sit and watch children enjoy something so simple as flowing water. It reminds me again how it does not need to be grand, expensive things to bring joys to life.
Something else that brings joy to our lives is gourmet coffee and ice cream, and in my opinion, shops that sell both have tapped into marketing genius! Spill the Beans, right at the corner of Falls Park, is one such shop, and we love it. I definitely recommend a visit to Greenville just to sample their coffee and cones! Before heading home, we stop there to refuel. Coffee for me, a strawberry-vanilla-caramel cone for the boy! I used the cash I'd gotten from Mr. K's Used Books, Music and More to pay for our afternoon treat, which was great thing to me. (Simple spending habits will be the focus of a future post!)
And then, home. Later, I looked over the items I purchased at Yarn n' Ya'll...a little treat for myself, I've worked more than ever this summer and while I'm very grateful for the opportunities, I've also grateful for the upcoming two-week break and our trip to The Isle of Palms. Thanks to Yarn n' Ya'll, I'll have plenty to work on beach-side!
And later, Friday movie night, something I look so forward to. With work and school keeping us busy, summer just seems to be flying by, but our day in Greenville was a wonderful time. I'm reminded of a favorite post on SaimaaLife.com , called Wonderfully Boring Life. We all wonder at times, I think, how our lives look to others from the outside. I sometimes laugh to myself about this, but while nightlife was nice when I was younger, right now days like this Friday and moments are what bring me the most authentic joy!
I hope you enjoyed seeing few pics of happiness from our day in the city!
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