In today’s technological, fast-paced, instant gratification world, I think we often forget to slow down and just enjoy being. We always feel like we have to be doing something, reading something, posting something. But what about taking the time to just be in another person’s company?
My husband and I are guilty of this. More times than I care to admit do we end up eating dinner in front of the TV or checking something on our phone rather than talking. The last thing I want is to look back in 10, 50, 70 years and think that life passed me by. It passed by while I was sitting on the couch, looking at a computer screen, getting distracted by the millions of things that are vying for our attention each and every day.
So this past Saturday, my husband and I decided to take the day to unplug a little bit. I wanted to just turn off our phones and not worry about anybody calling or texting or updating anything (except to post a few Instagrams of our day!), and enjoy a day together, celebrating our third year of marriage. And you know what? We had a really good time.
After breakfast, we started the day off at North Carolina State University campus. For those who don’t know, I am a University of North Carolina graduate and I am a big Tar Heel fan. My husband attended rival school NCSU. We are both good natured about our sport allegiances and will cheer for each other’s teams… except when they are playing each other. But in just a few weeks, I will officially be a member of the NCSU Wolfpack, as well, and my husband has enjoyed getting to tease me about attending State for higher education. But we’ve never really been out to the campus together. It was a fun opportunity to get to walk around and show each other where our classes were or will be. It’s also a very big campus and I get a little lost, so he showed me where the important spots are.

Funny enough, we stopped to sit for a moment in one of the courtyards on campus, and after sitting down, I saw a bunch of little heart confetti on the ground where we were sitting. I thought it was very appropriate!
It was getting pretty warm by this point, so we decided to move somewhere with air conditioning. We had hoped to do a little shopping there and on Hillsborough Street, but unfortunately with it being a weekend during the summer, most everything was closed. Jarrod actually wanted to get something at the mall, and since I can never convince him to go to the mall with me, I said “let’s do it!”
After a little shopping (mostly for him, somehow), we went to grab some lunch. While we were eating, he even mentioned at one point that he hadn’t talked to anybody but me so far that day. I think we all need some days like that, every now and then. We did return home for a little down time and to get ready for dinner that evening. I love getting dressed up for an evening out together! We went to a delicious seafood and steak (which represents both of us very well) restaurant and spent some more time chatting.
After a day like that, I felt refreshed and realized that I should unplug myself a little more often. While I love very much being “plugged in” because that’s how I get to enter into this whole world with you, I think every now and then we need to focus on the BEING. Being happy, content, relaxed, in love, satisfied, together. There are so many things that are grasping for our attention every day that it’s hard to always remember that there are more important things and especially more important people.