Taking A Rest

My brother and SISTER-in-law!

It's been a whirlwind month since my last post. If you haven't read it yet, pop on over to check out my plans for next year (Cheers to Year Three!) The last four weeks have flown by....

I spent almost 3 weeks in America at the end of May/beginning of June -- the main purpose of my visit (other than just seeing all my peeps) ....my brother got married! This trip was filled with lots of traveling for wedding things (bachelorette parties, rehearsal dinners, a wedding) plus all of the travel I normally do when I'm home to see people. I didn't even keep track of the miles this trip...it was A LOT! 

It was a beautiful time home. I was ready. I was ready to take a rest from Haiti. That by no means that I'm miserable or unhappy (quite the opposite really...it's also difficult to leave). But, life in a foreign country is hard sometimes. It's not the things that you grew up with and have always known. Sometimes it's uncomfortable (physically and mentally). Sometimes you just miss the amenities that America has to offer. Sometimes you just need to step away and refresh. 

Mental health is important. 

If there's anything I've learned in Haiti (which is a lot), it's that mental health matters. You are never going to be successful if you ignore your mental health. For me personally, I'm always processing and thinking -- How can I make school better? What's the best plan for my English class? Which people asking me for help am I supposed to help? What else can I contribute to my organization? Who am I supposed to be investing in? -- It gets exhausting. 

I've always been a pretty in-tune with my emotions and mental health. That has only been magnified in Haiti. Sometimes you need a break. Sometimes you need to rest. 


This doesn't make you weak. It makes you healthy. 

Knowing when to step away and say, "Nope. I can't do that today." "I need to take an afternoon." Whatever the phrase may be for you. It's okay. Take a rest. So many times in life we overload ourselves in commitments and expectations that it's unrealistic for us to be successful or to even feel successful. We get ourselves in a rut of "just keep swimming" or treading water to stay afloat. 

So what does taking a rest look like? Well, for everyone that's different. It's all determined by how you refresh and refuel. For me...I know my mental health isn't at it's best when I neglect my time with Jesus. I feel it. I'm irritable. I'm tired. I'm just kind of blah. When I put my time with Jesus at the top of my priority list, it filters down to all other parts of my life. That's the first thing I check when I can feel my mental health failing. 

Sometimes taking a rest means binge watching a show on Netflix, cleaning your house, spending time with friends, or just sitting and enjoying peace and quiet. Find your thing. Don't be afraid to lean on a friend. You wanna go shopping? Call up your bestie. Want to read a book? Do it! 

But tune-in. Take a rest.

I take rests often even when I'm in Haiti. Sometimes my rest takes me all thew way back to America. Sometimes it's some of the things I mentioned above. 

Mental health matters.

As I'm sitting here writing this, it's resonating with me even more how important this is. Lately we've seen so much about people committing suicide because their mental health wasn't okay. That doesn't even show the countless suicides committed each day by non-celebrity types. That doesn't even bring up all of the people who are sitting in depression. I didn't write this post thinking it would be a mental health PSA, but maybe that's what God intended it to be. The words are coming, and I'm just writing. 

Take a rest. It's O.K.A.Y. 
Even that one little other thing can wait until later or even until tomorrow. 
Reach out.
Take a rest with me.
Take a rest with Jesus. >> He's the best companion. 

Love you!
Caitlin

Cousin fun!

Lunch with my ladies! :) 

Managed to snag some quality time with
my bubba! 

One of the reasons it's hard to leave Haiti. Missed him!

Just celebrated 7 months with this one!

I normally have some "Normal for me, but not for you" but today I have some realizations from this trip to America:
> Public restrooms are often the coldest places in a building.
> Choice is overwhelming the longer you're away from it. (I got overwhelmed by all the snack choices in the gas station the night I came home. Then by countless other choices I had available to me while I was home.)
> I now always look for a surge protector to plug appliances into. (Power in Haiti isn't the best and to prolong the life of things, EVERYTHING gets plugged into a surge protector. Not so much needed in America!)