My oven is dead. It’s been on the fritz the last few weeks and finally gave up… and in addition to being totally bummed that I can’t make fresh bread this weekend, this loss has sent me down a path of existential reflection. As I was freaking out about being without an oven for a few days, it occurred to me just how much my life has changed.
Five years ago, I was using my oven for storage… I’m not kidding. It was where I kept all of the pots and pans I never used. I was living in a tiny midtown apartment, dining out or ordering takeout every night. It was a very different time in my life. Cooking for myself just wasn’t a priority. Honestly, if my oven stopped working, I probably wouldn’t have noticed. I can’t believe how much that has shifted in a few years.
Looking back at that time, my life was in chaos. Cooking for myself? I was way too busy for that. Taking 3 days to make a loaf of bread? Ha, never. Back then, I was in a nightmare relationship. I was two years into owning my business, running around like a manic trying to piece together enough clients to keep my business going. My yoga practice was practically non-existent at the time. I was just surviving in a constant flurry of activity. So used to functioning at near burn-out that it just felt normal.
Oh, how things have changed since then. My life has slowed down so much. I have slowed down so much. I no longer feel like I need to do everything, go everywhere, be friends with everyone. Quality over quantity is my mantra. I’ve found simple pleasures in growing my sourdough starter and experimenting with new grain blends. I always make something from scratch to take to Sunday Football, dinners, and parties. I spend the weekends working on the house and in the yard. I’ve met an amazing man and we just celebrated four years together and share in this slow-life experience. A big weekend for us? Lounging at his parents’ house in Tahoe and… you guessed it… cooking and baking. Some of my friends think I’ve gone Amish, which honestly, doesn’t sound so bad!
I am so grateful for how much my life has changed and I pat myself on the back for taking the initiative to reclaim my life for me. I have a wonderful group of clients and a thriving business. My middle school BFF moved back to Sac and she’s turned me into an Orange Theory junkie (gotta pick up the tempo sometimes!) and I find it the perfect balance to my home yoga practice. It’s been funny to think back on how different my life was just five years ago. Who knew a broken oven could send me down memory lane.
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