I spent about four hours total in the car yesterday.
I drove my uncle to the airport, and let’s just say that I was {safely!} able to eat my lunch while sitting in traffic on the way back. Driving to the airport = 1 hour. Driving from airport to internship = 2 hours.
packed this avocado, double egg, sriracha sandwich to go + salad in a tupperware
Then I drove home at rush hour = 1 hour. While no one is a fan of traffic, I actually strangely enjoyed the alone time. Who gets 4 hours of alone time these days when you really can’t do anything but sit with your thoughts?
As much as I want to blast music the whole time when I’m in the car (especially when THIS Tori Kelly song just comes out!!!), I think it’s important to take advantage of silence. Time to listen to your thoughts in our busy society is sort of a privilege, don’t you think?
I like to talk out loud, even when I’m by myself (hence vlogging), so I’ve been into talking to God as if I’m having a conversation with a good friend. That may sound weird, I get it, but He lends a great ear 🙂 Doing so allows me to sort out any of my anxieties, joys, fears, excitements, questions, or frustrations with the driver who just cut me off.
If you have some time for silence, whether that be in the car or in the morning, make it your own.
- Make a single mini goal for the day.
- Reflect on a quote or inspirational story/blog post you read recently. How can you implement the lessons/ideas in your own life?
- List the things for which you are grateful.
- Choose one person you love, who you might be a little frustrated with at the time, and think about the qualities you love in him/her and the good memories you’ve had with that person.
- Crank out some new ideas for your home, cooking, blog, etc.
- Think about people who you haven’t talked to in a while.
- Pick one thing that you need to improve (for me— punctuality) and analyze ways in which you can go about improving.
…and the list goes on. It’s incredibly easy to default to noise, because silence can be boring and uncomfortable when our minds know that there are so many things we could be doing. Trust me, I still itch to turn on the radio. But consciously taking advantage of silence can make a positive difference in your day. It certainly has for me!
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Other notes for the day:
The fish bone ordeal is somewhat under control, I think. My eustachian tube is definitely still feeling wonky and like there’s something around that area, but nothing hurts much at all anymore. I don’t think there’s a little fish bone hangin’ out either. I’m just going to wait it out and see if the discomfort disappears.
Speaking of fish, I made tuna cakes last night, which very much embodied the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”
tuna “cakes”…
These were tasty though!
Ingredients: Canned tuna, onions, garlic, a little bit of leftover brown rice, cilantro, paprika, cumin, mustard, black pepper, Greek yogurt, lime juice and zest, honey, and a couple eggs.
Directions and measurements: Throw some amount of everything into a bowl. Form into patties and pan fry. Hope for the best.
The first few were more like tuna hashes, but the last batches turned out a little prettier.
As pretty as tuna cakes can get, that is.
And lastly, I ate a good ol’ favorite last night!
Dried figs and Greek yogurt! If you’ve been reading for a while, you might remember how often I used to eat this pair. Like, obsessively.
Alrighty, it is past my bedtime as I type this. I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday! Embrace the silence.
So tell me:
If you have a long commute, how do you fill the time?
What do you do/would you do with a little bit of silence in your day?
What did you eat for dinner last night?
Daily Moves and Grooves 
want those tuna cakes!
I used to commute in and out of NYC every day for a total of 90 minutes each way. In the morning I would nap, but in the evenings I would take the time to read which I really enjoyed. I like to have my apartment totally silent when I am doing chores – cleaning, folding laundry. It helps me stay active but also allows my brain to unwind after a crazy work day. I had a smoothie and PB&J for dinner and it was delicious 🙂
Oh man, I don’t think I could do chores without music! I need a good beat to keep me motivated 😉
Well that’s an interesting way to look at traffic, but I can’t say that I share the sentiment 😛 Traffic is seriously the bane of my existence, and if I can avoid going out during those hours, then I get things taken care of later on. My city actually never used to be too bad for it, but it’s gotten bigger over the last handful of years, so I think it’s time to relocate to somewhere smaller 😆 But I get plenty of silence at home, so that might be why I’m not so keen on it in the car.
Oh trust me, I hate traffic too. I just think that the silence can be a good thing if we have to be in the car waiting anyway! And yes, there are definitely great things about the city, but sometimes it’s just tooooo much.
I am so so glad that your fish bone ordeal is under control! I can’t imagine that would be comfortable.
I’m not a big fan of driving, but when I am in the car for a long time by myself I blast music and (badly) sing a long to it. I think about what future goals I have for myself and how I can accomplish them. I also reflect on God’s love for us especially when I pass some beautiful nature. Sometimes quiet time is the best time to really think.
Oh the car becomes my STAGE and I belt out songs like I’m Beyonce. I also dance when traffic is super slow and avoid eye contact with the driver next to me.
If I have a long commute, I’ll usually turn on my favorite music! I also like to sit in silence and just think about the things I have to do or pray/make goals for the week! And last night for dinner I had a salad, corn on the cob, and a chicken sausage on a bun! 🙂
Mmm I’ve been craving sausage on a bun! Hopefully we’ll make some this weekend!
i love moments of quiet where i can pray and think
Those are really good ideas to do in moments of silence. I tend to turn on music or call someone, but I always feel so refreshed whenever I have time without any stimulation or distractions for a while. I think it used to be so common to just sit with your thoughts at times, but now it’s just the norm to constantly be talking, listening, etc. I am going to try to drive today without any noise and do what you did 🙂
Great for you, girl! Although, I do about half and half silence and music 🙂 You’re taking it up a notch!
While I don’t really drive, whenever I am in a long car ride I love listening to podcasts! You can find one about almost anything nowadays, whether it is health/fitness, self-help, religion, comedy, business, or even learning another language! Glad you brought the figs + yogurt combo back, I was starting to miss it ;).
People talk more and more about podcasts these days and I’m thinking I should start listening to some!
Hi Alison! Silence is golden. Isn’t that what they say? I actually like silence, with no music or background distractions when I’m at home. In the car, I tend to talk on the phone, but I do really like to be alone with my thoughts as well. And those tuna cakes look yummy! Nice work! 🙂
Thanks, Ashley! Silence is certainly golden. I haven’t been able to set up bluetooth in the car, so I can’t even talk to people on the phone (holding a phone is illegal while driving in NY apparently)!
I used to be uncomfortable with silence in the car … but in the past many months, it has been the norm. Now I’m used to it, and really enjoy the silence as I drive …
That’s great, Jen! It does take some getting used to, but it can be very nice 🙂
This post really resonated with me. I fill my day with so much “noise” and technology that I find myself in a fog and super stressed. The past few days I literally just shut my phone down for a few hours during the day for a break! I do not operate well or function well with others when there are so many tabs open in this crazy brain of mine 🙈 thank for the reminder girl! And prayer/just chatting it up with God😉 totally quiets my mind too!
“Fog” and “stress” are exactly what I feel sometimes! Glad you were able to just breathe in the silence for a little bit. ♥
I totally talk to myself in the car or when I’m out wandering around in the forest. Sometimes I go sit outside when I need to have a good cry – it just feels good to GET IT OUT – whether it’s happy, sad or whatever.
Last night’s dinner was a chicken breast that I speared with a fork and ate it while sitting on my bed… followed up with some dates + PB. (My roomie had taken over the kitchen completely)
Oh my gosh, YES. Crying by myself when needed is so wonderful.
LOL I love that method of eating chicken. You’re my favorite.
4 hours of traffic and in your thoughts- I like your suggestions actually. Seeing as it really is rare to be in thought (except for music) but yeah! And those tuna cakes look purrrty.
PS- I found full fat fage and went overboard by eating 3 small tubs for breakfast. It was like eating straight up sour cream minus the sour. It was amazing.
Hooray!! Full fat Fage is food of the gods.
I love and definitely seek out silence. It’s good time to reflect on what I’ve accomplished/have yet to do. I also use it to check in with what’s on my mind, rather than cover it up with some noise. Excellent reminder!
So good for you, Ellen! It’s definitely important to allow our brains space to think and recharge.
I actually don’t think I’ve ever had dried figs but they sounds delicious. I went out to dinner at Brixx Pizza last night with friends and got a southwest salad with chicken and it was so good! We also shared a hummus+ warm pita appetizer that was really good.
And I’m actually kind of okay with no noise for a little bit. I would probably end up turning on music or calling someone at some point, but sometimes it’s nice to process things with no distractions!
You need to try dried figs! The best ones are the Calimyrna dried figs from Made in Nature!
I love Tori Kelly’s new song! Actually, I love all of her songs. Cannot wait to hear her live when she comes to Toronto!
I think having silence is essential in our busy schedules. For me, whenever I have silence, I reflect on life. I think about how I am feeling, if the environment I am in is uplifting or discouraging me, ways to improve myself and what I want to eat next just because. 😛
Ahh you’re going to her concert in Toronto!? I’m going to the one in Boston and I am SO EXCITED.
That’s so great that you take time to reflect, Gloria. I am with you on thinking about what to eat next haha!