Today's Thought on Slowing Down

There are so many quiet ways that living in Europe has changed how I move through the world. Today I got caught in the rain. Back home, that would have felt like the beginning of chaos. Rain meant hurry. Rain meant stress. Rain meant the rest of the day was already slipping out of control. But now, I noticed something different. I did not rush home. I did not tense up. I did not treat the rain like an emergency. I just kept walking at a normal pace because clothes get wet anyway and hair gets wet anyway. No amount of rushing protects you from something that simple. All it does is wake up your nervous system and drain energy you need for other parts of your life. So I just let myself be present. I walked. I breathed. I let the rain be rain. And I realized how far I have come from the environment that taught me that every inconvenience is a threat. Living here has taught me something gentler. I can choose how I respond. I can keep my body soft. I can let small moments stay small. These shifts seem tiny but they stack into a different way of living. A way that feels healthier. A way that feels more intentional. A way that reminds me that I do not have to react to everything with the intensity I was raised to believe was normal. I like who I am becoming.