Experiences

I love going to museums. Living near DC my whole life, you become accustomed to museums being free, which is not normal (and I am aware that not all DC museums are free). I love going to any one of the Smithsonian museums and popping in for a couple hours, checking out new galleries. The Air and Space museum never gets old!

In 2012, Amanda I went to Boston and hit up the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. It was $15 a person, but totally worth it!! Easily one of my favorite museums I've ever been to! Great pieces of art that go all the way back to the time of Christ! A really cool house with rooms varying in design creating a totally unique experience! We went through every room, took our time checking out all the art, and spent 6+ hours in the museum.

Two very different experiences, both great. When the museums are free, I never spend more than 2-3 hours in there. I always move quickly, checking out only certain galleries, knowing I can come back at any time to check out other galleries or pick up where I left off and finish. But, when I paid $30 for the two of us to get in, we took our time exploring everything square inch of that museum. I might never go back to the Isabella Stewart museum, but I'll never forget it!

Both museums experiences are great! I loved spending over 6 hours in the Isabella Stewart museum. It was $30 well spent. But I also love popping into one of the Smithsonian museums for a couple hours on a Sunday. Each experience is unique and different, but I enjoy both.

Circumstances don't have to define our experiences. A baseball game with friends is still enjoyable and a great time, even when your team loses. I've been to an amusement park while it's been raining and riding roller coasters in the rain is still fun!! Sometimes the band isn't that good, but the conversations and time spent with friends and family makes it a successful evening. It's about perspective and finding the joy in moments where we could complain.

I'm guilty of letting circumstances cloud my mind and impact my experience. We all do. When things aren't going well or life is difficult, it's hard to see through the fog. Life is full of ups and downs, and it's in the downs, when we need to find the joy more, that we struggle to see the double rainbow.

We never know what's just around the corner. Things could get better, or things could get worse. Which is why it's important to look for what's good in the midst of struggle. Snow is just an inconvenience if you don't go out and play in it or snuggle next to a fire with some hot chocolate. Summer's just too hot if you don't hit up the beach or pool. Rain is wet and depressing, but when you see the rainbow after the storm...

“Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.” Ecclesiastes 9:7