I am currently sitting on the floor soaking in sunlight streaming through the window. In front of me is my Monstera plant. My coffee next to me reads “Morning Sunshine.” Red Rocks Worship is playing in the background. I just got done with Pure Barre and I have that post-workout contentment. I was craving a breakfast sandwich when I came home so I made one and it tasted just like a restaurant. It’s simple, but it feels extravagant.
I’ve lived in apartments since I was eighteen. Before getting married, my mom and I would go shopping to find decorations. We would spend the entire weekend making the space feel comfortable and also elegant. In one of my first apartments, my dad drove five hours to Alabama, brought decorations from his house, and hung a surfboard in my living room to make it feel “hip.” For twelve years now, I have learned how to make a small space feel like a home- and I have never felt like I was lacking.
From age nine-and-on, the house I grew up in was beautifully simple. We didn’t have a pool, but on warm Florida days, we would blast fun beach music through the speakers, bring lawn chairs outside to lay out, turn on the sprinkler, and grill out. We had cafe string lights, corn hole, and bocce ball in our backyard that invited play. My parents taught my heart that simplicity could feel extravagant.
I learned how to create days around simple moments of joy that felt extravagant. When in my apartment growing up, I would wake up, open the blinds to let the light in and play worship music. I would then make a French press or pour over with my favorite coffee beans. Light a candle, and spend some time reading or journaling. I would then put eucalyptus in my essential oil diffuser in my bathroom while getting ready to make it feel like a spa. It felt extravagant to my heart- and yet, it was beautifully simple.
Something my parents also taught me growing up was how to explore. If I wanted to live in Colorado or travel overseas, my parents allowed me to pursue this and encouraged me to seek out new places. When I would move to a new town or a new state, and I began to feel lonely, my mom would ask “Have you gotten out and found cute shops or towns?” She would also encourage me to find a church community. Instead of telling me to come home, she would encourage me to go out and explore.
My mom is a flight attendant, my stepdad is a pilot, and my biological dad was in the Navy. Each parent I was influenced by lived by example. When my stepdad travels, he goes out and explores museums, and historical sites, and chooses to not stay comfortable and cooped up in his hotel. My mom has been traveling on her own since her early thirties. I grew up exploring different states with her and on trips with my mom- we would zoom from one destination to another in a taxi or Uber. When I traveled with my stepdad growing up, he would try and find a historical site for us to see that was unique to that state. Distance to the site didn’t particularly matter either- the experience did. “We’re here, so why not?” - kind of mantra. My dad encouraged me to be independent- to become well-versed in different cultures and views, and spent his entire life traveling to new places. He would take fishing, snowboarding, painting, or surfing lessons wherever he went. He also encouraged my sister and me to try new food and said “Always try something once, and if you don’t like it that’s okay- but you can’t say you don’t like a food if you’ve never tried it.”
They helped me to see the possibilities and create a life that is based on possibility rather than stagnation. I learned how to not settle, and have faith that The Father would always come through. I also learned if I wanted an adventure that it could be found within my own town. If I was bored at home, my mom would say “Why don’t you get out of the house a little bit and go to your favorite store or coffee shop?” We would also reserve a window seat at our favorite local restaurants and make a night of it. My stepdad barely spent time inside when it was nice. You could find him mowing the lawn or going for a run- grilling out on nice days. I would often go for runs with my stepdad and go for many surf sessions with my dad. My parents went for drives or sat outside if it was nice out. My dad would go surfing regularly or work in the yard. I have learned how to make a local day into an adventure.
Something about me is that I have wanted a Jeep Wrangler since I was in high school. There is something within my heart that comes alive when I am in a jeep. A part of me - that desires gravel roads, windows down, and driving towards an adventure with Ben Rector playing through the speakers. When I was in Colorado last year my stepdad surprised my husband and me and rented a jeep for us to drive for a day. This is so simple, renting a jeep- but it sends a message- that simple moments can meet my heart’s desire for extravagance. I may not be able to buy a Jeep right now or even rent it for a week, but I can meet my heart's dream and drive it for a day. I may not be able to go to a spa, but I can create that experience through eucalyptus and a nice bath. I can light my taper candles, pour some wine, and play Italian music. I may not have a pool, but I can go outside and soak in the sun. I can slowly pour my coffee and take in the morning of my little space. As I sit on the floor in my apartment basking in the sunshine- I am content. That to me... Is extravagant.
| Songs: Range Rover: Ben Rector, Waffle House: Jonas Brothers, Talking to Jesus: Elevation Worship, Maverick City, and Brandon Lake
May you go in courage. Courage to find simple extravagance in the everyday.
Maddy V. Hesslau