Let me tell you a little story about my new magic ring... #colonialwilliamsburg This is a mourning ring, which came into the height of its popularity in the 18th century to mark the loss of a loved one. It's not a #gsm original, I picked it up in Colonial Williamsburg where they are handmade out of sterling silver. I've written on The Sojourning Nerd about this trip being a mission of self-empowerment and going at your life without fear, without loneliness. Two days into my trip I had serious doubts I could execute the story the way I wanted. I debated scraping the project. The reality was all those feelings I had -- the loss, rejection, lack of self-worth that comes when someone says they can't imagine any reason you wouldn't be friends for a long time, three weeks before a clipped "goodbye" -- those feelings were still there. And they were strong. I don't really believe in signs, but the past four days have been peppered with little oddities and reminders, things that make me pause, frown, and take a breath before moving onward. I wondered if I could still write what I wanted without being a hypocrite. And then I saw this handsome little ring. I think it was its story and Thomas Jefferson's monologue that really sunk deep. "I would take a tumultuous freedom over a peaceful slavery. Peace exists within a prison, but it does not make it a nice place to live." Emotions are complicated, multifaceted, and layered; the one thing I never want the series to become is a fake or brusque, "It's easy to control your thoughts and feelings! If I can do it, so can you!" When I wear the ring I feel centered again, because I remember I'm not mourning the loss, I'm facing the fear and anxiety and other stubborn feelings that get in the way. It makes me mindful of the kind of person I want to be. I've written more about all this elsewhere (not yet posted, so consider this a long winded sneak peek), but the short version is: isn't this ring badass?! #jewelry #thesojourningnerd #geekgirltravels #greystreetmagpie #mourningring #williamsburg