Current Nonfiction Read: Chasing Slow: Courage to Journey off the Beaten Path, Erin Loechner

I have a habit of listening to the Read Aloud Revival podcast as I get ready for bed every night. It's a necessity, because by the end of the day the only way I can convince myself to get in the shower and scrub the dirt off my feet and the makeup off my face is if I have something great in my ear.

Episode #244. Erin Loechner is being interviewed, chatting with Sarah Mackenzie about her newest book, The Opt-Out Family: How to Give Your Kids What Technology Can't. I'm intrigued by this low-tech lifestyle she's promoting, but really we already live it. More intriguing to me is the praise Sarah gives Erin's first book, Chasing Slow: Courage to Journey off the Beaten Path. I've never read it; never heard of it. But. I'm always chasing a bit more slow in my life, and I feel like I'm currently speeding down the highway, desperate to exit, with no exit sign in site. I need someone to show me the way. Maybe this book is the answer.

I hop on Amazon and purchase a copy for my Kindle - I've got digital points about to expire anyway, and letting that happen would be such a shame!

Right away I'm hooked. Erin's storytelling is some of the best I've ever encountered, especially for nonfiction writing. Her life is captivating, and I see myself on every page. She is a woman battling her way to a slower life, letting go of perfectionism and productivity in favor of prioritizing what matters most. I finish the book and immediately start writing down all the quotes I've highlighted, chat with my mom about it, recommend my best friend read it, and begin gathering excess from the four corners of our house to sell on Facebook marketplace. My exit sign has appeared, and I intentionally switch lanes, slow down and get off the highway.

I'm chasing slow.

Read this book.
It's:

Honest
Beautifully written
Spiritually nourishing
Entertaining
Inspiring
encouraging
& Relatable

Favorite Quote:

"I am pursuing minimalism. I know this to be true. I want less, and I want simplicity, and I want to spend my days connecting and caring, not consuming and completing. But. More important that pursuing minimalism, for me, is pursuing gratitude."

After completing this book, I couldn't wait to purchase The Opt-Out Family (even without the requisite number of Amazon digital credits).

I know it will be worth it.

Review coming soon.