Blue Lollipop Road

a cookie monster hailing taxi cabs

You know that after wedding, after a 3 day holiday weekend Tuesday thing when you feel a combination of happy, giggly, indulgent, and way behind on work, sleep and totally irresponsible but kind of Ok with it because you’ve just had so much fun? That’s today.

Hello after big weekend Tuesday!

Chicago has been a blast of a week and my past few weeks from Charlotte to Nashville to Columbus have been the same. As I sit in a Starbucks with my 50 fellow “I can work from anywhere-er’s” I feel like a mischievous kid who snuck too many cookies from the cookie jar: full belly, big smile, and wondering if anyone is going to “bust” me for feeling so good. There is a price to pay for feeling so good; I sleep in my car in between cities, I don’t own Manolos (mine are the same $15 strappy black ones that I bought at a Rack Room in 2004) I schlep boxes in and out of my car weekly because I usually don’t have a home, it is often exhausting I but I wouldn’t change any of it for the world because I really feel like I actually live my days.

From the Windy City I’ll be returning to the green mountains for the month of June for the last weeks of prep on my event I am so very proud of, I’ll get to spend time with more people I love (lucky me), reward another travel scholarship to a deserving soccer playing high school student (lucky them), and I’ll be working from countless other coffee shops like I do today between cities and towns where I make it all work to continue a life that most consider crazy. I have certainly slowed down a bit and shifted certain life wants and wishes over this past year or so, but the core of me will never change as I approach my mid-July new home base city because you can take the girl “off the road” for a little while, but you can’t stop her from exploring. (Yep- you know me well, there’s already a Blue Lollipop Road get’s a home base project that’s in the works.) Until I share more on that, I reflect on my 6 hour drive from Columbus to Chicago that started this fantastic week, when an old Alanis Morissette number came across the radio. The sun was hot beating on my left arm as the windows were down, and I blasted her tune that describes me pretty perfectly:

I’m broke but I’m happy
I’m poor but I’m kind
I’m short but I’m healthy, yeah

I’m high but I’m grounded
I’m sane but I’m overwhelmed
I’m lost but I’m hopeful, baby

And what it all comes down to
Is that everything’s gonna be fine, fine, fine
‘Cause I’ve got one hand in my pocket
And the other one is giving a high five

I feel drunk but I’m sober
I’m young and I’m underpaid
I’m tired but I’m working, yeah

I care but I’m restless
I’m here but I’m really gone
I’m wrong and I’m sorry, baby

And what it all comes down to
Is that everything’s gonna be quite alright
‘Cause I’ve got one hand in my pocket
And the other one is flicking a cigarette

And what it all comes down to
Is that I haven’t got it all figured out just yet
‘Cause I’ve got one hand in my pocket
And the other one is giving the peace sign

I’m free but I’m focused
I’m green but I’m wise
I’m hard but I’m friendly, baby

I’m sad but I’m laughing
I’m brave but I’m chicken shit
I’m sick but I’m pretty, baby

And what it all boils down to
Is that no one’s really got it figured out just yet
‘Cause I’ve got one hand in my pocket
And the other one is playing a piano

And what it all comes down to my dear friends, yeah
Is that everything is just fine fine fine
‘Cause I’ve got one hand in my pocket
And the other one is hailing a taxi cab

Here’s to being high but grounded, and free but focused.

What makes you feel like you’re really living your days?

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food, radio, and other things

I’ve been eating my way through Chicago, going on long walks, long runs, and seeing friends I haven’t in a while. I still owe posts and pix from amazing food-fest in Columbus last weekend but I can’t lie- I’m probably not going to be worrying about much computer time this weekend as I have a friends wedding and I will be busy shaking my booty and socializing. (Whoop there it is.)

In other news, I have a radio interview on WBTN in Vermont on June 4th at 8am about the 2nd Annual BLR Play It Forward Event. (Yay! We are just about 6 weeks out from event weekend. Mark your calendars and tune in to my interview.) If you’re the parent of a soccer playing kid in the New England Area, sign your kids up for our very own MAU Alumni Shelley Addison Smith’s World Class Soccer School in Shaftsbury, Vermont during the week leading up to the BLR Event. Talk about learning from the best! Your little ones will love it- promise.

Besides the above, my project with the AGA continues to be exciting, (That’s right- I haven’t shared that yet, but I will…) and Im loving this last big epic road trip I’m on (for a few months anyway) until I move into my home base place later this summer. More book news, car news, BLR news, life news, and then some coming soon so stay tuned!

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destination: chi

She’s baaaaack!

A whirlwind fun weekend and gazillions of miles and on the road and I’ve made it to my destination where the event is, that inspired this whole crazy road trip the past few weeks.

I’m so excited to be back in the Windy City, the city I love the most. I’ve only been here 12 hours and this place has already given me quality time with great friends, amazing food, and a long morning run that just made my Monday kick off with a boom. I’ve chosen a warmer spot to be my next home base (which I will share soon) but if this place they call Chicago ever goes through some sort of freak of nature weather change and becomes less snowy and cold and more sunny and warm- you’ll know where to find me.

I LOVE YOU CHI-TOWN!!!

Here’s to a GREAT week ahead.

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cowtown?

Cbus?

Buckeye City?

Whatever you want to call it, I am coming for you Columbus, OH!

A weekend of exploring and fun with old friends I haven’t seen in years. Bring on the fun as road trip spring 2013 continues. On the road for the next 408 miles…

 

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queen city to music city

Windows down, warm and sunny on the road is my perfect kind of day, so naturally the drive from Charlotte to Nashville in the green nature gorgeousness made me very happy yesterday. I highly recommend the 6.5 hour trek to anyone who hasn’t been through Western, NC/Smoky Mountains.

One little hiccup though, was that my malfunction indicator lamp came on in my trusty little Civic:

BLR-Mobile has a boo boo

My car is my constant and these lights never come on so I was worried for a few seconds there. Thankfully at this point nothing seems to be wrong. (It’s a Honda and I never go without AAA so I’m not afraid to keep on trekking.) This light can come on if something as simple as your gas cap isn’t screwed on tight enough. I made stop into an Advance Auto Parts and had them hook up a code reader just in case to make sure I was good to go and nothing seemed alarming so I kept moving! 183k plus and counting.

It was near 90 degrees, so when I stopped outside Asheville, at one of those gas/McDonald’s stations to fuel up the BLR-Mobile, I went inside to grab a diet coke with lemon. (Always a craving on a hot day.) The young kid behind the counter handed me a cup and winked as I pulled out my money to pay, shaking his head and offering “Have a nice day!”

Why thank you, young one. I promise to pay it forward:

McDonald's Diet Coke

A full tank of gas, full diet coke, and full water cup and I was on my way through this beautiful scene:

Great Smokey Mountains

…and drove through sunset as I rolled into Nashville:

Sunset outside Nashville

Sunset outside Nashville

Not too shabby for a bug-splattered windshield.

There’s nothing like a Great America Road Trip. If you’ve never just jumped in the car for a few days with no plan- do it. It will change your life.

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good charlotte

What a lovely little weekend I have had. Lots of time outside, caught up with an old soccer friend from VT, found myself a sweet home base place and the BLR-Moble got a bath after several weeks of up and down the east coast on the road:

Southend- my new home

Pool time

The BLR-Mobile in the NC sun

Next stops:

Knoxville, Nashville, Columbus, Chicago and Vermont before circling back to the place they call the Queen City.

Drop me a line if you’re in/around any of the above spots! You know I love a good catch up.

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