adventure Tag

much more than a movie diary

You should read this whether you like/watch/care about movies or not. This column has been written by a friend for a lot of years now. He loves it. I think it is awesome. (He is awesome, too.) We could all learn a lot from this guy. Some people just make you want to be and do better. Some people remind you about all the things that are really important and worth, (or not worth) worrying about.

Thank goodness for those people.

A line that screamed out to me, in Dom’s latest post from 9/8:

“…I can promise you, if there is someone in your world suffering in some way, even the smallest connection can prove meaningful.”

I could’t agree more. Connection is what makes all of this crazy madness, this life…somehow the perfect beautiful mess.

What are you doing today to reach out to someone you care about?

#LifeIsBrutiful #RealityCheck #DontSweatTheSmallStuff

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just another day at the office

This was my yesterday:

Hoarded House

Hoarded House

Hoarded House

Hoarded House

Hoarded House

Hoarded House

I wanted to make sure I got a photo of myself in case anyone didn’t believe me that I had a seriously interesting day. The look on my face is totally cracking me up:

Hoarded House - Diane

Oh those times to just lift and click quick once to get a photo and don’t even look until later. This one is jackpot accidental perfection for the archives. Hilarious. I am terrible at poker face!

After the visit to this house, I got a milkshake. Because, you know- sometimes you just need a milk shake at the end of a very adventurous work day:

Chocolate milk shake

Never a dull moment here!

What’s the view from your office?

#AdventuresOnTheBlueLollipopRoad #Hoarding #ChocolateShakePlease

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shutting up and being grateful

I ran across this today. A good read. I’d like to hang out with the author, Mark.

On my soap box, especially lately, I’ve preached the word practice a lot, and still don’t understand why yoga seems to have stolen that word from everything else in the world. Why don’t we think about practicing every aspect of our lives, not just yoga, or sports in general? Shouldn’t we be practicing everyday, to be a good sister, daughter, friend, employee, neighbor, or just a good, fun, productive & generous human who’s nice and friendly just to be nice and friendly?

I just walked into Starbucks to hunker down for an afternoon of work and was greeted extra cheerily by a very overweight, nerdy, scruffy, awkward-looking barista guy. This particular Starbucks is in the center of the city and never fail, is always 110% filled with the most strapping looking fit businessmen you could imagine. (Occasionally these groups of men are sprinkled with an equally gorgeous high-heeled business woman or two.) It looks like the J.Crew or Abercrombie & Fitch catalogs exploded in here and the people on the pages came alive. So here’s this barista guy with the biggest smile in a scene of go go go perfectly coiffed, seriously focused executives, who aren’t smiling- throwing in his cheery personality, clearly practicing to genuinely enjoy his work and not be intimidated by this otherwise potentially intimidating scene.

As it becomes my turn to order:

Him: “Hey hey hey! How are you today?!” (in the cutest, upbeat tone)

Me: “Im great- thank you, that was the nicest greeting! Thank you!”

Him: “Why, you’re welcome- what can I get for ya?”

I order, he asks for my name, I tell him Diane, he thinks I says Diana and I roll with it.

Him: “That’s Wonder Woman’s Name! Spin around!”

To his surprise, I spin around.

We both laugh.

Me: “If only I could spin around like that and fix all the problems in the world!”

We laugh again, and agree “yeah…”

I thank him, turn to walk away, and he exclaims- “Have a great day, Wonder Woman!”

So totally adorable.

By a landslide, this very overweight, nerdy, scruffy, awkward barista guy is the most attractive, impressive, magnetic man, in this otherwise model-looking crowd I’m among right now.

In the article above, the author writes “I’m the last one to pretend everything is unicorns and rainbows.” I’m with him on that. It’s often hard to see the forest through the trees, and even harder to be grateful during sad times. It’s not easy to shut up (at least it hasn’t been in the past for me), It’s not easy to keep thinking your minutes will add up to something when you’ve felt like you’re getting nowhere fast. It’s not easy to say goodbye, It’s not easy to feel alone/lost/stuck – most things are not easy, but we all must push and motivate to practice each day, being grateful for the tiny beautiful things.

Let’s practice together!

Right at this moment I’m grateful for the luncheon I just went to with delicious food, the new people I met and connected with. I’m grateful for the notes, check-ins, and congratulations during the past few days from friends & family about a big event I had yesterday. I’m grateful to be able to work from anywhere and do what I love. I’m grateful for the huge challenges I’ve faced during the past 6 months and the lessons I’ve learned. I’m grateful for the few late hours I spent with a good friend last night scrubbing, vacuuming, and sweeping out the last bits of her apartment for a move, as we both exhaustedly and filthily stuffed our faces with a pizza-on-paper-towel party, and laughed about the chaos. I’m grateful that I could still laugh at myself, and this crazy life, as I sweat my butt off in my little car, looking like The Clampetts yesterday while talking to my little brother and almost getting pulled over by the police:

Moving…again

I’m even grateful for the wrinkles around my eyes in this photo. They mean I have smiled a lot:) Mostly today, which kicks off Breast Cancer Awareness Month- I’m incredibly grateful to have called Kaitlin McLellan not only a tried and true friend, but a very best one, and for many, many years.

Lucky, lucky me. So, so, very grateful.

Enjoy it now, and be grateful my readers- this life, this amazing, nutty life…is far to short not to.

Thank you, Mr. Barista, for making me spin around and bringing extra sunshine to me on a day I’ve been missing my dear friend. I won’t forget it.

#AlwaysLearning #AlwaysAdventuring #AlwaysGrateful

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we are only fools if we stay afraid

A voicemail just came in from a friend I haven’t talked with in quite a while. A cheery long message that made me smile, including “Peacock! (my last name in case you didn’t know) “I appreciate your tenacity!”

I went to my iPhoto for an image I remembered taking when I was in Alaska 5 summers ago thinking It’d be funny to share here, illustrating sassy bad-assness & tenacity- then immediately thought of something else. Mind shift and a few minutes of scrolling later, I ran across this random scribble from an old Moleskin notebook:

Dare to dream

I can’t remember if that date is when I wrote this or when someone else sent this quote to me.

I spent time with a very special person yesterday, a very tenacious person who’s very sick, but definitely being nothing but positive about getting better. (I’ve got nothing on tenacity compared to this guy.) Impressive and humbling are not even the words. You think you get it, have respect, or appreciation for a situation, then you spend a couple hours staring straight into the face of a fight you can’t in the slightest, imagine taking on. You think you’re strong & mighty, then you see someone who just blows your mind having the strength in spirit that could crush a concrete wall with the brush of a fingertip. You think you’re spending your time wisely, and realize you could be spending it even more wisely.

Perspective.

Lucky me to spend time with someone who might be afraid, but would never let himself stay that way if so- because tenacious is the only way to be. I am forever inspired.

Be tenacious, people. Be tenacious. Be unafraid to look like a fool for love, for your dreams, and for the adventure of being alive.

#TodayIsTheDay #GameOn #MojoAlwaysWins

***(My wonderful friend Laura called me after posting this and reminded me the above was an excerpt from The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer, and she read it at her wedding. Love that.)

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a daring adventure

This spring I worked with a business coach who needed Pro Bono clients to finish up a leadership program for her Masters Degree. To say she helped me is a serious understatement. It was a fantastic experience that I would highly recommend to anyone feeling a little bit stuck on an idea or needing some accountability to kick their butt.

During my sessions with this coach, we talk a lot about my book theme. After we wrapped up working together, I got an email from her:

“I saw this today and it made me think of your safety net analogy.”

…with this photo attached that made me smile:

A Daring Adventure

Amen!

Here’s to building a safety net by building yourself, and to not being afraid of the adventure.

#Adventure #Exposure #Courage

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road should be my middle name

I like being on the road and in my car so much, that on days like today I often hop in, and go park somewhere just a few blocks away in my own neighborhood to read, write, or just let my mind wander. I feel like I’m on an adventure, even just simply being outside on a street in my own town.

Check out the sun beaming in from this afternoon:

Afternoons in my car

That’s what I’m talking about! Can’t beat this kind of free awesomeness.

How do you find adventure in your own town?

#SunLove #NomadAtHeart #HomeOnTheRoad

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language barriers that make you smile

I’m currently in Miami, where the weather is ridiculously amazing for December, the palm trees are draped with Christmas lights, and Cuban food is everywhere. (Hello deliciousness!) This Vermont girl who loves that state, but never did belong in winter- is one happy camper. Jingle Bells is on the hotel radio as I sit here and type next to the pool. It makes me giggle with delight. I feel like I’m living in a Corona commercial and I’m long every minute of it.

Out the door I went for an unplanned adventure this afternoon after way too many hours in front of the computer. 8 miles and serious hippie (what I call my completely blackened sporty-spice flip flop) feet- later, I’m back after a stop at a bookstore, a wander through a surprise -found fancy-pants neighborhood with gorgeous homes and flowers:

A walkabout in Miami

…and two limes:

Citrus Adventure

I didn’t plan on buying anything on my walk, but I saw a sweet looking old man with a roadside fruit stand, packed full of mangos, oranges, (what I thought were) lemons, and limes- so I stopped to buy a lemon. I figured an ice cold Diet Coke or lemon water after my walk in the sun would taste delicious.

Oh my.

You have never seen 2 strangers laugh so much at each other; one trying to ask for a lemon instead of a lime- the other trying to convince the lemon shopper that a lime was indeed a lemon. (I hate to say even the simplest communication in Spanish is lost on me these days which is pretty embarrassing seeing that I consider myself to be a savvy traveler.) After a 5 minute back-and-forth, I thought Ok well this one (the one I had picked up) does look pretty yellow- I guess it is a lemon, then if he says it is with that big, trustworthy Grandpa smile. I asked the man how much, he tried offering me 10 for a dollar, I told him I only needed 1, gave him a quarter- he insisted on giving me 2, we laughed some more and I was on my way with that never-gets-old meeting a person you will never see again but makes your day smile happiness- back to the hotel to make my cold drink. I laughed out loud and shook my head as I cut my “lemon” open:

Florida citrus

Yep. Totally a lime.

I love it. Thanks for making my day, cute old man with the fruit stand. I wish I had gotten a photo of you! I know you really were just trying to get me exactly what I wanted:)

Oh life’s sweet, simple moments. All for a quarter.

When’s the last time you wandered with no plan and something awesome happened?

#Travel #LifeIsShortGoOnAnAdventure #LaughingWithStrangers

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HAPPY 6TH BIRTHDAY BLUE LOLLIPOP ROAD!!!

Oh what a ride it has been! One little post started it all on October, 16th 2008 and here we are 6 years later!

Many adventures:

Life on the road

…and much hard work on all of this, has taught me to love more than I ever knew possible, live more than I was already trying to, and dream bigger than I already knew I could. Thank you to all of you who have followed, loved, and supported me all these years! I hope I have inspired you to live like you mean it.

Here’s to always trusting your instincts, chasing everything that you’re curious about, and and never settling for anything less than what sets your heart on fire.

What are you doing to live like today is the day?

#BLRBirthday #LifeOnTheBluelollipopRoad #DreamItDoIt

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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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