walk Tag

May 27, 2016 In North Carolina, Photos, Quotes, Uncategorized

last night I wanted to punch the world in the face

And I don’t usually punch things, any things…especially in the face.

I felt abnormally blah all day yesterday, just yucky, even though I kicked off a brand-new (and very exciting) BLR collaborative project that’s a big deal. (More on that in an upcoming post.)

I couldn’t shake the funk, so at the end of the work day I came home and laid right down on the wood floors in my apartment on my back and closed my eyes in hopes to exorcise my funk demons. My arms and legs were right out straight as if I was trying to make a snow (ahem- dust angel.) After a few minutes of lying there I knew I needed to get outside, so I got up, strapped on my sneakers, and went for a 2 hour walk:

Night Walking

…doing my best to hide behind sunglasses and a hat, and just disappear.

Being in nature in the quiet is a wonderful magical medicine.

After sharing about my funk with a friend this morning who knows all too well, the hell that life can bring sometimes, I got this in my inbox:

“There are three things you can do when life sends a wave at you. You can run from it, but then it’s going to catch up and knock you down. You can also fall back on your ego and try to stand your ground, but then it’s still going to clobber you. Or you can use it as an opportunity to go deep, and transform yourself to match the circumstances. And that’s how you get through the wave.”

~ Dr. Heidi Hayes Jacobs

What I learned on my walk last night and from that friend today:

1.) Exercise has saved my life, mentally and physically- and more times than once. I could never advocate enough for moving your body in any way, shape, or form. Every. Day.

2.) I am increasingly thankful for love and support around me. Being loved and feeling loved is pretty awesome. Feeling lonely is awful.

3.) I feel incredibly lucky to have a healthy body and legs that can walk for two hours, even though the past year or so has been by far the most challenging one of my life, and often left me feeling paralyzed head to toe.

4.) No matter how broken I ever feel, I will always believe that this world is one big party train full of possibility, and we all have the choice to hop on anytime we want to.

Nature

Life is always unfinished. Look up, and just keep walking…

#GetUp #GoDeep #AlwaysKeepLookingUp

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September 22, 2015 In Inspiration, Photos, Today Is The Day, Virginia

hello monday!

It is nearly midnight, so this is almost a Hello Tuesday! post. The day has been busy with lots of good things so I’m just a bit behind.

When the alarm rang this morning, I thought – UGH!  It’s dark, I’m tired, I’ve barely slept! I can’t believe the week already starts again. Then…motivation nation quickly came rushing in; Its Monday, Baby! Get up! Carpe Diem!

So I jumped up and came to this because there’s nothing like getting up early to start your day off right:

Morning walk

It was definitely overcast, and not the most optimal looking sky, but the freshly mowed grasses on the course and the company I was with, made up for the grey. I also got a good laugh from this sign:

18 miles per hour

Go 19 and you’re done for. Hilarious. Who makes up this stuff, anyway?

There’s something about morning exercise, and something about Monday mornings up and atem that simply sets the tone for a good week to come.

If you’re feeling like you’re dragging, get UP and move your body! It might feel painful for the first few minutes, but when you’re done, you’ll feel like a million bucks.

Boom.

#GetUpGetMoving #CarpeDiem #CrushingIt

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December 16, 2014 In Be active, Florida, Inspiration, Photos

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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