My friend Mary and her family moved to Helsinki, Finland, from Denver about a year ago. She told me at happy hour one night. I was sad and happy at the same time.
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Last Sunday, Jason and I spent the day skiing at Eldora, a small resort just outside of Boulder. Later that night, sitting at our dinner table, we reflected on our day. I shared that while it felt great to get out on the mountain for the first time this season, it was also a good opportunity to reflect on my year, my health, and my habits.
Then, I hung my head, feelings flooding back to me from a place I was in several years ago, feeling bad about not meeting my commitments. Today is Sunday. It's 60, sunny and clear here in Denver. Although Sundays weren't always this nice...
I “celebrated” my birthday this year with a work trip to San Antonio last week, and dinner at the top of the iconic “Tower of the Americas” in downtown. The view from the top was spectacular! And a little bit scary. Some might say the same about life.
When situations change, friendships may change too. If the bonds are strong, it doesn't necessarily mean the end of the friendship.
~Psychology Today, March 2012 This past Sunday I enjoyed the day skiing in the picturesque mountains of Colorado with a dear friend. She migrated to Colorado from Minnesota with her family a few years before we did. And just recently found out that they will be moving to Finland in the next few weeks. So needless to say I felt lucky being able to spend this entire day with her before they left. Sitting in my home office/workout room/guest room/spare bedroom/meditation space/storage area, I took a mental break in my work day to clean out my emails and found one that may be of particular interest to you. Having lived in Denver for
less than six months, yes, you read correct in a previous post, Jason and I initiated a move to a new apartment complex. Many asked why so I'm posting the letter to our leasing office, for your humor (and our reality!) below. After a fun but frigid weekend in the Polar Vortex, aka Minnesnowta, I was relaxing in my seat on the plane, waiting for takeoff. Oscar nestled in Jason's lap next to me. My iPad off and no other magazine in reach, I grabbed the Delta magazine in my seat pocket.
Flipping through, I came across an ad for a "sweat-management" medication and quickly learned was a "topical solution." Gee Jolene, this is interesting and all as I've read this far but, who cares, right? Well I do, for a big reason, and wanted to self-disclose or over share (you decide) with all of you. A few years ago many parts of my life started to move around more than they ever had before and many of my friends, some close and some acquaintances, exclaimed how busy I was. They would frequently say, "When do you think it will slow down?" or "Wow, you are crazy busy." At first I wasn't sure what to say and would hedge things like, "I'm not sure" or "maybe this summer" or "we should do happy hour and catch up when I'm back in town"...when in reality, it never has slowed down or stayed in one place.
It's my new normal. In a new city a gal lived with her mate, She had a lot piled on her "plate." She made an appointment and hopped on the bus, She left without getting ready and making a fuss, Still hoping she wouldn't be late. The gal made it on time by a hair, Being at the mercy of the bus schedule beware. She had a great time, and then wrote this rhyme, Not knowing when she'll go back there. I had the pleasure of spending the last nine days in Las Vegas, well, in Summerlin, on the outskirts of the city proper. All week I was overwhelmed with a feeling I couldn't put my finger on. Until today.
There seems to be a common theme around these parts. No one is really from Denver or Colorado for that matter. Well, there are some, but very few…at least that we’ve run into...
We don't spend much time in our apartment when we're in town. Not too surprising between the two of us. We don't have a couch or a TV or anything more than a card table and chairs and a bookshelf. Doesn't matter.
Jason and I just arrived back in Denver after 11 days on the road. Whoever we talk to lately always asks “So, how are you guys settling into Denver?” and we usually respond by looking at each other, chuckling and saying “Well, we haven’t really been there much.” And we haven’t.
Here are some funny facts/findings that we came up with while on a road trip this past weekend.
Lately I've had a lot of thoughts swimming around in my head, many of them the makings of blog posts but nothing structured enough to post. Until now. And it's not even an original post. What it is though is something I wholeheartedly believe in through my own life discoveries. And I can tell you, it's all worth it. While almost each item listed resonates relevance with me, there are several that have remained constant in my life (and will continue to).
Which ones resonate with you? What isn't listed here that you would include? Which one(s) would you remove? Sky's the limit... I don't believe one needs to wait for the turn of a new year to set new goals. They can come about at any time. Recently I've thought through two goals I'd like to achieve in 2014. And for two reasons: 1) they're both possible 2) a personal control experiment Are you wondering what tees two goals are yet? Maybe just a little curious? I've made strides toward both this year but am going in 100% for 2014. 2014 Goals 1. Abstaining from alcohol 2. Only buying necessities (self-report: this does not include already booked vacations) Don't think it can be done? Check in with me on here throughout the year. I'll record my musings and insight. What are you working towards...? And why? "...and I'm not going to try. I don't have what you have, and I never will. And the reality is that you don't have what I have and never will." ~Anonymous Until then... I'm just now slowing down a little to read some drafts I crafted earlier this fall. Here's one I particularly enjoyed, and you might too. It's crazy when and how my mind fills with a blog post. Past bedtime, the night before I travel for work for the week. Jason and the rest of the house sound asleep. Me, awake. 19 days away from moving. One month before turning 35. Halfway into my thirties, I feel like this decade is defined by renewal. A renewed sense of self. A renewed lease on life. A renewed outlook on...everything. I guess that's what change does. It renews. My inspiration for today's post comes from a dear friend. One whom I have the pleasure of spending the next two days with for work AND who shared with me the following, on a walk in Richmond, VA, this past January. And it's "stuck" ever since. http://onelittleword.typepad.com/
"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." ~ African proverb Life seems to cause us to put limits on what we do, who we think we should be, and how we live our lives. Reality? WE are the ones who impose those limits on ourselves. A wise man in my life whom I asked for advice once said, "You need to make the best decision for you Jolene. If you decide X, people will judge you. If you decide Y, people will still judge you. So do what's right for you." And I do. And he was right. And people still judge me. It's not that I don't care, I just don't have any control over it so I choose not to focus on it or expend any energy on it. And it serves me very well. There's a type of freedom I can't explain that comes from living your life this way. Not selfishness. As they say in the airlines "put on your own oxygen mask before helping others." So that's what I do because you can't help someone else with something that you can't or don't already do for yourself. You might ask, "How do you 'just do that' Jolene"? Well, it takes practice, patience and persistence just as anything may. But more formally I follow the practice of mindfullness. It's also referred to as mindful meditation. Still curious? Learn more here: My thoughts for this post first arrived last weekend as I was sitting on the end of a dock on Burntside Lake near the Boundary Waters in Northern Minnesota. Admiring pure, somewhat untouched nature. Seemingly no boundaries. That same day I fell asleep in the warm sun on that dock for what felt like hours and I came to realize was only 20 minutes. But the impact it had was priceless. In eight days, Jason and I move to Denver with some certainty that we may never move back to Minnesota. But based on my above thoughts, nothing in life is certain. We're looking forward to exploring the world with our wild curiosity and no boundaries. We have an apartment in the city. I'll telecommute and still travel for work. He has a shop space a few miles away wherre he'll work. And for now, those are the only "knowns." The rest has no boundaries. |
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