Inspiring Me!

Friday was one of those days that you wish you could bottle up and pull out any time you needed a look at a great day!  The weather was absolutely stunning (a gorgeous 68F/20C with a shining sun) and just what I needed to get out of the home office for a nice 7-miler.

In addition, I was tracking the Ultra Trail Mount Fuji race.  Last year, I had the opportunity to run with this amazing athlete and I knew she was on the trail and in the lead.  Krissy ended up winning the whole thing!  

Last, but definitely not least, our friends invited us to join them in Regina for the Banff Film Festival World Tour.  We were treated to nine(!) different and inspirational films on topics ranging from rock climbing to the preservation of wildlife in Banff National Park.  The films were stunning, the stories were incredible and I am even more revved up to run in the mountains in May.

Some girlfriends and I are taking a weekend to go run near Canmore...as you well know, one of my favourite places on the planet.  I'm excited for a weekend of running, good food and even better company!  I'll be running a half marathon on my own the first day and then running with my pals in a 10K the following day.  I'm also registered to run the Chicago Marathon this year and am trying to decide if another ultra is in the running for 2013.  Last year, I completed my first 50K in Chicago and would love to try for another...only this time on some trails.  We'll see what happens!

Check out the trailer for the Banff Film Festival below...awesome stuff!

Because I Love It...

I love the original version.

I love this shared version with people from around the world...

Happy Wednesday.

ps.  Today I am very grateful for my beautiful sister who is always good for a pep talk when needed!

Settling In and Cleaning Up

You ever get the feeling you just have too much STUFF?

That's where I've been over the past few days.

Looking around, I just realize how many things I have.

Doo-dads and thingamahjiggers and whatzits that take up space and clutter my mind.

Since arriving back in Moose Jaw (when I've been here...there's been a LOT of travel for work!), I've been on a mission to de-clutter and lighten our lives.  So far, we took a HUGE batch of recycling out, took a load over for donation to the Salvation Army and having been cleaning out and getting down to the minimums.

It's been a welcome change and I like that we are minimizing. 

While spring hasn't quite yet made her appearance here in the Jaw, spring cleaning is in full swing at our home. 

We've also been planning a big getaway trip for this summer.  I have to be in Europe for work in August, so Dave and I are going to meet up over there and take some time with the cell phones and computers off.  We are really looking forward to it!

I'll be sharing some photos from our recent jaunt to Canmore, Alberta soon...so stay tuned!

Today...and every day

As I Began to Love Myself – Self Love Poem by Charlie Chaplin

As I began to love myself I found that anguish and emotional suffering

are only warning signs that I was living against my own truth.

Today, I know, this is “AUTHENTICITY”.

As I began to love myself I understood how much it can offend somebody

As I try to force my desires on this person, even though I knew the time

was not right and the person was not ready for it, and even though this

person was me. Today I call it “RESPECT”.

As I began to love myself I stopped craving for a different life,

and I could see that everything that surrounded me was inviting me to grow.

Today I call it “MATURITY”.

As I began to love myself I understood that at any circumstance,

I am in the right place at the right time, and everything happens

at the exactly right moment. So I could be calm.

Today I call it “SELF-CONFIDENCE”.

As I began to love myself I quit steeling my own time,

and I stopped designing huge projects for the future.

Today, I only do what brings me joy and happiness, things I love to do

and that make my heart cheer, and I do them in my own way and in

my own rhythm. Today I call it “SIMPLICITY”.

As I began to love myself I freed myself of anything that is no good for

my health – food, people, things, situations, and everything that drew

me down and away from myself. At first I called this attitude

a healthy egoism. Today I know it is “LOVE OF ONESELF”.

As I began to love myself I quit trying to always be right, and ever since

I was wrong less of the time. Today I discovered that is “MODESTY”.

As I began to love myself I refused to go on living in the past and worry

about the future. Now, I only live for the moment, where EVERYTHING

is happening. Today I live each day, day by day, and I call it “FULFILLMENT”.

As I began to love myself I recognized that my mind can disturb me

and it can make me sick. But As I connected it to my heart, my

mind became a valuable ally. Today I call this

connection “WISDOM OF THE HEART”.

We no longer need to fear arguments, confrontations or any kind of problems

with ourselves or others. Even stars collide, and out of their crashing

new worlds are born.Today I know THAT IS “LIFE”!

Lessons in Travel

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As you know, I travel a lot for work.

Just as soon as I managed to set foot on Canadian soil, I immediately departed back to the States for work.  From New York to Pennsylvania to New Jersey, this week has been travel extravaganza with lots of interesting people to meet, greet and talk to.

I am a fan of travel and feel like you can learn a lot just going through the process...

especially when you fly through bad weather.

On Wednesday night, I was to catch a flight from LGA to PHL (New York City to Philadelphia).  I had my ticket in hand, I arrived early, I knew which gate to go to, I was all set.

Then, the delays kicked in as the weather kicked up.  Clouds rolled in and we knew there was weather between the two spaces that we would have to avoid by:

a) Delaying until it passed

b) Flying around it making the trip a lot longer

c) Flying through it and taking a chance that lightning might rip through an engine

d) A combination pack of all the above

Our team chose D.  

We boarded after an hour delay.

We sat on the tarmac for close to three and a half hours (they did end up giving up cookies).

We departed.

We flew through lightning.

We ended up deviating from the flight path to discontinue flying through lightning.

We landed.

Here's the thing...flying, like in life, means that you have to have a lot of trust.  Trust in the process, trust in the pilot, trust in the equipment and trust that the passenger next to you won't freak out or start reaching for the bag in the pocket in front of them.

Just like life.

You trust the process.

You trust the people you surround yourself with.

You rely on the equipment you have with you.

Sometimes it's a bumpy ride, but you always hope to have a safe landing.

Happy Friday, friends.

All My Stuff in One Place

 

After a year and a half of living apart from Dave, with my stuff - including my heart - in two or three or four different places at any given time, I can honestly say that I am so...glad...to...be...home!

Dave and I decided that after having lived apart for a while and having work, travel and schooling eating up the majority of our Skype time over the past year, that we needed a break from the day-to-day.  We needed to reconnect with us, our marriage and who we are as two people existing under the same roof for more than 48 hours together.

With that, two weeks ago Dave came down to Chicago to help me pack shove books, boots, clothing and running gear into four large bags so we could make our way back north across the border hand-in-hand.  I was sad to be leaving the little nest of home-y-ness I found living with my good friends over the past four months, but was happy to know I was going to be returning back to the Jaw.

Before leaving Chicago, we wanted to revel in the city's goodness for a couple of nights so on one evening out we visited a sushi restaurant to dine on veggie goodness and then over to Lush for some vino.  If you are in Chicago, go to Lush...great staff and great bottles for $10 and under that you can then take to their adjoining tapas space to crack it open and drink mere seconds after purchasing. 

We are fans.

We also decided to go back to the place we first met and re-live a little of the romance.  We went out for a date night on our final evening in the city and ate some fantastic vegan dishes at Green Zebra (just GO!) and then stayed at a lovely hotel downtown before we had to catch our early morning cab to O'Hare.

And, then we were off...a short flight to Calgary from Chicago, a jog through customs and then we were on our way to visit friends of ours who live in the city.  Of course, no stop to Calgary is complete without a stop at the Kensington Wine Market to pick up some bubbly for our fabulous friends who recently added a new addition to the family!  We had a great dinner of Indian food with them and their three wee ones before continuing west to one of our most favourite of get-away destinations - Canmore.

The next morning, the sun was shining and the mountains were radiating their incredibly brillance into the blue sky.  There is nothing like waking up to the sight of the "Three Sisters" mountains and the promise of hiking and trail running to get you going!

We had a great week.  We ate good food and drank yummy tea at Communitea, we brunched at Harvest Cafe, downed some pizza at the Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company, and enjoyed the mountain air with a pint at the Grizzly Paw Brewing Company.

A road trip was in store on the Wednesday of our trip to Lake Louise.  We hiked across the frozen lake and tried to make our way up the trail to the promise of tea house high in the mountains, only to be stopped by a recent avalanche that prevented us from downing any hot beverage.  Along the way, we stopped to observe some ice climbers making their way up a deep blue frozen waterfall along the lake's edge and stood to the side as a horse-drawn sleigh slipped by along the snowy trail. 

On another day, we took another hike up to Grassi Lakes, taking a harder route than we usually do.  We slipped and slid along the trail and got to the lakes where it was absolutely still and quiet and perfect.  We marveled at the kaleidascope of colour the lake offers up as the shore transistions from a burnt orange to the deepest of blue-greens as the water deepens.

Almost every morning, I found myself taking yoga classes at The Yoga Lounge, Canmore's oldest yoga studio.  I breathed and stretched and meditated.  The perfect way to let go of the hustle and bustle of the big city and transition into the slower pace of my lovely Canadian life.

On Saturday, we drove home...across the flat prairies, leaving the beauty of the mountains and pine trees behind, but looking forward to our future together...

under the same roof!

Home...



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Lots of baggage (the literal kind), a plane ride from ORD to YYC, a jaunt through customs, a visit with good friends in Calgary, a car ride to Canmore, a week in mountain bliss, a car ride from Canmore to Moose Jaw.

Friends, I am home.

It feels amazing.  I'm full of love.

More tomorrow.