Day 244: Love big

June 13, 2017

Have you ever noticed that death, or even the subject of death, can illicit very odd behavior from even your closest of kin? Well, I've noticed some very interesting behavior even in myself this past week while I'm facing this firsthand. The perfect example of this can be illustrated through an odd animal encounter yesterday.

I was sitting at the dining room table of the cabin, working away on my laptop. The beautiful clouds over a serene Lake Almanor put my inner turmoil seemingly at ease. I heard Kai frolicking around in the living room, so I went to see why she was so playful.

A loud shriek involuntarily erupted from my mouth...

Day 202: Off the grid?

May 2, 2017

Over the weekend, I watched a recent T.V. interview of Matthew McConaughy on the David Feherty show. I've never been the star-stuck kind of person, reading People magazine or catching the latest online clips of Hollywood gossip, so I really don't know much about this actor. I learned that he's great at golf, and got started in acting as a result of getting kicked out of a bar due to a dramatic conversation about golf. What stood out to me the most was McConaughy's love for camping and the outdoors. In preparation for this upcoming summer, I've been putting together a bucket list of camping destinations. This includes a return, after almost a decade, to Silver Falls, Oregon. This incredible spot is surrounded by Christmas tree farms, has quiet camping grounds, and contains a 9-mile hiking loop with ten amazing waterfalls along the way. I know that I choose to immerse myself in nature when I want to get grounded and connect with the most important things in my life. Turns out McConaughy did—and still does—the same thing.

Day 132: Creativity Boosters

February 21, 2017

The focus of this week for me has been to explore my inner child. Boy, did I get to do this yesterday at Lido Beach. My friend, Ursula (10 years of age) and I went down to catch some rays, play bocce ball on the sand, savor ice cream cones from Big Olaf’s, and take a dip in the water on our day off. When the traffic at 5 pm was still hectic to get back over the bridge, we opted to stay longer and collect sea shells.

Day 131: Mission Accomplished

February 20, 2017

I still feel like a kid, chatting excitedly about the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch over the weekend. I’ve been sharing this with the baristas at Perq (one of my favorite hangouts), the cashier at Trader Joes, and even the neighbors I encounter while walking the dog. Pretty much anyone who will listen.

The experience was exhilarating.

Day 129: Start where you're at, know where you're going

February 17, 2017

One of my favorite ways to approach life is through the GPS analogy. This is quite timely, as I have been searching routes from Sarasota to Cape Canaveral for this weekend’s getaway. Yes, I’m excited to announce that I’m going to see my first rocket launch tomorrow. The mission of the SpaceX Falcon 9 is to deliver cargo to the international space station. I’m hoping that my whole body rumbles with the force required for liftoff!

Anyway, back to the GPS thing. It’s simple, right? You enter a starting location, and an end destination. Then, the routes are calculated based on time, road preferences, shortest distance, etc. All you have to do, is select the best route, and get in the car and go!

That is how life is, too.