wilson
Monday, October 16, 2023
Seasons of Life
Sunday, October 9, 2022
My 2022 Playlist
If I had to pick three songs that sum up what 2022 has been like so far, here is what I would say:
Both Sides Now shows how I have matured. I used to be a lot more black and white and with more and more life experiences I see that when you look at both sides it is a lot easier to have empathy and see that everyone is doing the best they can.
I'm Still Standing is how I feel after this summer- it was one thing after another but I'm still standing and trying to see how challenging times help us grow.
Only a River reminds me how healing nature is for us. Whenever I get out I always realize it is just what I need. I love the mountains but I also love the river- to me it is truly in the moment because the moment of a river is always there for that second never to be the same before or after. I love the sound and the view and the smell and the feel. The only sense that is not engaged is taste- although I usually am eating at the river also. It is just such a healing space for me.
Sunday, July 17, 2022
Go with the Flow
Saturday, August 28, 2021
Balancing Health, Money and Time
Friday, July 9, 2021
Perfect Epiphany
Thursday, January 7, 2021
Segments 1, 2 and 3 on the Colorado Trail
This fall I was often meeting up with my friend Jenna to go hiking. Since she lives south of Denver it was fun to look for new places to go that were a reasonable drive and not too crowded. We went to Roxborough State Park and very much enjoyed the beauty and the trails there. On the way to that park I noticed we passed Waterton Canyon which is the northern terminus of the Colorado Trail. So then we met there to hike the start of the Colordao Trail. The following week we did segment two and I lost my smurf so Justin kindly went back to help me find it. So now he also completed segment two and the following week the three of us decided to do all of segment one which was made a little easier since Laurel dropped us off at the trailhead and we hiked back to our cars at the other end. So now we had the first two segments complete. This past weekend we did segment 3. So now we have 40 miles of the 567 miles completed. Next time we are going to try a more efficient method. Rather than doing the shuttle drop off which can add an hour each way to get from the start trailhead to the end trailhead (and then again at the end of the hike to get the drop off car), my friend and I will start at one end and Justin will start at the other. Then we will drive the opposite car north to an agreed upon meeting point and I will hop back into our car. This will save us the shuttle time. We will hopefully still meet somewhere around the middle to eat lunch together. We will see how far we get with this method. At some point we will probably need to to transition to weekend backpacking trips because some of the segments are just too long for a day hike but for now it is a fun little project to chip away at. Also, because of snowy back roads we will be haulting the project until spring. But since the hikes are pretty hard with both distance and elevation it should keep me motivated to stay fit throughout the winter in order to be ready to hit the trails again in spring. Here are the stats so far:
Segment 1: Just a taste- 13.4 miles Dec 5- start of the Colorado trail out and back
Segment 2: 11.5 miles Dec 20
Segment 2: Smurf Rescue with Justin Dec 24
Segment 1(17 miles): Dec 26
Segment 3 (13.4 miles) Jan 3
Monday, December 14, 2020
My 2020 Reading Life
At the start of 2020 I decided for the first time to sign up for the Goodreads reading challenge. I set my goal for 30 books. And then Covid life arrived. Unlike many who said they could not read, I buried myself in books. I had made myself read 60 pages before I could look at any news each day. It helped me start my day without the stress of all that was wrong. By the end of the year ( or almost) I have ready over 60 titles. Some were ok and good distractions and some were favorites. Here are my top picks from what I read in 2020.
My favorite book for all of 2020 would have to be This Tender Land. When I first read the synopsis it really did not sound like my kind of book but after seeing it on many lists and having friends suggest it I decided to give it a try. The characters are so easy to care about and during a year filled with disappointments it was nice to escape into a book where people really helped each other out and were a community for each other. Another book that I also wouldn't have guessed I would like based on the description was Shiner by Amy Jo Burns but it was also a great read.
My favorite non fiction book was Leave Only Footprints: My Acadia to Zion Journey Through Every National Park- Conor Knighton . I am a sucker for travel memoirs in nature. But I really liked the lens of this one. Every entry had really interesting reflections and there was always some tidbit that I had never known before. And of course it made me more than ever want to start my vanlife adventure visiting many of the places he referenced.
Here are some other stand outs from my 2020 list:
Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup- I started 2020 reading Shoedog- an inspiring memoir by Phil Knight telling the blood, sweat and tears that went into building Nike. As much as Shoedog was inspiring on how to follow your passion and start a company, Bad Blood was infuriating as to how greed and narcissism can fool many. To make it even more interesting, the trial is now starting so I will be very curious to see how it turns out for Theronos and Elizabeth Holmes.
Untamed by Glennon Doyle- There is a quote from Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society “Perhaps there is some secret sort of homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers. How delightful if that were true.” I feel like Untamed landed in my lap at the perfect time. While I did not love every page, there are enough gems in here to make it well worth my time for a rare re-read, which I hardly ever do because there are just so many other books out there that I want to read. If you liked Untamed, I also suggest Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb and Life Will Be the Death of Me: And You Too by Chelsea Handler.
Breath- James Nestor I listened to this one as an audiobook. It was around seven hours long and worked really well as audio because at the end there are breathing exercises. I am very aware of my open mouth breathing now and found it to be a fascinating listen and important reminder of how important proper breathing is for a healthy life.
The Awakened Family- I was listening to an Oprah meditation series and she referenced a quote from this book. So I wanted to know more and read the whole thing. I wish I had come across this book five years ago but it was still a very worthwhile read.
Book of Two Ways- I have always enjoyed the way Jodi Piccoult weaves so much fact into her stories. This book had a lot about Egyptian archeology and the present day work of a death doula- both topics I know little about. Piccoult continues to be one of my favorite fiction authors.
Favorite New Author discovery: Matt Haig- I first saw him mentioned in reference to his new fiction book, The Midnight Library but then I also came across his memoir Reasons to Stay Alive and NonFiction book Notes on A Nervous Planet. And then, while waiting for these holds to be available, I read How to Stop Time- All of these books were great and I am glad I stumbled upon his works.