Hello, August

I can't believe how quickly this summer is flying by. Well, to be quite honest it seems like this whole year has just flown by, and so much has happened. It literally feels like just yesterday that I arrived in Denver after the craziness of August 2011 with my return from Europe, Galen's wedding preparation, my grandpa's passing, and then having to load up the Exploder with my entire life. It's sad to think that my life at that time fit in the back of a 1992 Ford Explorer, but hey, that's what happens when you make a big move right out of college!

Situation-wise things are much different now than they were last year as well. I have a year of work under my belt, and feel like I'm clearer on who I am and what I want in life. I think running has helped with that in a big way. When I run, I feel like myself. I can process my thoughts in a way I am unable to while just going about every day activities. For me, running isn't something that will get me into shape and help me lose weight. It's a religion and it's a spiritual experience. I am so inspired by the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall, which taught me that humans really are naturally built for running, despite what many people believe. It's all about maintaining the proper diet high in lean protein, veggies, fruit, corn, and grain, and implementing the correct running form to avoid injuries. Normal stretching that you think might help you with coordination, really does nothing at all. At this point in my life, it's hard for me to fathom a time when I wasn't running between 1 and 3 hours every day. I think that running the Colorado Marathon in May was a spark that ignited the flame. I have never felt so incredible in my life. I can breathe better, I think more clearly, and most importantly, I know my body inside and out.  I also find that I take much better care of myself now than I ever have before. It's absolutely necessary when you're running a lot. It's pretty funny that the way I make important decisions are while I am on a really long run.

Running really is a form of meditation for me. In early April I went with my friend Laura and her family to Tuscon, Arizona for Easter weekend. This was just in the midst of my training period for the marathon, and my leg muscles were extremely tight. Laura and I both received massages, and I remember the lady giving me the massage (who was Buddhist) was telling me about how she practices the traditional meditation where you sit in silence and relieve your mind of all thoughts. She said that sometimes she becomes overwhelmed with emotion and can't handle the feelings of ecstasy coursing through her. Sometimes this happens to me when I run, except I always have a flood of thoughts seeping through my mind, which never completely goes blank. But while running, my brain is able to filter and process the thoughts in a way that does not happen when I am stationary. Anyways, it's interesting how I was able to connect with a masseuse who meditates while sitting still, just as much as I meditate while in motion. She's Buddhist, while I'm Catholic, but we are similar in that we want to exert positive energy to the earth, so that we in turn receive positive energy, and ultimately achieve sublime happiness.

I have gotten a lot out of this year spent living in the Rockies. I don't think I can say that I despise Colorado, despite the many things that turn me off about it. In all, living here by myself has made me a much stronger, driven, and more confident individual. I think that to totally and completely know yourself and be comfortable with who you are, it's necessary to live alone in a brand new place for a period of time. Or at least to travel by yourself. When you're alone and interacting with strangers coming from places that you've never been, you expose a piece of yourself and really are vulnerable. We all need to feel vulnerable from time to time, and the important thing is transferring that vulnerability into courage, and fully embracing new experiences and new opportunities. We learn and grow by getting out there and experiencing the unknown, not just by sticking with what we are familiar with and know well. You will always have what you know and the people you love to back you up, but you will only fully develop as a person once you have crossed the bridge into the strange and unmarked territory. Sure, you'll make mistakes, but your ability to work around the mistakes and learn from them are what define you in the end.

Denver has been that unknown land for me. I don't think I've ever talked about the weather as much as I have this year. From the beautiful fall Colorado weather with the multitude of golds and reds dotting the changing leaves, to the extreme winter weather when it could be sunny and warm one day, and then blizzard the next. Then there's the summer heat which is a different story. The steering wheel of the Ford Exploder sometimes feels like it's going to melt off in my hand, and stepping out into the direct sun is like getting hit by a train rumbling full speed ahead. But at this time, I'm definitely ready to make the move back to the west coast. I'm an Aquarius, which means that I need to be by water. I constantly tell my friends that in Denver I feel like I'm shriveling up like a prune! But if I hadn't experienced living and exercising high in the mountains, I'd never know that it wasn't for me. I don't believe in bad situations or experiences. I view every experience as something that will teach you a lesson, and help you grow. And I think that's important.

So this weekend I'm off to Seattle to visit with family and friends, and then plans for my move will literally crank into full gear. But I'm excited for this new chapter in my life with new people, places, and events to experience!