Learning to Dance in the Rain

In my everlasting quest towards self-growth, I am trying to become the person who embodies this quote:

It is easy to be happy and optimistic when things are going well, but when the going gets tough, how can we grow and become stronger, more resilient human beings?  Well, my friends, this is probably one of the biggest challenges I face, but I have faith that I will get there eventually. In the meantime, I am growing through every attempt at achieving this.

What is the point of all of this?  I think, in addition to the funny and exciting adventures, it is important to also share the struggles.  It is easy to look at others and think they have it so easy, they have the perfect life.  But in reality, everyone faces hard times, and I think (I hope!) that these commonalities can truly bring us all closer together... if we let them.

The past few months have been a quite tough for us, and in an attempt to add a bit of humor to this post, I will share a story with you that might have a really cheesy metaphor or two involved.

Why I Live to Write

This morning, as I sat down at my desk, steaming cup of coffee in hand, I was struck with a very interesting thought. Well, many interesting thoughts actually, but one stood out to me for a particular reason.  I am almost always looking for an excuse that I can use to not follow my dream of being a writer.  Sounds counter-intuitive, I know, but, fear and all that.

So I decided to balance out the negative self-talk with a few positive reasons why writing is good for my soul. There were several obvious reasons that were nothing new really, and then it occurred to me: writing forces you to have experiences. Weird?  Maybe.  But I think that is one reason why it fills my creative soul to the brim with happiness.  It awakens something in me, because it is those experiences that I am writing about.  It is those experiences that have inspired the words that are coming out onto the page, in whatever small way they are influenced, and I love that.  

I have mentioned many times throughout my writing that I often suffer from sensory overload. That phrase in and of itself sounds kind of mysterious and cool, but basically what it boils down to is that I often need calm, quiet, and peace after situations that are highly stimulating.  One would think that this would cause me to avoid high sensation activities or experiences, but, for me, it is those experiences that make my writing so fulfilling.  And because I am so sensitive to life's subtleties, I like to think that these characteristics make me a better writer.

Being an avid learner, I am always in search of the reason why I say and do the things that I do.  If it happens to be something that I want to change (this is not one of them), I always find it easier to make the change if I can pinpoint the origin or cause of that behavior.  Though I definitely consider this a good trait, I can still appreciate the knowledge.  If for no other reason than for the simple fact that my sensation seeking self experiences things in a deeper way, allowing them to flow through my writing in a genuine way.

All of this adds up to reassure me that I am on the right path, that I am right to be following my dream, and perhaps most importantly, to be fulfilling my inner spirit and all of her creative needs.

That, my friends, is a pretty awesome realization, if I do say so myself.

What inspires you?  What do you fear?  Are you a sensation seeker, too?

Book Review - Walking Home

I recently finished Sonia Choquette's new book, Walking Home, practically in record time and that is for good reason.  I saw Sonia speak a few months ago, but prior to that I had never heard of her.  As someone who is always curious to learn and grow and expand my mind, I was thrilled to find that I connected to a lot that she talked about in her presentation.  So I figured I would pre-order her new book about walking the Camino de Santiago.

{ via. }

My Ten Favorite Spots in the Bay Area

Okay, so I understand that everyone and their brother has written a must-see list for San Francisco, but having lived in the bay area myself, I like to think I got a pretty good feel for the place.  In fact, if not for the exorbitant cost of living, we would likely still be living in the city by the bay.  

It's hard to believe it's been two years since we moved to Colorado, but in honor of our upcoming Thanksgiving visit, I decided to highlight my top ten favorite (lesser known) spots.

Recipe: Yorkshire Pudding

Yorkshire pudding is a classic staple in an English Sunday roast dinner. That is not to say that many people still make them a regular part of their dinners, but I've been known to romanticize traditions, so in my mind everyone eats these every night for dinner.  Including us (not really).

In honor of my British-loving heart (or perhaps my love for my British husband), here is a recipe for you all to try out your very own Yorkshire pudding, courtesy of BBC Good Food.

The Best (& Worst) Rafting Trip of My Life

It's hard to believe it was only last summer that the craziest rafting trip of my life happened.  I ride a thin line in my life, in that I definitely consider myself adventurous and up for (almost) anything, but the moment something goes "wrong," I can often become a big baby about said adventure.  Case in point: rafting.

July 2012, Chris and I went on a rafting adventure with two of our great California friends. We woke up early one Saturday in July and made the trek up to Middle Fork American River where we were promised class III and IV rapids as we journeyed through a beautiful canyon.  

My Introduction to Life in Boulder

The sunshine, the mountains and the friendliness of the locals are what drew me to Boulder.  After months of preparations, I had finally made the big move from San Francisco (elevation: 34’) to Boulder (elevation: 5430’) and I couldn't wait to get out and explore.

Our Unexpected Houseguest

Okay, so this morning, around 3:30am, I got a bit of a surprise.  I woke up to Chris turning off the fan in our bedroom (this is a constant battle with us – I like it on, he likes it off!), and I figured he was trying to be sneaky by turning it off when he thought I was sleeping.

I sleepily asked him what he was doing and he responded, “I need you to get up quietly.”