Entries about inspire

The Scene

When: 11:30pm. 5 hours before scheduled arrival time to hospital

Where: The streets of Boston, North End.

Who: Three of my nearest and dearest, who took me out, made me laugh and snuggled all over me - keeping me happy and distracted the night before my surgery.

Dialogue: "Wait. Umm...It looks like Umass Medical Memorial Campus is not here in Boston, it's uhhhh.....back in Worchester*."
"What. The. Fuck. How do I not know what CITY my surgery is scheduled in!?" "Seriously. You can't make this shit up"

• for the CO crew it is pronounced 'Wooster'

So. We laughed a bit, set our alarms for even earlier in the wee hours and hunkered down for a couple hours of sleep before driving back in the direction I had started in. Navigation has never been a strong suit. Always thankful for old friends and new beginnings.

Anyways. I made it where I needed to be, for when I needed to be there, and by 7:30am I was laughing hysterically, in a super sexy hospital johnny asking the birth dates of everyone on my surgical team...then came 'lights out'. By 10am I was groggy, repaired and EXHAUSTED.

• rest easy, just a little cornea irritation warranted this bad ass eye patch.

Now. Other stuff.

Summer turned into fall.

Had some big realizations of what it is that I love doing, and the direction I want to go. I also remembered that the people in my life are the best kind of friends because where we are just doesn't matter...Colorado, Massachusetts, Anywhere in between, If it's been 4 months or 14 years, somethings never change and that is amazing. Priceless.

I learned a lot, lead a lot, grew a lot.

Early Morning Meeting

Kennebec River Trip.
Outdoor Wilderness Leaders 'Start the Year Off Right Trip'

Afternoon Commute

Kayaking Day Camp Program

Business Trip

Different office, Different day
NAUI Scuba Instructor Course

Oh. And.
This happened, and now I need to learn to sail.
The power, pulse and peacefulness of the ocean is where I feel at home.

Hmm...I wonder if I know anyone who can teach a girl to sail..

Quote of the moment:

Countdown:
Embracing each day as it comes. Countdown free. But, I mean technically....if we WERE going to be counting down something it would likely be Surfing in Panama. And in that case it's 3,352 hours. #recovertosurf

Cheers to peace, patience and recovering little by little
Aubs

Three Places. Three Take-A-Ways
1. Canada for Christmas.
Pepe: "How happy are you on a scale of 1-10?"
Me: " A 12" (When my Pepe asked me about RJ) I'd say that accurately sums up that trip.

2. Massachusetts. I'm thankful that no matter how long (or short) my visits back home are, Nick and I never fail to have a long run and a coffee together. This time around we had to forgo the quality of Mrs. Murphys and settle for a Dunks in the truck, but it was great. "Dunks in the truck" Hmm....I feel like I'm knocking on the door of an epic hip hop jam.

3. Bonaire. I don't get to spend nearly enough time with my mom & dad. The week was spent with lot's of time blowing bubbles, open water swimming and just one quick trip to the Emergency Room.

Now that the summary is out of the way. Let's take a peak at the present.
And Yes, I know, that was not the most worthy summary to encompass these past couple months.

Balls.
I recently realized that I might have too many balls in the air.
Too much going on, too many responsibilities, too many people waiting on me for something....
So. I'm streamlining. Embracing the selfish and remembering that this year is about creating a career.

Needles
I was all prepared to go get my MRI on last week....going to the hospital with out my mom or a significant other was a new experience. After the mornings power test on the bike I was totally prepared to be tough. Then I found out that the contrast dye needed to be injected directly into my hip joint via the monster daddy of all syringes. Phew. That was a curve ball. With tears streaming down my face I made continuous jokes with the doctor in effort to diffuse my own anxiety. Ultimately, I survived unscathed.

Next, it was time to enter the 'waiting period' AKA call imaging department every 2 hours over the next 36 hours. You know what they say, the squeaky wheel gets the fastest radiologist reading.
Results: Not ideal but not the end of the world. Doing my best to stay on track until we figure out the next step....even though sometimes I just want to run away back to Bonaire and never look back.

When we do have to be inside, thankful for the Apex crew.
Resources. Inspiration. Friendship. Goals

Winter has finally arrived in Boulder but I am ready for summer.

Cheers to peace, overcoming obstacles and comfy clothes,
~Aubs

Changing of seasons is a great time to take a step back and do some self reflection. As the landscape around you changes, look at how you have changed and GROWN over the past weeks, months, years. One of the greatest gifts of life is that we are constantly presented with new opportunities. Opportunities to change, or stay the same. Opportunities to embrace your own successes and share in those successes of others.

A few months ago I stumbled upon a companies "mission statement" - I had tried their product before (courtesy of good friend and amazingly talented swimmer, Christine Jennings) so I already knew they were 'to die for delicious'....but what really got me hooked was reading about their values and outlook on life. I thought "YES! This is what it is all about!"

So. If you like nut butter...hang on to your boots because you have no idea how good it can really be.
With that warm introduction, I introduce you to KOLAT SUPERFOODS! #boom

Five for Friday

My fav 5 from KOLATs Manifesto...and of course my little ramblings as to why they are my favorite.

BE UNCOMFORTABLE
take risks and find comfort in the discomfort, for this is the only way you grow. *As an athlete this place of discomfort in a strange way almost brings comfort. Push yourself to new places, you might like the view.

BE TRUSTING
all is perfect as it is, everything happens in its own time when the conditions are right, trust in this; of yourself, you are capable of handling anything that comes your way; of life–happiness does not depend on anything outside of yourself. *This one reminds me of my moms advice 'listen to your gut, trust your instincts' Our body has a way of knowing perhaps more than our mind allows us to see...trust your heart, and create the life you have imagined.

BE CURIOUS
seek knowledge, seek truth; view others as if they were a gift, waiting to be discovered and listen intently. *Family is family, they are your number one, your backbone. Friends are the family you choose. Strangers could become your newest friends. Be thankful for those in your life, and open to those who might walk in when you least expect it.

BE DETERMINED
never settle, never give up, setbacks are just a universal test to see how badly you truly want it and how far you are willing to go to make it happen;
success comes to those who are willing to fail many times & adjust their strategy along the way; when told you cannot, let that be a driving force to prove that you can; have an unshakable belief in yourself. *I have a quote taped to my fridge that says 'When she undoubtedly believed, everything became possible'. You are your own CEO, with limitless potential...and it's up to you to realize that.

BE EXTRAORDINARY
dream big, you have the power to create what ever it is you truly desire; do the impossible and when you are told it is, know that there is always a way, it just hasn’t been done yet; be the exception, be a visionary, be a pioneer. *There is nothing better than hearing "you can't do it" or "you won't make it"....it's all fuel for the fire baby. Whatever 'it' is, you should do it.

In Other News...

At The Gym. WTF

There are certain things that just baffle the hell out of me.
Maybe you can share some insight as to why people do the things they do.

1. Why is there a huge population of older women who choose to put body lotion on while in the sauna? I feel like this would be nothing but the most unpleasant and sweaty experience.

2. In an entirely empty locker room, as I have my 3-sport life sprawled over the bench and the floor....why would you choose the locker immediately next to mine? I get that we are creatures of habit...but seriously, live on the edge. #StopSteppingOnMyShit

3. The things I have seen people doing with free weights as of late has grown scary. Literally doing the YMCA with dumbells. #wtf

4. Dear Crossfit Man: You are still my favorite. Please continue to walk around with your gallon of water, ripped t-shirt (because your biceps are clearly too big for sleeves) and do some of those kipping pull-ups. So hot. #sarcasm.

Training and Such

Getting back to the grind this month. AND LOVING IT! It certainly doesn't feel good to realize the loss of fitness that occurred after season end....or the affect of one (or nine) too many icecream and wine nights....but here we are, October, and with a serious sense of direction! #patience #progress #potential.

Well. Folks. There you have it.
Grab a spoonful of KOLAT Superfood (I am digging the Blueberry Cinnamon Walnut these days) and do whatever it is you do...and do it well!

And because sometimes you just need to eat some sushi and watch a whole lot of zombies.

Cheers to peace, the icing on the cake and big visions for 2015,
Aubs