Writer on the search for kindness. | Traveling, exploring, scribbling, finding sunshine wherever I go.
Throughout high school, the cool thing was to be indifferent and cynical, especially when it came to romance and feelings. Love? Overrated. We would roll our eyes at couples that were gushy and emotional, go into any new relationships with a realistic sense of self, and complain to our friends about excessive PDA when people…
C'mon. I'd be lying if I said that "treat yo' self" wasn't my very favorite phrase in the entire world. It is. I even hung the words up at our wedding, above our donut bar. And now the sign hangs up in my office, right above my desk. It's a kind and zesty reminder of…
Sometimes, as an adult, we lose ways to channel and release our energy. I always had sports. Always. If I had a bad day, one round of batting practice was all I needed to reshape my mood. Heck, on good days, there was nothing like winning the Tee Game before heading home; it affirmed my…
Continue reading ➞ Compete to Exist: it’s okay to want to win
This year, Chad and I embarked on a fitness journey. We decided to challenge ourselves, and go somewhere we hadn't before. I know, I know. We all see this coming: new year, a new plan for a healthier lifestyle. It's a cliche that we all seem to go through. But who can truly be cynical…
Continue reading ➞ Getting Healthy with a Diet Bet Challenge
What do you get when you mix rugged mountains, quiet seclusion, eclectic lodging, family-owned charm, and tranquil hot spring pools? A stunning getaway at Avalanche Ranch. Avalanche Ranch is located near Redstone, Colorado, and is summed up perfectly as a picturesque vision of what the Rocky Mountains are, can be, and should be. The quiet…
Sometimes dreams change. They morph and evolve and there's no shame in moving forward. And with them are old and dried up glory days, sitting in the dust. There's no shame in the occasional over-the-shoulder glance back. Since graduating high school several years ago (and staunchly changing my big-swinging dreams in the process), I have…
Does this spark joy? From now until the end of time, this is the only question that truly matters to me. I can thank Marie Kondo for this revelation; her new Netflix series, Tidying Up, asks participants to go through their possessions and pick them up one-by-one and ask that simple question. Now, I can’t…
I'm not sure if I've ever shipped* a married couple so badly ever before. [*ship; verb: to ship. Slang I picked up from teens on the internet. "A term used to describe fan fictions that take previously created characters and put them as a pair. It usually refers to romantic relationships, but it can refer…
The seasons heavily influence my mood. It's not necessarily a clear-cut "today is a bad day" when the clouds are overcast, but it's like there's a gloomy filter placed on my body, especially as wintertime casts its shadow. Winter is not my favorite time of the year. I get cold easily (did you know that…
I have always been someone that dives into every single part of my life with absolute full intensity. It's less about perfection and more about giving 100% to the people and activities that depend on me; and it probably has a little to do with my underlying fear of failure. I guess, too, that I…
Continue reading ➞ Forever Grateful: Newspaper of the ‘Sentry’