Category: adventure

adventure, challenges

Climbing Life

2chicksandapen

Every day I set out to climb the mountain of life. Some days it rains. Some days it pours. Some days the sun shines bright. Some days are meant to be for laziness. Other days require a dialed into productivity mentality. No Matter what the weather of life spits out, I still climb through the turbulence. No climb nor day is ever exactly the same.

Today’s climb encompassed physical strain, outdoor adventures, lots of sunshine and just a different set of people to converse with. Keeping in mind the latter can be exhausting in itself. This girl was tired and working on fumes at the end of the day but the strain may just be the icing on the cake. It was the weekend but being booked solid Friday to Sunday isn’t for the weak at heart. The climb was taxing, physically this time.

Reminder-spending time outside in the sun can have positive benefits for your varied recovery stages.

Tomorrow will be a contrast. A different mental Monday starts in with new people and places adding stress and awkward moments. As long as the sun shines a little the kinks in the day will easy work their way out. If the weather is rainy I may feel bumps in the day. For now the weather seems to fit the need for my mental Monday. A day to dial in and focus on the productivity needed. This climb is more about mental strength than physical.

Sometimes the calendar brings along dates or events that get locked in months prior. A long wait time to get to the certain day. Sometimes it’s a dreaded day and other times it’s a welcome day. A business meeting of sorts. A dress up day. A get shit done or else kind of project. How does one even get wrapped up in such chaos? Little ole me of course. A positive attitude can go a long way on these day that seem like a mountain to climb in 15 minutes or less.

Whether one has a job interview, a class final, a sales meeting, a review with their boss, a court date, a wedding, a birth or just any other once in a blue moon event one will feel stress of sorts. The key is training your mind to win the day. Climb the mountain of life. That day. Conquer that obstacle that may seem so big, yet it’s only as big as you let your mind make it. These days seem more about emotional strength. Being able to endure life’s surprises.

Seizing a day.

Capturing that big moment.

Feeling the rush of completing what seems so difficult in the moment.

Looking ahead at what can be with a smile.

Putting your head down to climb the mountain of life. Taking little steps to chip away at that monumental task(s). Exercising patience. Growing physically, emotionally, socially and mentally. Putting oneself out there. Applying strength when needed. Pushing when required. Pushing again when resistance hits. Reframing. Regrouping. Reclaiming life. Your life. After the mountain.

Life can feel weighted at times. That’s life. Some days you need to lift heavy physically. Some days mentally. No two mountains have the same terrain. Life is full of mountains. Life is a gamble of sorts. Sometimes you need to gamble on yourself. This involves taking risks. The bigger the risk, the greater the rewards in life.

Never stop climbing!

adventure

Porch Chilling

2chicksandapen

It was a rainy and overall stormy morning. Thunder, lightning, flooding, loud booms. The list keeps on going. Then after the clouds faded the sun appeared. A mid-70s kind of day. Clear blue sky above. The sun casting its warmth upon those below.

Fresh warmth on the skin. Rays to soak up the moisture in the grass. A slight breeze to keep outdoor time manageable. A quick soak in the hot tub was just what the doctor ordered. Pure bliss and relaxation. Peaceful sounds of the outdoors. Not a care in the world for that time. Just a little sunshine, water and and a slight breeze to to call the afternoon perfect. I had plenty of chores and work to do, but I opted for that can wait until later.

Time to dry off under the cover of the porch but with the sun on my back. A different kind of warmth. A different kind of peaceful. The breeze picked up a bit. The trees howled a little. Then they died down again. The birds chirped away. The bees were a-buzzing. The sounds of nature. About a year I wrote about porch sitting in a row house in Louisville, KY. This story is a good bit different as it’s coming to you from Hotlanta, Ga this time.

No cars passing by. No city noises. No extra people passing by. A little more secluded. A different kind of peaceful enjoyment. Sometimes it’s great to connect with the outdoors. No matter what your porch looks like or where you are located, a little sun and surroundings can provide the mind and body with some restoration. A new perspective on the same old space. A new view based on the day, the weather, the overall surroundings.

What started out as a yucky weather day ended up full of vitamin D and relaxation. The outdoors beats the couch most days, although a winter’s day of Netflix binge watching is a close second. Enjoy your day today wherever you are. Think about the outdoors and see if you can find a way to enjoy your version of sunshine today.

No photos for this post. Hoping you can visualize my day in paradise simply by reading along.

adventure, anonymous letters, awareness

Good Medicine

2chicksandapen

Yes, I am a doctor.

As Chick 1 likes to remind me, I am not the kind of doctor that can write you a prescription for a drug. Maybe I’m not that useful.

But on a recent outing to a comedy show, a line stood out to me in the middle of a touching story. The comic was describing a group from a recent show….a grandmother and two teens. He said the grandmother stared at the teens and cried throughout the comedy routines, seemingly no concern for the actual comic….as you can imagine, this was unusual. When he asked the woman why she had been crying, she told the comic a story of how the family had experienced the tragedy of suicide. The comedy act had been the first time the grandmother had seen her grandchildren’s smiles and heard their laughs since the suicide occurred. The grandmother then told the comic to keep doing what he was doing, that the comedy was “good medicine.”

Laughter is the best medicine, they say. But all this made me wonder, what other kinds of non-drug medicine might make you feel a bit lighter?

Here are a few of my favorite prescriptions for happiness.

-Exercise

-Reading an uplifting book

-Time outside in nature

-Spending time with friends (including dogs) and loved ones

-Learning or experiencing something new

-Writing a thank you note

-Singing, dancing, and listening to music

-Lighting a good smelling candle – really, smell is big for me in general so it might be a hand lotion, diffused oil, etc.

-Going to bed early

-Visiting a farmer’s market or Trader Joe’s

-Riding my bike

-Being near water (oceans, lakes, streams, waterfalls)

-Creativity

-Giving gifts and treats to others

-Free time

Everyone’s medicines are different. I’m sure there are more that I can add. What would make your list, to lift your spirits? How often do you prescribe these for yourself? Do you know what’s on the list for people you love, so you can remind them of or give them their medicines in times of need?

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adventure

The BMW Experience

2chicksandapen

The day I have been waiting for is here. A trip to South Carolina to visit the BMW site that hosts the driver test track experience. A little fun on a day off with one of my favorites in tow.

We arrived on time. Another guy from California rolled in a few minutes later. A couple of others no-showed. We had a small group which meant more time and attention for us. A little classroom time to start the day. I thought I was a good driver but I picked up a few tips from the class that I will use in daily life. Safety was a focus but we did also talk about how people do crash. The key was listen and follow directions and all will be good. I just rolled with it.

The instructor was a skilled drifting driver. A first for me to meet. A first for me to drift with. Such a cool experience. Of course we didn’t just jump right into drifting, rather we started with off road driving. Below is one of the few pictures I took when it was my turn to drift. Drifting was fast. Drifting was definitely an adrenaline rush, but not something I need to do again.

Our first course we hit was off-road. All terrain. The off road experience was easily my favorite. Not sure I want to do it again but it was a memorable experience. We climbed up river rocks. We suspended the vehicle on the descent with two back tires in the air. We used some vehicle traction features to ease down the incline of rocks.

We waded through rushing water with water higher than my comfort level but great to experience what that is like in a controlled environment. We definitely went through some mud puddles too. We went over a tight squeeze bridge then we had the vehicle on two right wheels then two left wheels to get a better view out the window of how we were positioned (almost tipped). This is how the flexed the sturdy BMW design.

I could see the car in front of me so I knew what it looked like before I experienced each and every maneuver. I don’t think that was the best for my anxiety but I did it all with the go for it attitude. Phew. I survived that one. We then moved on to the race track itself.

Four cars. A 3, 4, and 5 series car along with a convertible. The M package was on all. My favorite was the 5 series with some upgraded exhaust. It handled well and I felt the pickup was good. The 4 was a close second but it had racing seats. They looked good but seemed a little less comfortable for my style of driving. The x3 was okay. A little smaller than the x5 we used off road, but it handled curves well and had good pickup. A little surprising but overall my third favorite on the track. Last up for me was the convertible. It was more stiff in drive and comfort. It moved but just seemed far below the others for standards and was definitely my slower lap time.

Very cool experience overall. Kudos to BMW for having such great experiences available. Amazing brand awareness built into the day. Especially when the day ends in the gift shop. If you ever have the opportunity to participate in a driving experience like this, go for it. It’s just one of those excursions you should give a try. You really won’t know what it’s like until you are in the driver’s seat.

For me I topped out at about 79 on a straight away going into a curve. I’m happy with that for my first time as a race car driver. However I was a little slower than the two guys who hit 88-90 on the same stretch. I’m not mad as the instructor said go your way and don’t worry about others. However I could see the car behind coming pretty darn fast behind me. Also I didn’t hit any cones on the course. I give my instructor credit for coaching as I always hit a barrier when I go go karting!

It was time to leave and hit the real road again. Go normal speeds and not whip around corners.  What an adjustment after 27 race car laps. The real road again. It almost seemed like a turtle’s pace sitting in traffic on the highway after this experience. I mean going from race car driver to 35mph was a little adjustment. Just a little.

adventure, celebrations

2-23-23

2chicksandapen

Earlier I wrote about 2-2-23. A sequence of twos. Today I see a 2 and the set of 23s. Another oddity of numbers but significant numbers to me. So yet again I will write a numbers post or maybe it’s a date post or maybe it’s just a post about me in some way.

51 years ago I was born. Thus I will celebrate me today. All day. As if I hadn’t already celebrated myself all month. Nonetheless today is about me. I guess I’ll take you old school and write about just me.

Favorite food: pizza, most days

Favorite tv show: 1923 at the moment

Bucket list trip: Montana

Favorite season: spring 

Best adventure: Sand Dunes Oregon coast 

Best trip as a kid; Europe 

Current book: Spare 

Last movie at theatre: Avatar

Fun fact: I am fanatical about shoes

I already had my cake this week before my actual big day. A few nibbles each day. Carvel ice cream cake was the annual cake of choice. Nice steak dinner out for two. A fam bam dinner with the kiddos at a local hibachi place. A cool pen gift set complete with a journal to write all my secrets in. Some flashy workout tanks. A sweatshirt made by a friend. Some scents from the youngest. All around lots of cool treats and maybe a little neon signage too. Who doesn’t like a little neon in their life. 

I share my special day with three of my neighbors from a few years back which is odd but a cool footnote. I share the date with a friend’s son and this this I found out I share it with a distant acquaintance. Pisces girls and boys united by the special date. Different years. Different cities. Different stories. Still a common denominator.

And of course there was a birthday bash. A girls day at the spa. I was all in for that. Then a swanky pizza joint. Added a few more pals to mix and hit the graffiti paint place for a little art session. And if that wasn’t enough we were going to get a flight of tasty slushy drinks. The over 21 kind, but we were a little tired and called for a rain check on the last part. Don’t worry we will get to it soon.

I ate good.

I got spoiled.

I got my free Starbucks.

I had lobsta for lunch.

I read many amazing texts.

I enjoyed my all the Insta birthday stories.

I read a few cards.

I appreciated the phone calls.

I may or may not be a little wiser.

I had fun with many special people.

I even volunteered on my birthday. 

All the communication makes my cup overflow with positivity. I proudly sported my aging slogan on my chest this year. See photo proof below. That may or may not have let strangers know I was celebrating me today.

The month is not all over yet but I am now 51. In my old age I must move on to conquer other things and say goodbye to the year of 50. It’s been fun. It’s been challenging. It’s been memorable. My 2nd half of life has officially begun.

Where will I go?

What will I do?

Who will be along for the ride?

Stay tuned….