It’s January, which means it’s One Little Word time. In past years, I’ve chosen a variety of words for a variety of reasons to guide me through a year. Some words seem to stick as the year progresses, others aren’t quite as durable.
This year’s choice was not too hard to zero in on: Venture.
I have a lot of travel planned. Ventures.
I am craving new things and stretching myself. Adventure.
I’ve also been thinking (and mulling) about business and trying to develop several of the businesses I am involved in / owner of. I have sort of shirked my responsibilities in this area. Whether writing or creativity or sharing ideas broadly, there are several ventures I need to work on. In fact, one of my businesses actually has Venture in the name.
It’s a spirit of extension. Of growth. Of embracing the new and stretching myself.
In addition, I am trying something new at the beginning of the year. I made a “24 in 24” list instead of a single resolution. They are tasks large and small, fun and tedious, that I hope to get taken care of this year. This is a practice from Gretchen Rubin. You’ll hear about these as the year goes on.
What did you take on for reframing, refocusing, and refreshing at the beginning of 2024?
12 days left in the year. I was thinking of traveling, but didn’t have a firm plan. Then I was thinking of binge watching Netflix rolling into 2024. This was the cozy option. Maybe house projects were best suited for my holiday time… the first two options had me smiling at “what ifs.” The latter was a done deal. The house deep cleaning was scheduled. 7 hours of hard work. The yard project ended up being more than expected. Painting was just painting. Out with trash of the year too. All was getting done.
Then a hiccup of sorts. A quick trip you say? I did want to travel. Oh how the mind of a curious girl works. Let’s go. Not just any travel, rather a whimsical road trip adventure. Buckle up! Where to?
One brave soul opted to be my travel buddy. One bold and ready to adventure. I did have some no ways too, but I just needed one yes. Eight states to pass through along the way. Approximately 1,500 miles. Maybe 20-24 hours in the car, one way. Yes please! I’m in. Let’s go for it. How much fun will this trip be? Ending 2023 with a bang and starting 2024 with a pop.
Fueled up in the home state of Georgia. BBQ in Nashville, TN. Edley’s might have been the best burnt ends and spicy grits casserole I have ever had. Full belly rolled on into Kentucky as the sun set for rain, rain and more rain. At the end of the night was a cool stop in Metropolis, Illinois. We just had to catch this iconic stop to see what the hype was about.
Early rise to go see the World’s Largest Catsup Bottle. I don’t even like catsup but was fascinated by the idea of making this stop. It was a bottle. It was a landmark. Photo below.
A quick drive over the river landed us in the heart of St. Louis. Another iconic stop at the Gateway Arch. Cool, crisp air set the tone for a memorable morning at the river front. This seemed like the perfect gateway to the beginning of a midwestern adventure .
Did I mention it was morning? 10am to be exact. St. Louis pizza, you say? Why of course! Next bucket list item is the local delicacy of cracker crust pizza with provel cheese. I wish you could hear the crunch in this post. It wasn’t like a chip but a cracker crunch. A snap. An ooze of gooey cheese. Not too saucy. Not too greasy. A treat to eat. Not too messy for the car. We ate it all. This treat came from Imo’s in downtown, which already had piles of orders at the breakfast hour.
With a full belly in tow, we headed west again and the next stop had educational value. A quick visit to the Weldon Site. An encapsulated waste site where you could climb to the top of the mound of debris. Fascinating. A little eerie. A questionable stop to some. I loved every minute of it. My little walk on the moon. Stairs to nowhere. Once three towns were swallowed by this mound, then beautified to today’s present state. Google it for a history lesson.
Headed west again. Destination Kansas. The land of lonely roads and windmills. The darkness of night illuminated by red flashing lights. The beacon of not one two or three but hundreds of windmills along the road. Wide open skies and open land for miles and miles. That’s Kansas. Miles and miles of open spaces, a Wheat Jesus and a giant Van Gogh replica. Just a day in Kansas!
Onward we traveled to the west. Destination Colorado. The day of arrival was unusually warm. 50 degrees in late December after a blizzard just last week. Good timing I suppose. Beautiful blue skies. Amazing mountain backdrops glistening in the distance. A wonderful end to a couple of days trekking across country.
I hope this post inspires you to travel. Take a road trip. Find the hidden gem spots to stop at along the way. Take the slow and scenic route vs. rushing to your destination. Breathe the air. Smell the flowers. Taste the local food. Embrace the journey / experience.
Vacation was winding down. All loaded on the plane to make the final leg of the journey. All was looking good until the final pilot check showed a leak in the hydraulics. We wait on the mechanic to diagnose. We sit on the plane. Tempers flare. The people watching gets interesting. Then the news arrives. We must wait for a part to be flown in. We are removed from the plane and the sighs begin, instantly. Then the pilots time out of available fly time to get us home. Nobody is getting home today!
Chaos begins. People are grouchy. Lines are long to get rebooked. Unaccompanied minor’s facial expressions show worry. Airline employees brace for the worst. Plans need to be made for an unexpected night stay. The list goes on an on. Since I was just wrapping up vacation, I was sad to have to wait another day to get home but was overall pretty chill compared to some others who might have just been starting their vacation. I waited in line for hours. I was shuffled to another line for another hour. The process wasn’t as smooth as it could have been but I survived.
Now the first positive I celebrated when heading to my mystery accommodations was the sunset. It was beautiful and I wouldn’t have seen it, if my plans weren’t altered. The second positive was I had a great burger for dinner before heading off to the motel I knew nothing about. The rest of the adventure was…
This was a field trip. A time capsule to the 70s. Just an interesting experience all together. The main lobby door was closed which seemed weird upon arrival. We had to enter the side door. The reason was the holiday nutcracker display took up the whole lobby. I can’t remember the exact count but it was a massive amount of poinsettias, nutcrackers, little trees and many interesting holiday decorations. The lobby was old-fashioned and somehow I felt like I was stuck in a time warp.
I even felt like the arrival to the locked main door was the onset of bad things to follow. A horror movie of sorts. What would be lurking around the next corner. Was the lobby going to be smoke filled like lobbies were in the 70s? Was the clerk going to have that raspy smoker voice? Would I get a key on a weird wooden keychain?
My room was on the main floor. Literally in the parking lot. Glass door facing the lot and the road. The wall to the outside was glass. I felt like anytime a vehicle was going to just come crashing through the glass into my bed! The pool was in the basement of the lobby. This was extra odd to me. There was a sign in sheet to enter and exit. I really wanted to explore but it seemed so odd I just didn’t. A hidden pool beneath the motel stuck in the 1970s. Oh I had too many questions in my mind.
The interior. Maybe it was stylish to some but I felt trapped in 1976. The lack of everything modern. The outlets or lack thereof. The heating system. The decor. It was like a carousel of progress broke in 1976 and I was just stuck in a time warp. The TV might be the only accessory updated since 2000. The picture below shows a glimpse of the bathroom. Clean of course but style was definitely outdated. The half tiled wall. The marbled sink. The plaster-type wall surface. The sink handle gave me flashbacks to childhood. It was all just too creepy for me.
I just need to circle back to the glass door and wall of glass. My entrance way to heaven or hell. It was bare to me. Left me feeling exposed. Vulnerable to a break in. Paranoid for a vehicle crash. It was cold to the touch. The outside temperature was in the teens that night adding to the ambiance. Then there was the sound. The opening and closing. Not just of my glass door, but others. Above me. Next to me. Down the way.
Clack. Slam. Vroom. The sliding. The slamming. The clacking. Is it locked? The checks. The rechecks. It seemed to go on for hours. Above me. Beside me. Near me. Click. Click. Click. Sirens they zip by here and there. The sounds of whispers on the walkway. The whisper grew louder and they were in the room with you. The environment was full of adventure if you were just still. Lord knows I was still waiting for death to come crashing through my glass doorway!
The cars outside. Zipping. Zooming. Screeching. Too close for comfort. The still of the night finally arrived and I faded off into dreamland. I absolutely never would have picked this motel as my accommodation. I definitely won’t be back. I don’t see myself making a recommendation unless someone wants to relive that time era.
I had a lived experience. I wrote about it. The experience was not my favorite but I lived to tell about it. I wouldn’t hit the redo button but I can definitely giggle about many moments lived. Embrace the unknown, unexpected and down right weird moments of your life.
Cheers to the unexpected days life brings. This may also be my second or third excursion this year to a desolate airport. So many differences in each experience of the wee hours of night or early morning at the airport with a handful of people before the hustle and bustle of day arrives.
The photo above was my last airport picture. I enjoyed sitting by the warmth of the fireplace with the holiday decorations and gathering my thoughts before hopping on my now fixed plane to journey home.
What a year. So many cool things came up on my radar. Many fun adventures. A few trials. A few set backs. Many lessons learned. All in all it was a good year.
I learned to play pickleball in 2023. A new sport for me. A new social group. I very much enjoyed picking up this new hobby. I even enjoyed getting beat by old people my first season in a league. Maybe a little humbling too.
For 2024 I’m spending time with the 1sE app a friend recommended. Basically documenting a second a day for the year. A picture or video or combo. Can’t wait to see what makes the reel. Seems like a fun way to rewind 2024 a year from now.
I got a chance to travel a good bit in 2023. Spent time on the road with different travel mates adding to the adventures. Travel by plane. Travel by car. Travel by RV. The variety kept things spicy. Some planned in advance. Some spur of the moment. Each memorable. The travel bug that hit in 2023 will continue in 2024. I’m feeling the need to explore on my horizon. New places. New experiences. Checking out the hidden gems along the way to each destination. Being present in my life journey while I’m able to enjoy it.
Fitness has been in the forefront in 2023 and will continue in 2024, adding a running goal for my special focus and long term goal. In 2023 I chipped away at 1 million meters by row, bike or ski erg and now I need a new focus. I was recently asked about the why of my long term goal. Since I have a short attention span it’s important for me to have a long term goal to chip away at. I might have to break it up into bite-sized pieces or add variety to get it done, but it helps me overall to have that focus in the background. Somehow I’m able to mirror my life and fitness balance in similar ways. Chipping away seems to work for me.
Friendship has been valued in 2023. Through the high and lows of life it’s good to have a solid group of trusted friends to help you sort through the chaos. Friends are by choice. Some stay awhile and others fade. I’ve seen friends fall ill, needing support while I remain healthy. I hope to continue to fuel myself so that I may continue to be a good friend to others in times of need. i don’t expect much in return but it’s nice to know I do have good friends in my corner. I plan to spend 2024 nurturing relationships that are meaningful.
Reflecting on the year was bitter sweet for me. I focused on thankfulness and let others know how valued they were. I wrote sweet notes. I gave away funny keepsakes. I made a point to impact others as the year closed out. It felt good all around. I even played Cupid in 2023 and the couple is still going strong. Such a fun and unexpected part of 2023.
Feeling free as I roll into 2024. Free of baggage weighing me down. Free to explore and enjoy life and its beauty. One day at a time. I guess I may choose to write a little along the way too. Just a glimpse of my reflection from me to you. Wishing you all the best in 2024 and beyond.
The hype has been building for some time. The details have been documented. The plan was set in motion. The anticipation lingers. The excitement builds. The suspense is in the air. It’s all going to be up to me. A solo goal. A goal to reach deep into my soul. A running goal that clearly relies on my soles. Just me!
Last week I ran in a practice state (Missouri). I ran stairs at the Arch in St. Louis and at another crazy tourist site. It was fun. I felt strong. I was ready for day one at least. Running shoes are packed. Layers of clothes somewhat picked out. The route is still a mystery for day one. The time is still unknown. A midnight run would be fun. Practical, not so sure.
The day has arrived. The beginning of my running the year 2024 start to finish is here. The quest. The tallying of miles. The places I will go. It starts today. It starts with me. Self-powered adventures await.
In an odd turn of events I am spending New Year’s Day in Denver, Colorado. I won’t be here for long, but will be long enough to log my first run of the year. Although I didn’t plan my first run to be in Denver, I am super excited to note my first day of adventure was on the road. I guess that means my last day of the year will hopefully be on the road as well. Bookends of the adventure!
The weather. Cold. Baby it’s cold outside. Just one mile. That’s what I’ve been telling myself. Just one mile at a time. Hitting the pavement at midnight is how I’m choosing to start this adventure of miles. It’s most likely how I will end the year as well. Destinations may be different but the night run is probably a must.
The shoes. I’m starting my year with ASICS. No real reason other than they were cushy and my feet feel good in them. They also have color and style which appeal to me at this point. I’ve tried other brands but for now this is what I have. More will follow on shoes and clothes I’m sure.
The shirt. I will have at least twelve shirts along the way. One for each month. All designed my crafty business partner to capture the adventurous spirit of I Run 2024 my way. My pace. My race. It’s that simple. I may not be the fastest but I hope to improve. I may not make the longest distance but I will chip away at my personal goal. No comparisons. Just me doing work.
The run. It was cold and lonely. I started at midnight on New Year’s. Odd time to run and I was in unfamiliar area thus I had to be aware of my surroundings. A few homeless crossed my path. I opted for no headphones in order to hear what was around me at that hour. I was layered up but also running a mile in an altitude I’m not acclimated to had my chest burning mid-way. I finished. I was excited to start the year with some excitement.
I had a dear friend with me. Capturing the moment. Cheering me on. Lighting sparklers at the end. We might have looked a bit crazy but it was over before we knew it. Then I had to wind down for bed. It took me almost two hours. I probably won’t run again at midnight on the road but I did it this time and it was very fulfilling. Bonus of running at a hotel was the fresh fruit water waiting in the lobby after along with the outdoor firepit to stay warm while cooling down.
First run is done and the tallying has begun. I plan to take my running slow on the front end of the year but build as I feel my body is ready for more challenges. Stay tuned for my monthly recaps to see my mileage adding up or where I may be running.
2 Chicks and a blog 