Yorktown Photos (part I)

Wrapping Up the Season

What's new in my life: Well, I'm finishing up my jobs here in Beaver Creek, CO... and it's bittersweet but probably only because I have a tendency to look at the past with rose-coloured lenses. I'm actually super glad to be done with these seasonal-type jobs and move on to something more rewarding and purposeful. I've met some really awesome people this season out here, I've had some good days on the mountain, but I've also experienced a lot of "down" days/weeks filled with challenges of all kinds.

I started reading for pleasure again, now that I'll have more time to sit out in the sun with a good book. Currently I'm reading The Zahir by Paul Coelho, who also wrote The Alchemist (which I'm pretty sure I highlighted HALF that book, it's that good!). Anyway, it's a great read so far that has given me a lot to think about. Especially about love.

I fly out of Denver on Tuesday, so hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to ski Vail the entire day (and not stress about organising the mess that is my car and what the freaking hell I'm doing with my life this summer and beyond). Running used to be my go-to stress relief but for some reason I let myself get complacent. It's about time I throw on my Nikes and get some fresh, heart-pumping air.

Anyway, here are some pictures from the past week or two. The snow is starting to melt at the base of the mountains, which the locals call the start of the Mud Season.

^ walking in Minturn's Nordic park with Brotis :)

^ polishing silverware with coworkers at Splendido

^ view of Avon, CO, from Beaver Creek Landing

Moving out of the hellish apartment I've been "living" in this winter... I will be able to breathe a HUGE sigh of relief once I'm completely out of there.

One more week til I fly to the Chesapeake Bay area...
Then back to Denver for a few days...
Hopefully road trip around Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and Cali before going somewhere.

No plans yet eek!

Contemplating my Future... Here's some wisdom!

We should have preferences that lead us into one future over another. But when those preferences drive us too hard and too fast because we have overrated the difference between these futures, we are at risk… The lesson I want to leave you with from [this TED talk] is that our longings are our worries are both to some degree overblown, because we have within us the capacity to manufacture the very commodity we are constantly chasing when we choose experience: HAPPINESS.

-Dan Gilbert, “The Surprising Science of Happiness”

Road Trip Summer 2014

This is my *planned* road trip for late April, May, and early June of this year. Looks soooo awesome!!

This month has been incredibly taxing on me and my body, as I've been working long hours and days... It's been full of ups and downs, stressful points and moments of happiness, and I guess that's just life. Here are a few pictures of when my mom came to visit me two weeks ago (a definite high point!). Also- today I'm heading to some hot springs two hours north of here, so I'll be sure to upload a few pictures when I return! :)

This Week in Pictures

^ skis outside the Alpine Club  ^ a puppy we found in coat check at Spendido!

 

^ button-making craft    ^ at Vail for a bit one afternoon (didn't ski though)

^ view from outside my apartment (front view)

^ mountain roads to Red Cliff, CO, to snowshoe

^ early morning walk at the Alpine Club

^ view from our ski valet (Back deck at Alpine Club)

^ This morning's view of people getting ready for the lifts to open...

Beaver Creek Landing.

Who is God?

"Are you looking for me?
I am in the next seat.
My shoulder is against yours.
You will not find me in Indian shrine rooms,
not in synagogues, not in cathedrals,
not in masses nor sacred songs.
not in legs winding around your own neck,
nor in eating nothing but vegetables.

When you really look for me, you will see me instantly.
You will find me in the tiniest house of time.

Kabir says, “Student, tell me, what is God?”

"He is the breath inside the breath."

You know those moments when you just want to curl up in the fetal position and hide under the covers? That's been my week in a nutshell. I just want to be at home, whatever that means. I guess it means I want the comfort of knowing that I'm taken care of, that someone else "has my back" and can help provide for me during the tough times.

So far this week I've had my car incorrectly booted (had to pay a lot to get it removed), got in a small car accident last night (have to get repairs done, which will be costly), saw my ex (never a good thing), was gossiped about at work, got a burn on my arm from the fire at work, almost threw up on a customer and had to go home (thought I had the flu!), and have still been working a crazy schedule.

All while trying to be friendly and help people out with favours, and trying to be true to myself.... I get shit on by life.

WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL

Some Fun Photos

^ skiing on Christmas Eve with my friend Chase

^ snowshoeing with my roomie Justin!

^ took a drive on I-70 to clear my head

^ birthday fun at the Alpine Club

^ Christmas Eve fun at the apartment :)

If you need a laugh... http://i.imgur.com/B2sjmcI.gif

A wise professor once said, "A lack of planning on your part does NOT constitute an emergency on my part." I wish I could pass this along to all the rich, grumpy tourists... because I am *really* tired of catering to people who aren't considerate enough to PLAN accordingly. (Dr. Susan Harwood your words had more power than you ever knew!)

Birthday Fun

So, yesterday was my 25th birthday... Quarter of a century! I've been working a lot lately, and my birthday was no exception. I got a whopping 5.5 hours of sleep the night before, got up at 6:30 to get ready for work.... worked at the Alpine Club from 8-5, and then rushed over to Splendido (restaurant) to work the evening. What a day! I am thankful, however, for how special a few of my co-workers made me feel. I got a huge cupcake birthday balloon at the club, some homemade Italian cookies and gifts from Liisa, a Starbucks giftcard from Stephanie, and lots of birthday wishes from the club members.

Although I hardly had time to eat lunch or dinner, let alone get a 5-minute phone conversation in with my mum and dad, it was a pretty good day. After getting off work last night my roommates took me out for some birthday shots, which caught up with me by the end of the night, lol.... But from what I can remember it was a blast! :)

One quarter-of-a-century down, three more to go! Here's to a great upcoming year! I'm excited for what life has in store, even if there are a lot of "unknowns" in my life. I trust in God to provide, I trust in my inner strength, and I believe that great things are to come.

Merry Christmas everybody!

Getting back into yoga and loving it! And I have a day off (until the evening) tomorrow so I can hit the slopes over at Arrowhead! Let's hope my legs are getting stronger by the day! ;)

view from my work ~ instagram ~ 12/16/2013

12/6/13

Staying True

Boy, it's cold out here! Yesterday the high was -16 degrees Celsius. The high.

Yeah.

I guess it feels a lot colder because I'm under the weather with the sniffles, a sore throat, and a really sore neck. :( But I'm still working, trying to power through it.

I got to Skype with Josh yesterday, which was so nice to catch up again. He's over in Australia living the dream- where it's sunny and warm. :)

In other news, I'm starting to get back into yoga and meditation. It took a while to get back to this place of feeling ready again, but I think I'm there. The funny thing (maybe not funny per se) is that I think I couldn't get my mind right for yoga and meditation because I wasn't being true to myself during the past few months. Avoidance is the worst thing, too, because once you start ignoring something it gets harder to walk away from or FIX.

Since I'm feeling nostalgic and missing some people from the east coast, here are some pictures from GAF at the Nantahala... when Kristin and I went down in a 2-person raft. lol!