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A New Year, A New Me!

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I’m one of those people that wants to start off the new year with a new beginning, a new lease on life. Not necessarily to throw away what I’ve got going, but to shed what’s not working and make life even better. I generally love the excitement of a new year. For me, it means new experiences, people, and opportunities that I’ve not had before. Things to learn. Fun to discover. And a way to have even more joy in my life. Karl and I spent our last days of 2022 skiing in Golden, BC with some dear friends, one from high school, and I, unfortunately, ended up with food poisoning a few days before January 1st. I slept through New Year’s Eve. I usually spend the last week of December appreciating and thinking about all the adventures Karl and I did throughout the year and celebrating my personal accomplishments. This year I was too busy keeping water and food down. Today is my first day back to work after the holidays. My stomach is finally, for the most part, stable. And, I’ll be honest, I’m
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Stand Tall and Pee with Confidence

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Amy Cuddy is a social psychologist, author, Harvard lecturer, and public speaker that did a TED talk years ago on body language and how power poses can boost your confidence. These are postures that encourage you to be big and tall and take up space. For example, standing up straight with outstretched arms overhead. Doing this might make you feel confident, proud, or invincible. Compare that to sitting down, arms folded, body hunched forward. Are you hiding something, ashamed, or scared? I have tried some of these power poses when I’m feeling insecure to give me a mental boost and stretch. For me, they work. They give me a moment to breathe and give my brain a distraction. I feel like I’ll be seen and taken seriously. And this is just with Karl. (I’m joking, of course) .  After hiking the West Coast Trail (WCT) in August, I believe I’ve discovered the ultimate power pose. Peeing standing up. Yep, you heard me correctly. Right now, you’re probably wondering where I’m going with this. Ke
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The West Coast Trail Kicked My Butt!

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How’s your life going? It has been a while since I checked in. Are you living a life of joy and passion? Are you living your values? There’s nothing like shaking up your routine or getting out of your comfort zone or confronting your demons to get you back on track to living your best life. On August 26th, Karl and I, and five of our dearest friends, finished the West Coast Trail hike in British Columbia, Canada. We started the hike in the north at Pachena Bay and ended at Gordon River across from Port Renfrew. We walked 75 kilometers over 8 days. And, EVERY SINGLE day was a challenge of mind and body. I’m pretty sure if I asked each person in our group whether the hike was hard, each person would say a resounding YES. But, I’m guessing the challenges would be slightly different for each person. Some confronted their fear of heights as they climbed up tall ladders with missing or slimy rungs and walked over tree trunk bridges one foot at a time. Some might say trying to figure a way ar
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Choose Happy!

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After not traveling to Mexico for a few years, eight of us finally went back last November to our happy place, Isla Mujeres. During this trip, Karl and I also explored a new island called Isla Holbox. This island was more rustic and laid back than Isla Mujeres, but every bit as fun and exciting with phenomenal restaurants and shops that sold art and clothing from local artists. As I usually do when I travel with people I love and admire, I return home with a list of cool things that I need to check out either for myself or others. I originally wanted to post this before Christmas, but here we are at the end of January 2022. If you happen to be looking for a gift for someone, look no further. These goodies have been vetted and given multiple thumbs up! These Are Worth the Hoopla Rose had several Missoma hoops in her ears. They were cute, shiny, and classy. All of us girls, and maybe some of the guys, noticed them because they seemed perfect for looking polished at the beach. The final
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Hope Is Around the Corner

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I don’t know that I’ve ever had a year like this before--a year of fear, uncertainty, sadness, and change. But, despite the politics, pandemic, and fires, we survived. We made it! And we get to have a fresh start with new hopes and dreams for the future. 2020 wasn't all bad, of course. There were some beautiful moments. Karl and I learned to slow down and find excitement in our regular routines, special moments in the mundane, and adventures in our everyday lives. And we did this while quarantining, without going crazy! According to the New York Times and other sources, we (in the US) can expect spikes in COVID-19 cases in early 2021 due to Christmas and New Year’s Eve gatherings. However, we know what to do and we just have to hang in there a little longer and stay positive until we get our vaccines. Our pre-COVID lives are just around the corner.  Find Excitement in Your Routine Shake up your routine a bit. Just a little bit. For example, if you have an indoor workout routine in
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When COVID Strikes Home

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These last few weeks have been an emotional storm as COVID-19 struck my relatives and parents. My mom had been sick for four or five days before she was taken to the hospital, where she remained for 12 days.  Today is day 17. She is now at home recovering, but very tired with little energy. Despite everything, she is back to her positive, smiling self.  My mom had extreme flu-like symptoms, massive body pain and aches, and trouble breathing. At her worst, the hospital had her on oxygen. She didn't need a ventilator and she never lost her sense of taste or smell. My dad, on the other hand, stayed at home with mild symptoms. He did tell Karl that he wasn't able to taste his food. Because my parents are in Canada, everything will be covered by their medical plans. Thank God! In the early days, I not only worried about my mom’s health, but I worried about the medical bills. Being in the States, we think about the medical system a lot. My medical plan is tied to my job. If I lose my
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