Getting Lost in a New City

So, funny story. The last thing I posted was about two weeks ago, and I've had a few posts I've wanted to write since then. But, my last post was promised to be a two part deal, and I had saved a draft on my husband's computer, which currently seems to be working completely fine... except the screen is black. I was going to just wait until that is fixed so I can post my second part of the "Conquering Mountains, or Mountains of Laundry" story and be all nice and sequential, but I'm afraid I'm impatient and want to share other things in the mean time. 

I love weekends. Who doesn't love weekends? And I love weekend trips. 

There's something about them: Just long enough to rejuvenate you, but short enough to make it easy to get back to your normal routine. Time to explore something new a midst the craziness of life. 

Sometimes lounging around the house is the best way to get the worth out of the weekend, but sometimes it's picking up and taking off for just a few days to indulge your senses in a weekend away. 

I love outdoors, I love to make direct contact with new forests, rivers, lakes. But I find that sometimes, there is nothing as refreshing as exploring a new city. 

I am certainly not a city girl. Every town I've lived in has had a population of less than 30,000. I like knowing people and knowing my way around (maybe partially because I have a horrible sense of direction). I like a community where people look up and smile at each other when they pass on the street. I like to be able to go for a jog around the neighborhood, and go get the mail with no shoes on. 

But there is just something wonderful about getting lost in a new city. 

A weekend this February found us in Spokane, WA. My sister in-law was performing with All Northwest Band, and we figured we'd make a family weekend of it and go see her perform. I've visited Spokane a few times in the last five years as a dear friend lives there. This trip was the first time I've really explored the city and had the chance to linger,to browse...

 ...to encounter the big picture...

 and indulge in the details...

...to get acquainted with the night and day of a new place. 

 There's treasures hiding around the city, and I want to find them. I want to touch them, smell them, and be impacted by them. I think the reason I love exploring cities is that they just seem full of possibilities.

Conquering Mountains, or Mountains of Laundry: Finding Life in Everyday Life (Part 1)

There's something I've been pondering lately, and I think it's an important issue. It's a little difficult to articulate, I hope this makes sense.

We all have moments where we feel very inspired to live life fully, to treat every moment likes it's our last. Inspiration could strike from a film, music, book, quote, someone we look up to, or an event we experience. In those moments we feel called to a purpose, to be fully present, to make the biggest impact we have in whatever way we can. On fire to live the life we dreamed of.

We walk out of the theater or put down the book ready to climb mountains, change lives, and conquer the world.

 But we look down from our inspiration and realize that we're tired, and hungry, and we have chores and responsibilities.

The responsibilities we have to uphold don't always fit into our exciting and fulfilling vision of what our life should be. We feel deep down we should be spending every day changing lives and experiencing new things. We dream of climbing mountains but first we need to conquer a few laundry piles. Our life includes things like bills, paperwork, and cleaning the house.

Aside from responsibilities, we also are limited in our energy. This heightened awareness of what really matters tends to fade when we are emotionally or physically fatigued. In these times, we Netflix Binge. We waste two hours on Buzzfeed. We check Facebook constantly even when with loved ones.

We can't be on fire about our purpose 100% of the time. We are human.

There can be a tension between what we feel a full life is, and what our daily actual life holds.

The issue I've been pondering is this:

How to we balance our worldly concerns, responsibilities, and the reality of humanity in light of a greater purpose?

How are we to look at our fatigue and our responsibilities that make us human when we are inspired to live every moment fully? Is balance key? Is it about finding meaning in your chores and times of rest because they contribute to a greater goal? Is it living in two different worlds- one where you encounter life abundantly, and one where you go through the motions? 

Basically- how do we live out a bigger purpose 

when we have SO MUCH to do?

I don't have the answer to these questions. This topic is something we don't often stop to think about in our busy lives, but I'm not bringing it up for it to be depressing. I'm hoping reading this post will lead you to ponder these questions, and maybe we can have a discussion about it. (Read: Please comment your thoughts!)

This blog is going to be written in two parts, and I want to hear your response to this personal dilemma, and later in the week I will share mine.  Are you familiar with this tension between the life you are inspired to live, and living fully in your present situation? What does inspiration feel like for you? How do you live your life fully even in the mundane?

Pump-up Running Playlist for a Love/Hate Runner

Growing up, I never really liked to exercise just for the sake of exercise. I liked to play sports for fun and take dance classes, but was not so into activities that heavily relied on speed, endurance, or fitness in general. I didn't really see a need for exercise in my life.

Teaching Aerobics in my dorm ballroom, Spring 2011

My first term of college I wanted to get my PE credit over with. I was intimidated by the variety of classes offered, but Aerobics caught my eye. I had previously taken some classes from a friend and enjoyed it, so I thought why not. I enrolled Aerobic Dance class, and fell in love.  I was going through a hard time freshmen year, and this class quickly became my happy place. Exercise took a new role in my life: instead of a burden of something I should probably do it became my "me-time", and a way to express myself and relieve stress. I also learned the joy of sharing this practice with others and taught my friends aerobics for about two years. Over time, training, and experience, an awesome thing happened to me: I got hired as a fitness instructor at my school's gym and was paid to work out and motivate others. I taught spinning and dance aerobics (it was called 'Choreographed Cardio') for about three years.

One of the studios I taught in at WOU

During the summer when I wasn't teaching, I found it was not as fun to dance all by myself. So my first summer break during college, I made a goal to enjoy running. Running had always been torturous for me, but I knew it was a great way to stay fit and maintain the feel-good side affects of exercise that I'd enjoyed through teaching.

It was difficult, but eventually that summer I convinced myself that I liked running. I was still slow, it was still hard, but I started to enjoy it in spite of- or maybe even because of- the challenge. Since then, I've had a continuous on again, off again relationship with running. I've completed a few 5k's and two incredibly fun mud runs along with a summer camp red-box returning relay race, but still I often fall into "I hate running" for at least a few months a year.

Daniel and I during the Terrain Mud Run, our group dressed up as a farmer and farm animals

This year I really want to overcome my hot and cold relationship with running. There's a few reasons why. One, it's a tough reality that I no longer get paid to work out (I've applied at a gym in Hermiston and I'm hoping I'll hear from them eventually)! This calls for new motivation and exploring more realistic ways to work out than dancing by myself. Two, it's one of the best ways for me personally to stay fit and in shape. Three, I like to challenge myself- to become better and stronger on the inside and outside. My goal for 2015 is to walk/jog/run a total of at least six miles a week. Right now it's about half walking, but I'm hoping as the year progresses the running portion will increase, and I'll often exceed six miles.

Right after my first 5k, The Shamrock Run

I've had to force myself on a lot of runs to get out of the "I hate running" mindset. One thing that has always helped me is music. Sometimes it's spiritual music, sometimes it's thoughtful rock, but most of the time it's fast-paced pop.

When I started my goal in January, I compiled a playlist of the songs that get me most pumped while I'm running. And what I discovered was my pump up music is pretty darn embarrassing. Deep down I must be a tween. Something about bubblegum pop, girl power anthems, and top 40 hits keeps me going, I guess!

I usually consider my music taste to be pretty evolved and thoughtful, but this collection is mostly... not. However, I wanted to share with you my honest journey of learning to love running year round, and this is what honestly gets me pumped!

So here is my energetic, somewhat embarrassing, pump-up work out playlist for Winter 2015. I put the ones in pink that REALLY get me going fast.

Sing- Ed Sheeran

Break Free- Ariana Grande ft. Zedd

Short Skirt, Long Jacket- Cake

New Romantics- Taylor Swift

You're on My Mind- Imposs ft. J. Jerry

Shower- Becky G

Live While We're Young- One Direction

Light Up the World- Glee Cast

Forever Until Tomorrow- MKTO

Really Don't Care- Demi Lovato ft. Cher Lloyd

All Night- Icona Pop

Stay- TyDi ft. Dia Frampton

All The Things- Pitbull ft. Inna

Kiss You- One Direction

Chandelier- Sia

That Power- Will.i.am ft. Justin Bieber

Love Is All I Got- Feed me and Crystal Fighters

Best Song Ever- One Direction

I Will Never Let You Down- Rita Ora

It's My Birthday- Will.i.am & Cody Wise



The discovery of the joy of exercise was one of the most valuable changes that happened in me during my college years, and I hope it is a lifelong joy. What music keeps you most pumped up during your work outs? What's your music guilty pleasure?