Tagged: travel
I Found the Meaning of Life
I know. Totally huge statement.
Life is handing me big bowls of life lessons lately and I LOVE IT.
First there was last week’s doctor visit. Very emotional and you can re-live it HERE.
Then I was asked to fly to California for a last-minute interview with Canine Companions for Independence. HUGE DEAL. CCI has an extremely selective application process. I had to apply to get an application so you can imagine my excitement when I got the call!
As I drove up to the CCI building I noticed the entire parking lot was designated handicapped so I circled the building to find a non-marked parking space. I immediately felt out-of-place and unworthy to be there as I watched fellow applicants exit their vehicles in wheelchairs. But I reminded myself that this isn’t about me and I was invited there for a reason! So I marched inside, grabbed a name tag and introduced myself to the rest of the group as we began orientation. Orientation lasted all day and included a training session with CCI dogs!! I couldn’t wipe the smile off of my face. I met incredible people and was once again reminded that life is precious, beautiful, fragile, complicated, messy, and absolutely phenomenal if we would only open our eyes to see it. I was the only applicant without a physical disability. I caught myself feeling unsure of how to act. Am I that unaware and sheltered?
I met a beautiful little girl named Bri and her parents, Wendy and Scott. Bri is 7 years old and hopes to get a service dog one day. She and I played games together while we were waiting for our individual interviews. I could tell by the way her parents watched us play that all they want is for their daughter to have a normal life. Bri, I hope you get the best service dog and that he helps you make tons of friends. Your personality and sweet spirit is more than enough, but, I know how much you want this dog. You even bought a bright pink sequins purse shaped like a dog because you thought it might help during your interview. You are so adorable and I hope to see you again someday.
I left CCI with my heart so full I could cry so I did. The dogs. The amazing staff. The fellow applicants. It just doesn’t get any better.
Remember when I said I started my blog because I felt lost and bummed out? I think I’m finally figuring out my life and it feels pretty dang awesome. More to come on THAT, later.
Here’s a new CCI puppy to drool over. SO CUTE!!! (P.S. that’s Bri in the awesome pink outfit)
Some Little Things and Some Big Things
Little thing: I’m late to the Words with Friends party. But I’m glad I showed up. And I don’t understand why “Beyoncé” isn’t recognized in the dictionary.
Big thing: I’m flying to Oceanside, CA tomorrow for an interview. WHAT?? I have another secret to share: I’ve been going through the crazy long and tedious application process to get a therapy dog for my job. So far I’ve passed all of the steps! Next up? Trekking to their HQ for an in-person interview!
Here’s Maddie our current therapy dog. She works one day a week. Hopefully she’ll get a friend who can work full-time and help even more people!
Little thing: James Perse shirts. I can’t stop buying JP shirts. He must know a lot of women who do Crossfit because he sure knows what’s up in the shoulder-measuring department. I thank God for JP every day. That, and for baby-T’s never making a comeback.
Big thing: Crossfit Open WOD 13.4!!! Can you believe we’re almost done with the Open!?? Check out the leaderboard at my gym. CONGRATS to my fellow Jai-ers for taking on this amazing challenge!! You can bet I’m dedicating 13.4 to my girls again.
Wish me luck in Cali!
I’d like to hear about your favorite things this week!
Climbing Made Me Mental : Chapter One
The Colorado weather Gods are totally confused this winter. They’re in Hawaii drinking mai tais saying things like eff the snow, we can’t be bothered with that nonsense right now. So when my climbing buddies saw a 60 degree Saturday on the horizon it was time to get back on the rock.
Remember last year when I felt all confident and poetic about climbing? It completely exploded in my face yesterday. I was feeling apprehensive and scared from the moment I agreed to go but I told myself I was just being stupid and to forget about that article you read about the guy who died climbing in that same exact location.
We arrived at Wind Tower and one of my friends was like, “I climbed this route once when a guy had died climbing it the day before. There was a pool of blood right here and the route was really sticky”. So, that was the beginning of my day. I referred to him as the a-word from that point, on.
It was a multi-pitch route (I know, look at my fancy words) and as I neared the top I completely lost my shit mentally. I couldn’t see a way to get to the top. The height starting seriously messing with my head and all I wanted was for my friends at the top to save me. Or magically summon a helicopter. Or for somebody to throw me a beer. Then, out of the corner of my eye, a badass climber sprints his way up the route right beside me. At first I was pissed because I was paralyzed by fear and my competitive side couldn’t do anything about winning. But then he started climbing towards me and as I looked closer I realized this dude is totally free climbing.
Hey darlin’ what’s your name?
“Joy” <choking back tears>
OK Joy I’m going to help you just don’t move.
I swear to God he was a hallucination because he was gone as fast as he appeared, disappearing in to the clouds.
He secured the route just enough to quiet the mental noise that was taking over my brain and I finally made it to the top.
Was he real? A climbing ghost? A real-life-human wouldn’t be able to climb without ropes. I mean, who does that.
Here I am. Minutes before my friend told the “guy that died” story. See how peaceful I was before you told that story, a-hole???
It was a gorgeous day with amazing, beautiful (a-hole) friends. I fell in love all over again with the twisted, tormented, complicated relationship I have with climbing. I was humbled and knocked down in every way.
Stay tuned. I’ll share my poetic side of climbing tomorrow. Plus, bonus stories about falling on a passing climber AND shedding tears on the second pitch!! Oh, AND FALLING ROCKS RACING TOWARDS MY HEAD!
P.S. If you never hear from me again it’s because my mother read this post and chained me to the bed so I would never climb again.
Love and Rainbows
You either hate Valentine’s Day or you love it. I personally hate to hear folks complain about Valentine’s Day. Did I just cancel out the love for this day? Anyway. It’s silly to hate a day that’s all about putting love in to the world.
I love LOVE!! Who cares if you have a special someone or not? I LOVED being single on Valentine’s Day! I sat on the couch with Sex & The City re-runs and my favorite food. And my cat. It only seems pathetic on the outside. Trust me, it was sexy. Or, I’d go out with my other single girlfriends. I remember one Valentine’s Day I was on a date with my BFF and, after consuming a large amount of food, the waiter said, “Certainly you don’t have room for dessert….”. Well, buddy, as a matter of fact we do have room for dessert. Two desserts. A-hole.
Whatever your relationship status is on Facebook I hope you put LOVE out in to the world. This morning after Crossfit I stopped at Starbucks to surprise my husband with coffee (I even took a red sharpee and drew hearts all over the cup. A very mature thing to do). As I approached the counter I said, “Happy Valentine’s Day!”, to the barista. It took her a few seconds to register that I wasn’t barking out a coffee order. Her face literally said, wait…is Valentine’s Day a drink I don’t know about?? Then she smiled, we paused and had a love moment, and all was right in the Starbucks shop.
I wore my obnoxious Target floral blazer today. It made a lot of people happy. It was lovely. It was pure love on a jacket.
I ate too much chocolate today. Did you know Chocolove comes with a built-in love poem?? I took time to actually read the poem today. I fell in love with poetry all over again.
It’s been a beautiful day full of beautiful people, friends, strangers, and family.
The husband and I went out to dinner tonight. He spoiled me to a ridiculous extent. It would make you want to barf with jealousy if I told you. So I won’t. And, he said I shouldn’t post about it on my blog because, that’s bragging, Joy.
Happy Love Day, lovers.
Mentors and Dancing
When the conference ended Friday afternoon I hopped in a van with 7 other people and high-tailed it to the airport. I was in no hurry, however, because I was not catching a plane but rather renting a car. So I got to sit back and observe everybody in the van get really upset over the driver who wasn’t driving fast enough because don’t you know we’re in a hurry!?
I looked out the window as we made our way through snowy Georgetown to Reagan National Airport and had a moment of holy-crap-I’m-giddy. I had just attended a conference where I sat in a room for 2 days with badass experts in my field. We’re talkin’ Harvard degrees, yo. And the fact that I just ‘yo’d’ in the same sentence as ‘Harvard’ should explain everything. Mark Kennedy Shriver gave the closing address for cripes sake! All I could think about when he was speaking was, “you are like, one degree away from JFK, and Oprah, and Arnold Schwarzenegger”. It made me realize that I need to spend more time with badass people doing badass things. It made me realize I need a mentor.
Do you have a mentor? I’m not talking about somebody you simply look up to. I’m talking about somebody who is above and beyond what you ever thought you would or could become. Somebody who coaches you to become the best version of yourself. Somebody you don’t even feel worthy of hanging out with! I’m in the market for a mentor. I have no idea who this person is, but, I’m declaring it to the universe like the gosh-darn-effing-Secret. I wonder who the lucky person will be….
After my crazy van ride to the airport I then drove to the sweet little town of California, Maryland to see my brother and his family. My 6-year-old nephew is the light of my life. He was like, “Aunt Joy let’s play Just Dance”, and I was like, “Um, you are so much better than hanging out with a Kennedy!!”
Here we are after two days of work conferencing, 2 hours of city driving, and 2 hours of time change. I can’t decide what I love most about this video: the song, the dog, my nephew, my brother, the bursts of laughter, or my mom recording the whole thing. This will forever make me smile. It will most likely affirm your beliefs about my mental instability (which were also confirmed when I cried during today’s WOD, but that’s another post).
Joy in the Day 