The Power of Creating a Vision for Your Life
About six weeks ago, I was visiting my parents in Maryland. They still live in the house I grew up in, and for the most part my childhood bedroom looks like it did when I was still living there. The walls are pale pink, my stuffed animals still sit on the shelves, and...
Why You Should Make “Someday” Today
In the summer of 2015, Brian and I drove up the coast of California for an amazing 2 1/2 weeks on the road. After bee-lining our way from Colorado to Ventura Beach, we meandered up Highway 1 in my Subaru Outback, camping all along the way. We hiked, we mountain...
There’s a Whole Lot More Than Just Trying to Survive
We all have favorite musicians and songs, tunes that stick with us for years or even decades. There are songs that feel timeless to us, that seem to be relevant to every single chapter of our lives - songs that speak to our souls and feel like part of our own personal...
Why I’m not afraid to mountain bike after breaking my femur
Seven years ago, I was on top of the world in Moab, Utah. It was my first day biking of the season, it was an outrageously beautiful morning, and we'd just finished a delicious breakfast at the Love Muffin cafe. Brian and I set out with four friends to bike the...
Packrafting the Green River with Bikes – A Totally Unique Adventure
Yes, that is a bicycle on a raft! This week my home base has been Moab, Utah, as Brian has been teaching a Wilderness First Responder course here. Since I can run my business from anywhere, I'm "working" this week from the desert, my "office" overlooking the Colorado...
The self-awareness skill I wish I’d had 10+ years ago
When I was in my mid-20s, I started to question whether motherhood was for me or not. The idea of having kids just didn’t feel like “me”. It’s not that I didn’t like kids; I was just starting visualize a life that was different – one that didn’t include children of my own. I loved to travel…
How mountain biking changed my identity
When I was a young child, I formed the identity that I was an uncoordinated klutz. Neither of my parents were athletic, and organized sports weren't overly encouraged in our household. My mom would say things like "I couldn't catch a ball to save my life". My dad...
Become the Deliberate Creator of Your Life
I want to talk about something that bugs me. It’s something I hear a lot from other people, especially women. I hear it from my friends, and I hear it from strangers. “I wish I had your life.” “I’m living vicariously through you.” “You’re so lucky.” I will be the...
What I believe about why I got cancer
I felt a nervous chill as I wrote that title. It feels uncomfortable to share what I am about to share, because a lot of it goes against popular opinions about why people get cancer. But I've got this feeling, like I have to share this...I've got this intuitive sense...
What mountain biking has taught me about the power of believing in my dreams
When I started mountain biking almost 20 years ago in Maryland, I was a terrible rider. I was about 25 pounds heavier than I am now, and I had a crappy hardtail that was too big for me. Pretty much every ride involved an epic crash in which I scraped or bruised some...