Sunday Special, Vol. 2

This week held a lot of teaching and A LOT of driving. In our 300-hour teacher training, we work with a mentor teacher to assist and attend their classes. I'm so glad to be training under one of my teachers from the 200-hour who is incredibly knowledgable and an amazing teacher along with being kind, patient, and easy to talk to. The only downside is that everywhere she teaches is on the other side of town from where I live. Luckily my flexible schedule lets me get where I need to be, even though I spend a lot of time on the road! Here's the weekly check-in:

Health

I took advantage of my teaching jobs in gyms to use the cardio equipment and the weights. It was the womanly time of the month for me, so I made a couple donut and ice cream runs even though I was reading this book that warns against following sweet cravings. All things considered, I felt pretty balanced so I'll give it a plus. (+)

Family

I caught up with my mom, dad, and sister this week. I was feeling a little disconnected since my mom was traveling in Europe and my sister works crazy long hours, but all of us are usually good about checking in at least once a week. (+)

Friends

On Thursday I had the best day with one of my friends from yoga teacher training! She was working at an art supply store on a slow day, so I stopped by to say hello and we ended up spending the afternoon coloring and painting together (+).

Intimate Relationships

I'll usually keep this one private since it sometimes involves being vulnerable or putting myself out there to strangers from the internet. 

Mission/Work

This was a big week! I've been substitute teaching a lot all over the place and I recently got my own regularly scheduled class. For better or for worse, I've become the go-to sub request, so I had a ton of classes to cover this week. I assisted my mentor's class for the first time, and on Friday, I was initiated as a Reiki Level One practitioner-- I'll tell you more about that soon! (+)

Finances

I had a business discussion with another yoga mentor, and she gave me some wise advice for the business side of teaching and encouragement to overcome my resistance to sounding like a pushy yoga saleswoman. I'm working on a more solid business plan and concrete goals, but I'll still give it a minus for now. (-)

Adventure

Not too much new adventure this week, besides the art supply store and the Reiki initiation. I'm ok with it since it was nice to settle down and have a restful weekend. (-)

Hobby

I made my first hair wrap, practiced the piano a couple times, and tried watercolor. Plus plus plus! (+)

Spirituality

I am enjoying the expansion of spiritual practices in my life. I have been looking for a place to study Reiki for a little while, and it felt perfectly right to do the attunement with Mer. (+)

Emotion

I felt a little scattered this week since my schedule was unpredictable day to day, but my personality really enjoys spontaneity so all of the uncertainty kept me joyous.  (+)

I hope your week was filled with all the categories above!

Sunday Special, Vol. 1

When I was growing up, I hated Sundays. They always felt like a sad day to me. I've kept a jam-packed daily schedule at every age, and Sundays seemed slow and empty in comparison. While my parents, I'm sure, were enjoying a restful day off from driving us around to activities, I was bored and restless. Obviously I hadn't found out about brunch, yet, or the joys of having a free day to do what one wants.

As I became an adult, I promised myself not to do laundry or grocery shop on the weekends. When I worked normal Monday through Friday jobs, I never wanted to waste a full day of freedom folding my clothes or waiting in line at the store (of course, I don't have anyone to take care of besides me, and I'm sure that would certainly change all routines!). Sundays would be for adventuring, yoga, seeing friends, or any special activity that a weekday simply would not allow. 

I've created more mindful rituals recently (but still brunch!), even though I haven't slowed down much and sometimes Sunday isn't a free day for me at all now. I'd love to share a new one with you...

Weekly Check-In

I love to read, and I often read life tip books with the hopes of someday becoming a successful person. In High Performance Habits, I picked up a weekly check-in routine that seems to be a nice way to reflect on the past week and prepare for the next. I hope to share it here with you every Sunday, and I'd love to hear what's going well for you or what you're working on.

Each week, I've been reflecting on the following categories. I'll write a few notes on what was great that week or what could be better for the next. Each category receives a +  or -, and then the week gets an X out of 10. The overall scores don't mean much, but have been an interesting way to see what's building me up or bringing me down. 

Health

I was teaching so much this week that my personal practice and workout routine took a backseat. Plus, driving all over and meeting up with friends meant eating out a lot. I spent Sunday morning getting back to my running and gym habits which I plan to continue into the week.  (-)

Family

This one can be tricky since I live so far away from everyone, but I talked to my mom, dad, sister, and grandma on the phone so I give it a plus. (+)

Friends

This week, I met up with some long lost high school friends at the beach for a day and had a blast hearing their stories and reconnecting with them. Over the weekend another friend from Austin came to visit and we got to catch up and dance in a canyon-- what a treat! (+)

Intimate Relationships

I'll keep this one private since it sometimes involves being vulnerable or putting myself out there to strangers from the internet. 

Mission/Work

This week I finally felt like a real yoga teacher in LA! I taught 9 classes, which is probably half the number that I should be teaching, but it was reassuring to come out of teacher training with a pretty full schedule. On Saturday, I started the next level toward my advanced teacher training certification, and it all feels like the right path. (+)

Finances

This one usually gets a minus due to the whole needing to teach more classes thing... but now that the full-time training is complete, I've been applying to nearby studios and working on building toward a full schedule. (-)

Adventure

I'm still an LA tourist, so this week marked a bunch of milestones. I rode the rollercoaster at Santa Monica Pier for the first time (in the front row, and they sent us around TWICE!), went to Venice Beach for the first time since moving here, and spent a night in Topanga Canyon. Adventures all around. (+)

Hobby

My heart has been calling for me to learn to play the piano, so I bought a keyboard and practiced (ie. tried to learn Drake songs from watching YouTube videos) about 4 times. For next week, I ordered a book on how to actually play, so I'll have something more foundational to practice. (+)

Spirituality

This has been a positive for me even before teacher training. Last year, after going on a yoga retreat in Thailand, I started to develop a consistent meditation practice. I'm happy to say that I've stuck to it nearly every morning since, and have seen many benefits in my life. (+)

Emotion

All the yoga learning and teaching, friend visits, and new explorations had me in a happy state of mind. I'm trying to stay focused on the special stuff in the present without worrying too much about what's to come. (+)

I hope you enjoyed this little snapshot of life at the moment! I'd love to keep these going, at least until the end of the year.

Recap: YogaWorks 200-Hour Teacher Training

I talked to my grandma on the phone the other day, and she said she was happy to hear that so many things are going well in this little life of mine. She also said that she wishes I would go out to more places to meet single guys, because she enjoys having a boyfriend since he waters her plants regularly. Would be nice. Luckily, I share plants with one of my roommates who helps out with the twice daily watering that Southern California necessitates. Plus, I am of the belief that there is much to be gained from tending to one's own garden.

The number one reason things have been going so well is because last week I graduated from YogaWorks 200-hour Teacher Training! I was incredibly pleased with the program and ended up learning a ton of new information, even though it was my second time around doing a 200-hour certification. I found that the two programs that I've completed balanced each other perfectly-- the YogaWorks program was very anatomical and alignment-based while my training in 2016 with Dharma Yoga in Austin focused heavily on spirituality and weaving a themed flow into classes. It was a nice harmony to receive two different perspectives on teaching. 

The month went by so quickly, although I experienced various waves of emotions over the 4 weeks. Some days I was feeling tremendously lucky to be doing something I love all day; other days I was so worn out in my body from hours of yoga practice and exhausted in my brain from hours of studying. I couldn't believe it when the last days arrived. It was bittersweet to leave our group after spending so much time together during the month of intensive learning and yoga. But I'm happy that a few of us will be continuing onto the 300-hour program, starting this weekend.

I packed up my Santa Monica sublet and headed back to the trendy streets of East LA. Although it was hard to tear myself away from the beach scene, I'm excited to be settled back into my sweaty non-air conditioned room that's starting to feel more and more like a home.

Spilling (even more) Secrets

I suppose I left you hanging a bit after the last secret-revealing post. But the secret was that I left my job! Of course, it's only natural that you would wonder what's happened since... 

After about a month of working there and already contemplating leaving, I asked for a sign that would tell me what to do. Later that week, I crashed my car. And I'm not attempting to take responsibility off of myself for being an inattentive driver, but that was a pretty big sign to me!

So I put in 3 weeks notice and booked a long trip home to capitalize on the newfound time off. I didn't know what to do. The jumping is always the scariest part. 

Since then, some happenings have come together. I applied for and received a scholarship to do another 200-hour yoga teacher training-- the same level that I have now, but this one is certified by the Yoga Alliance which is a whole important or maybe not-so-important deal. Then in August I'll start a 300-hour advanced teacher training which is a deeper level for yoga teaching professionals who want to know most, if not all, of the knowledge. 

For the month of July, I've been subletting a room in Santa Monica, riding my bike to the beach, and basically making all of my California dreams come true. Add to that studying yoga 40 hours a week and it is feeling pretty alright to me.

No matter how twisted your path has become or how fearful you might be to switch directions, remember that it's never too late to change your mind. That just might be what this is all about anyway: 

"A further meaning to the word yoga is 'to attain what was previously unattainable.' The starting point for this thought is that there is something that we are today unable to do; when we find the means for bringing that desire into action, that step is yoga. In fact, every change is yoga."

Spilling Secrets

Last weekend, my dad was off in Maryland visiting family and checking out the devastating flood damage in a little city that I love so much. During his catching up with one of our family members who happens to be an avid follower of this blog, it was mentioned that I haven't been posting as much recently. I suppose that's because I was jet-setting a bit and trying to make the most of time with friends and family. But I suppose it's also because I have a secret..

I find that it's more difficult to write here during times of uncertainty. It's easier for me to tell you about travels, tasty snacks, and the best hiking trails than to talk about the scattered pieces of real life and my silent search for the next steps. But there are a lot of other places where you could find elephant photos and hiking trails, so you're probably not here for the fluff. I like that about you.

Back in May, after a few indecisive weeks and a very decisive car accident, I decided to end my term of service with AmeriCorps. I felt guilty and unsure. I didn't want to be quitter, but I knew that the job was not what I expected and was not matching up to the path I wanted my life to take. It seemed like the work experience was based on the dreams of a previous version of me, who had a particular idea of what "work" has to mean, but no longer fit with my goals and vision. On top of that, I'm sure it comes as no surprise that it's a bit challenging to pluck a traveling yogi off the mat and stick them in a fluorescent office with a 90 minute commute.

Once I made the decision, other factors started to fall into place. My manager and coworkers were all very supportive, making it even harder to leave. Space opened up for me to visit home and reconnect with my roots. And some new summer developments have come together that I will tell you about soon!

I'm trying to feel more confident in doing what I know is right for me, without worrying about how it might be perceived. I never want to stop helping people and serving my community, I just want to do it through work that feels purposeful to me. Thank you for being here and keeping me honest.

Wishy-washy Wisdom

There was a time this year when I found myself offering advice to two different friends on two different days. One friend was fearful of taking a risk, and I told her something along the lines of, "Life is short, you should go for it!" Later in the same week, another friend worried about making a mistake, so I told her, "Life is long! You can always course correct!"

Hm... From these conflicting examples we can learn that if you're looking for advice, you should probably ask someone besides me!

Just kidding. Sort of. 

I wonder, who am I to be giving advice? Oftentimes I'm scared that this blog will just end up as a snapshot of my wavering career path, back and forth between finding a solution, and then abandoning that solution for a shift to something completely different. I surely don't have a lot of answers, but I certainly have lived out quite a few different scenarios!

So, I stand by my wishy-washy words of wisdom. Life IS short! It's too short to spend most of your time doing something you can't stand-- too short to sweep your dreams under the rug or put them off for years ahead. Then again, for most of us, life IS long, too. It's long enough to take risks and make mistakes. In retrospect, an event that feels like the "end of the world" can turn into a tiny blip in your rearview mirror.  Follow your gut, don't think TOO much, and trust the path that sings to your heart. Life is as short as it is long, in all the best ways.

Getting Grounded

Last week I crashed my car in a bad way which could have gotten me hurt or killed. I'm glad I didn't die, because I like living quite a bit! The accident was all my fault, so I'm glad I didn't hurt or kill anyone else, because I like other people quite a bit, too!

Things around me have been changing a lot lately, and since I've gotten settled into life in LA, I've been working my 3-4 jobs, most days being out of the house from 8am to 8 or 9pm. I always say that I love being busy, and it seems like I have an endless supply of energy that keeps me on the go. I'm not sharing my daily habits because they are unusual, but because I think a lot of us are running around, living to our limits, and sometimes it takes a big wake up call to come back to the place where our bodies and minds are in balance.

It feels like I'm being called to slow down and make some further changes, so stay tuned. In the meantime, I'll be taking it easy on the roads and making sure to get my feet in contact with solid ground more than once in a while.

Man, I feel like a...

Recently my roommate asked me if, when I’m talking about myself, whether I refer to myself as a girl or as a woman. I’ve been thinking about it a lot, too. Girl. Always, but I’m trying to start thinking and saying woman more and more. My roommate says she doesn’t want to be called a woman because it sounds too stern and boring. I say that I do want to because I believe we are free to bring our own definitions to the label.

I am a woman, although I still get carded at every drinking establishment and, earlier this year, at an R-rated movie. I meet people and, if we talk about Vegas, they say I don’t look old enough to gamble. If I order food at a bar they say I don’t look old enough to be in there. I am a woman. I’ve been old enough to be in there for almost a decade. I’ve lived so many lives, more than most of those who say I’m not enough.

I wasn’t always ready to be called a woman, but I’m ready now. It’s kind of like at the ski rental office when I have to indicate whether I’m Level I Beginner, Level II Intermediate, or Level III Advanced, and the guy at the counter asks what he should put down for me. I am uncomfortable calling myself Level III Advanced just like I am uncomfortable saying “Hey, listen to me, I am a woman.” Of course I’m Level III Advanced. I have been skiing every winter for my entire life. But I can’t say it because I don’t want to seem like a show off to the counter guy. Or I worry that if I say it, then I might go out and fall and someone will think, “Wow look at this Level II Intermediate who dared to say that she was Level III Advanced.” I can’t remember the last time that I’ve fallen on skis, but this seems like a very real possibility.

It’s kind of like when a 40-something male passenger in my Uber asks if I want to go into the restaurant and have a drink with him. I decline, and he asks if I have a boyfriend. I respond that if I had a boyfriend I probably wouldn’t be driving for Uber at 9pm on a Friday night. He asks if I’m a girl who likes boys or a girl who likes girls. I let him out and say have a nice night. I am neither. I am a woman.

Honing my Habits

I am trying to change a few of my habits, which I will share with you here so that my dedication to changing them becomes more formal. So, if you see me doing the opposite of any of these, feel free to remind and correct me, gently:

1.) I will now only lock my car from outside, using the key button, instead of from inside using the door button. I have locked my keys in my car three times in the past two years, which is not that much, but enough for me to have a locksmith’s personal number on speed dial and for him to recognize me while stopping at the gas station. Enough is enough.

2.) I am working on inserting just a bit of silence in between my sentences. Since I started filming yoga videos, I’ve noticed that when I’m nervous, I add “um” or “and” at the end of every sentence, which causes it to run immediately into the next one. Then I end up starting the new sentence before I’m exactly sure of what I want to say. It’s a mess! I’m starting to take a breath in my videos and in normal conversation.

3.) I promise to be more decisive in my ordering at food and drink establishments. This could be a big time saver. I’m usually explicit about what I want, at first: “I’ll take a regular coffee, please.” Then it starts to waver: “What size?" "Um. Medium.” “Medium or dark roast?” What does that mean? Will choosing one make me sound like I know more about coffee than I actually do? “Ummm, medium. I guess.” “Room for cream?” I never get cream, but I hesitate, “Ummmmm, no.” “Anything else?” Oh boy. Do I want anything else? “Um….” Time to look at the goods. Ooo donuts. “Ummm…” Should I eat a donut today? I haven’t eaten many sweets lately. “Ok, I’ll take a donut.” “For here or to-go?” “Uh… to-go.” “Would you like a bag for the donut?” JESUS CHRIST SO MANY QUESTIONS. “Ummmmmm….” A bag? Do I need a bag? “Yeah. A bag would be good.”

I have gone to a lot of coffee shops over the past few weeks, so who knows how much time has been wasted already. These LA baristas are alert and on point, so I know it’s not them, it’s me. I’m working on the pause, quickly followed by a clear and direct response.

Rainy Days

Last week I had an emotional day. Maybe it was all the rain, or that I was PMS-ing since I wanted to eat every chocolate bar within arm’s reach all week. I went to aerial yoga in the morning where we did a lot of deep stretching, so maybe I released something in a chakra somewhere.

Everything started out fine. I left yoga class and thought I should visit the DMV since I had the time. My umbrella and folder of materials were already in the car, so I went. There was a free parking spot and the line *only* took an hour. I had all the right stuff to get my license, and the employee told me there were 5 minutes left to take the written test, so did I want to take it or come back another day? A test? I’ll come back next week when I register my car. No, no. I’d better do it now. I tried to keep a positive outlook, but I was feeling anxious because I’m not very expert in official road safety and I was in the last group rushing in before the testing area closed.

…

Well, I failed. I don’t remember which questions I got wrong because, apparently, there were a lot. And now I would have to return someday to bring my smog certificate and retake the test. You can take it up to three times. My cheeks burned with shame as I tried to log back in and retake it before anyone noticed I’d failed, but the screen wouldn’t load fast enough, and I heard a guard approach. “Ma’am, did you fail the test?” Yeah. “You have to come back another day. You can’t retake it right now.” Ok.

My eyes were starting to water. I was a failure! I’d had a feeling I would fail because common sense tests always tend to make me doubt my instincts and think everything is a trick question. But, yup, I failed. I was trying to gather my belongings and get out of there to my car where I could contemplate all of my failures alone in solitude, when this much older man whom I had talked to in the waiting area earlier stopped me to ask for my name and if we could exchange phone numbers. He’s been in LA for 6 months and is looking for a friend. I don’t know what commonalities our friendship would be based on, other than both having waited at the DMV for an hour, so I said “No, thank you” and tried not to feel bad. I thought back to the time in Nicaragua when I gave a guy my number out of discomfort and guilt, and he sent me 100 unanswered Whatsapp messages in two days before I blocked him.

I got to my car to cry about not knowing the rules of the road and thought maybe I should have taken his number in case I fail again and need someone to drive me places.

On Leaving

I have some explaining to do! My stuff and I have left Austin for the foreseeable future. It was a fast moving move, but one that I'd been anticipating before I landed back in the U.S. I have dreamed of living in California for a long time, and now here I am in California living. I have a job which I will tell you about soon because it deserves a post of its own. I moved into a house that is a testament to putting full faith in Craigslist findings. I had only seen it and met the roommates via FaceTime before driving out here, but so far everything seems to be surpassing my expectations. The two roommates are kind and inspiring, they have a cat and a dog, and there is a lemon tree outside my window. I am here. 

When I told friends and strangers I was moving to Los Angeles, almost everyone had an opinion. Some gave words of warning and others offered encouragement. There would be traffic and crowds and money needed to buy things. But there would be art and talent and vibrancy as well. I was (am) looking for change and growth. Austin had become so familiar to me that I started to take it for granted. The longer I stayed, the more time and money I spent going on adventures elsewhere. I was running out of activities and places to tick off the checklist and, while I'm trying to cut back on my constant seeking of novelty, I felt the need for something bigger and new.

I didn't want to have a going away party from Austin, since it seems like I'm always going away from someplace or another. And I'm one of the ones who comes back to visit as much as I can. Plus there's always the frightful chance of everything completely falling apart and the possibility having to return a few months later. "You can't Irish exit a city," my roommate told me, and I'm glad I listened. Having all my friends together in one place with too many beers made my heart happy.

Thank you for being such a big part of me for the past 5 years. <3

Dodging Doubt

In case you didn't notice from reading this blog or on various forms of social media, I recently started a yoga-themed YouTube channel (it's here). Sometimes it feels like something very silly to me, and other times it seems like something very relevant and necessary. It's a difficult balance of the brain, going back and forth between doubting ourselves and pursuing our passions. I enjoyed this blog post about it: here. 

I'm pretty adept about having ideas and taking those first steps to put them into action-- I don't like to let them linger around for years-- but usually after the first or second day, doubt starts to creep in and overshadow my hopes. It tells me maybe the original idea wasn't that good, or who was I to think I could take on something like that? Fear sweeps in to keep me comfortable, safe, and fine existing just the way I am.

That's nice, but in order to grow, sometimes we have to be a little uncomfortable or at risk. We must step outside our familiar boundaries to expand our horizons. Fear arrives to test our commitment. "Ok, so you said you were serious, but how serious?" it asks. "And how about now?" as another potential roadblock appears.

But the trick about dealing with fear is to know that you can't go wrong. If you're following the voice deep inside from your heart or soul or wherever those ideas come from, you can't make a mistake. Sure, sometimes your idea doesn't take off, or your plan doesn't quite go as expected and you're forced come up with a new one later on, but, man, it feels so much better to do it and see what happens than to wonder "what if" for the next few years down the line. You'll always end up where you need to be, despite any detours, and the people you need and who need you will be there to support you. Even if it's something small, like taking an art class or visiting a new place in your town, why let fear stop you from doing the things that feel right to you?

Thank you for watching, reading, writing, or just being you and being here!

Why You Should Always Ask For What You Want

It's strange to be back in Austin on what seems like a "temporary visa". When my plane touched down beside that misplaced field of longhorn cattle grazing next to long-term parking lots, I didn't know what to feel. The weather was cloudy and rainy. Not exactly the warm, bright welcome I'd come to expect from the pretty city that has been my home for the past five years. "How does it feel to be back?" asked my friends and family members during run-ins and phone calls. It felt good, and it felt weird.

After a long backpacking trip, I've found that it's always a relief to be able to stay in one place where all your stuff is, and where you don't have to unpack all your belongings just to find your toothbrush or clean socks. It felt weird because I wasn't coming back to many commitments. I had tickets to a concert that night, a longtime fulfillment around which I'd arranged my return trip. But what would I do when the week started, with no work to go to or classes to attend?

I had some job applications, interviews, and decisions to make that were keeping me in the limbo phase. I knew I wanted to get back to teaching yoga as soon as possible, but it's hard to ask for a permanent class at a studio or apply to new jobs when you're not sure if you might be gone in a few weeks. My personal practice was struggling, too. In Austin, studio teaching jobs and work trades had spoiled me into getting my yoga on a budget. I wanted to ask for my work trade job back at my favorite studio, but I was nervous. It's a pretty good deal-- manning the desk in between classes for your monthly membership. I didn't want to ask for freebies from yoga teachers, since I am one and I know how hard they work.

I was very close to clicking the link to sign up for a $39 for 30 days pass at one of the fancy downtown studios when I remembered the trick to ask for what you want. Wouldn't my studio rather have me work for them than spend my money somewhere else? I emailed the studio manager and asked if she might need any help over the next two weeks while I was sure to be in town. She replied that it was the perfect time to ask, because there were a few days she needed coverage before the end of the month. I returned to the studio for class and training the next day, and the day after, and the day after that. Ask and you shall receive.

Sharing by the Sea

Last week, I visited the utopian land of San Diego to tan my buns and fill my belly with seafood tacos and burritos stuffed with french fries, because that is a thing that people are doing over there. My friend Sara brought me to her gym to show me how to climb rock walls, and I got to try slack-lining for the first time. Trying meant standing up for a few seconds and falling over without taking a step, but in my mind it seemed like something I might be able to do with practice. So, even if I never get another try, I guess I am already halfway to being able to do it. 

One night, I found myself standing alone at a bar when a kind person from the magical land of Maui offered to buy me a drink. Then, since socializing with strangers for long amounts of time sometimes calls for breaks, I went to watch the band play in the comfortable retreat that live music provides. When I returned to buy my own second drink, the bartender told me and the girl next to me about the $20 credit card requirement, because $10 per drink with a two drink minimum seems like a reasonable amount to charge when you're also offering the beaches, fish tacos, french fry burritos, tanned people, and whatnot. I decided that two drinks was a good limit for a solo lady romping around a new place, so I offered to buy the other girl's drink. The bartender thought that was very nice and gave me two complimentary shots to show her approval. What a predicament! Now I was $20 down and had three drinks to carry with me toward the magical land of standing by myself. I didn't really want to go down the path of drinking a vodka soda and two fancy tequila shots in rapid succession, so I walked over to a group of smiling faces and asked if any of them wanted to take a shot with me. They did! I discovered that they were from Australia and Switzerland, and our friendly drink exchange earned me some new acquaintances to hang out with for the rest of the night.

I found this whole series of interactions pretty magical since I had the fresh eyes of a traveler, or the blurry eyes of someone mixing vodka and tequila, and wanted to share that if you are nice and generous to people, you might get rewarded or at least meet some other nice, generous people in return.

Namaste.

Saying Yes

Planning my visit to Asheville had me thinking back to this time last year. Lainie and I had just moved into a new house together in Austin without any solid expectations of what the upcoming twelve months would bring. Our two original plans, of living in a rat-free home and buying a functioning washer/dryer, had already fallen through, so all we really had was a signed lease and the hope that things could only go up from there.

Since then, after exchanging appliances and putting up with many visits from the pest control man, we buckled in and sat back while life did its thing. We had a lot of fun in our house. Lainie got engaged and started planning a wedding. We moved a bunch of furniture. She changed cities while I changed neighborhoods, and, for the most part, we both spend our days in wildly different ways than in early 2016.

I'll always admire Lainie since, when the world presented her with a completely new and exciting plan, she said "Sure, ok, I'll try it" instead of fearfully retreating back to her comfort zone. And now she lives in a cool house in a cool new city with a cool dude. I'm glad I have a lovely new place for visiting and the steady reminder that however good our known surroundings might be, there's always the fun chance that the unknown might be even better.

Thanks for having me, Asheville!