four years down, eternity to go. It is crazy to think D & I have already been married for four years--we've basically graduated the high school of marriage! haha. It has been a roller coaster of a ride, but definitely a good one. I was thinking of some highlights and we've pretty much been around the world and back. Literally in traveling, but also moving pretty much every year and in starting up a business. Marriage is definitely no cakewalk--and has been a fine balance all around. Out of all the things I've done consistently, this is probably the most consistent I've worked at something!
It'll be interesting what year five will bring--but here are some highlights...
- Started off marriage driving up the California, Oregon, and Washington coast.
- Took D's parents over to Southeast Asia and had a traditional Chinese Wedding. Then we travelled around to Singapore, Malaysia, and Bali.
- First apartment in downtown SLC (this was a BIG step for D living in the 'city')
- Went to Iceland with our friend Devin
- Decided to start a business, D went to guide training in Washington.
- Moved to Millcreek basement
- I went to Ireland & Scotland with 5 other girls (including 2 sister in law's Co & Jan)
- Decided to name the business Roam, narrowed the focus to bikepacking/human-powered adventure, decided to base operations out of Monticello, launched a crowdfunder
- Had my third and final ankle surgery!
- Moved to Cottonwood Heights with Devin and Tyler as roommates
- Bought a dog--Aldo (Lt. Aldo Raine)
- Left my job at the University of Utah--made the big move to Monticello chasing our dream of owning a human-powered adventure business
- Bought our first house
- Launched Roam in Monticello
- I started working for Monticello City as the Parks & Rec Director (Leslie Knope wannabe)
- Went to England & biking in Wales
- Tons of skiing, biking, and climbing
i've been thinking a lot lately about fear and where it originates for me. many consider me fearless in a conventional sort of way--i climb, mountain bike, ski, participate in what many consider "high risk" activities. my mom still cringes at the thought, more so at the fact that my scarred knuckles and legs aren't very lady-like. i was a lost cause pretty early on regardless of how many dresses or bows were put in my hair.
those closer to me know i am not completely without fear when it comes to these activities, like everyone else i have mental hurtles. one of the most recurring hurtles is going out with other adventurers. i fall into the unfortunate cycle of comparison which at times leads to me sidelining myself from an activity i love. am i going to be as fast as that guy? will i just be holding up the group? more simply put a fear of failure.
i like a quote i recently read, "we aren't competing with other women [or men], ultimately, but with ourselves -- with how we think of ourselves" (Emily V. Gordon). i like this quote because it pointedly states that fear of failure i have is derived from no where/one else then me. the competition within ourselves of comparison is a mental slippery slope that only gets slicker with time. breaking out of the cycle, breaking out of excessive introspective thoughts is key--and normally where reality hits. reality that in the end it all comes down to a common love for being outdoors or whatever other situation. ironically i'm one who falls into this trap when i'm the one who so often is trying to pull friends away from it. the more friends (male or female) i can get out to enjoy the things i love, the greater our circle grows. some of the greatest experiences i have to look back on are from experiences where i've been out of my comfort zone, or where i've been out with friends outside of their comfort zone. some experiences i regret not having are the ones i've missed out from not overcoming a mental hurtle.
we all have hurtles, hopefully too many aren't self-inflicted.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)