We're standing around the bar at Brick & Mortar and I'm sipping bourbon and this sweeeeeeeeet song comes on the speakers. I'm trying to Shazam it, but it's too loud. And I'm all "Guys! What is this song?" But no one knows. A new friend says, "It sounds like Lorde?" and I think yeah it sounds like Lorde.
It's Lorde. It's super melodic. It's super Lorde. It's super nod your head along and maybe sway your shoulders too.
How often do I hear a song or a fragment of a song and think oh yeah I dig it? Oh yeah that's resonant? Oh yeah I'm inspired?
All the time.
So what am I inspired about? These truths, my truths: I feel powerful when I run. I feel elated when I write. I feel creative when I take photos. I feel centered when I do yoga. I feel free when I travel. I feel supercharged when I talk about goals and visions.
This isn't a blog only for running and workouts, or only for beautiful, super-sized photos of places that aren't home. What I do here (and always want to do here) is dig in deep. I mean for this blog to be a kaleidoscope of loves and dreams. Because life is anything but one dimensional.
This life is so much fun, and this life has it all. All kinds of inspirations.
I haven't written anything in a few days. I came down with a bad cold and I have an adorable habit of blacking out when I have colds. Oh yeah. Straight up blacking out. Somewhere between riding high on Sudafed and total exhaustion, I pass out. So I'm sorry if I haven't responded to your texts or emails or calls. Really I am.
I'm not really better, but I decided that I was well enough to go to Hip Hop Yoga tonight. (Don't tell my mom. Be cool. Don't tell on me.) I had a yoga friend date with Z at Back Bay Yoga, which is the best kind of friend date, and I thought maybe sweating the cold out would help. Goldie kept the room dark and heated and kept us flowing and moving and twisting and reaching. And it worked for me in so many ways.
In the bigger sense of things, as I do more yoga, it feels better and better for me. Twenty minutes into class, my muscles let go. They just let go. I stopped feeling my joints. Everything felt like butter. Smooth and easy. And in a loud and sweaty class, what mattered was the movement and the motion and the music. That's all there was. The sun set, the windows fogged up, the music kept bumping, and we flowed.
We moved through Sun A series and, as we reached up and stood up, Goldie said something resonant. I don't remember it exactly. It was something like: "Reach up with your hands for something good. Visualize it."
We had a split second to visualize. But I think maybe that's all the time I needed. Because what came to me instinctively is the thought that I want my own version of happiness. I don't want anyone else's. I want mine. And I know what mine looks like and I know that I'm living it everyday. It's here. It's happening. Smooth and easy.
So maybe I'll take my time and rest up and get over this cold. I'll keep on running and keep on doing yoga, and I'll enjoy the hell out of Christmas (because it truly is the most magical time of the year) and enjoy the hell out of New Year's in Boston (because this city is awesomely beautiful in the frosty cold). And when 2014 rolls around.. well hell. I have no doubt that it will be exceptional. How can it not be?
I got that off-black Cadillac, midnight drive
Got that gas pedal, leaning back, taking my time
I’m rolling that roof off, letting in sky
I shine, the city never looked so bright
I'm back in Boston after Denver, between travel for Thanksgiving and travel for Christmas, and before all of the travel that's going down in 2014 (stay tuned, y'all). And I am so glad that I am here, because the air is cold, the city is lit up and dressed up for the holidays, and there are people to meet, things to eat, and so much to be grateful for:
- My very first Hanukkah. If you follow me on Instagram, you saw the blazing menorah last night. Well, there was actually more than one.
Is four menorahs too many? I thought it was just right. And then we ate latkes and applesauce and everyone shared funny dating stories. Please note that these were not my first latkes - in fact, I went through a latkes-making phase a few years ago - but it was very much my first Hanukkah. It was lovely.
- Ladies' Brunch from The Toast. This satire of brunch planning is a few months old and I only just read it, but oh I am so glad that I did. It's a little terrifying but um also kinda sorta true. Instagram makes us do crazy things.
"Is Williamsburg cute? I feel like it’s all flannel wearing guys lol no
offense just not my type. BUT Brooklyn might be fun and like cute for
instagrams."
- And speaking of Brooklyn, you've seen the trailer for season three of Girls, right? It's kickass (as all trailers for Girls are), but more importantly THAT SONG. It's Ways to Go by Grouplove.
The music video is a little weird. I'm not so sure what I just watched. It's cool. Just go with it.
- And, while latkes and music videos and brunch are all super important, there's other stuff happening too. I've been thinking about the holidays and why they typically don't mean health. We have the chance to spend time at home and spend time with the people we love most... why can't those experiences be connected to wellness? Why do we have to wait until New Year's Day to start living our healthiest, happiest lives? Let's not wait until 2014. And while we're at it, let's not wait until next month or next week or tomorrow either.
So this is what I'm down for: I'm down to kick my own ass (the last three days: Core Fusion Barre at Exhale, spin at Recycle Studio, and Hip Hop Yoga at Back Bay Yoga). I'm down to get up at 5:30am to run. I'm down to come up with answers to the hard questions. I'm down to get outside and to get moving. I'm down to buy plane tickets. I'm down to make my goals more real and more specific and to create and invest in the circumstances and relationships that will support my goals.
Today, I was walking across the Public Garden and I saw the palest rainbow above Beacon Hill. No else seemed to see it. In that moment, I thought maybe I was the only one I could see it. Now I know that's silly. But the park was empty and so was Beacon Street and there was the rainbow. So I started walking towards it.
Here's the truth: I'm down to (literally and figuratively) chase some rainbows. Because, for all of my realism and all of my practicality, I believe that there are pots of gold and I believe that wonderful things can happen. They're already happening.
