COLORADO = A BREAK FROM MY "EVERYDAY"

I just spent an amazing week in Colorado. I love Colorado, in fact I tell people that my heart lives in the mountains of Colorado, Summit County to be exact, and I just go and visit it a few times per year. It really is the truth, Colorado is home to me...when I land I have this deep sense of "I'm home" I just haven't figured out a way to move my entire life in Michigan out there yet. Many of you know already, most of my close friends from chiropractic college live right in Denver. They are the kind of friends that even if we never got out and did anything, just sitting around and talking with them rejuvenates me. This past July, another one of my really close friends moved out to Boulder from Michigan, though actually I think he and Choco miss each other more than they even consider me. :) So my time was spent between the mountains, Denver and Boulder. I was able to get 4 full days of snowboarding in which was amazing. Saturday at Vail with friends, Sunday at Breckenridge with other friends, Wednesday at Breckenridge my myself and the last full day at Beaver Creek, my new favorite place. During my time away from my "everyday", I also like to spend some deliberate time journaling and creating an image for how I want my life to be. Have you ever sat and thought about what you really want in your life? Did you know you have a choice in the matter? It is a wonderful, powerful and super fun thing to do if you haven't ever tried it. The great thing about it is once you put it on paper, you get to look back from further down the road and see how much of what you wrote down, actually manifested. Give it a try!

So my time away from my "everyday" was a perfect blend of time in the mountains, time with friends, time alone, time on my snowboard, time in the city, time wandering, time being active, and time resting. The pictures tell the story...

LIFE IS INCREDIBLE!!!!

This is un-freaking-believable!!! I am sitting in seat 37A (the picture is my view from this seat, back end of this plane is empty) on a Delta flight to Atlanta and I AM ON THE INTERNET!!! Because I flew just last week, I knew free Wi-Fi was happening on these flights so I packed my laptop...I thought, what a perfect time to catch up on blogging!!! So I am heading down to spend New Years Eve with some really great friends. New Years Eve is always a little over-rated however I think the plans that we have are going to be just the ticket to ring in 2011.

I would like to say a fond farewell to 2010 as a lot of wonderful things happened this past year: traveled to Costa Rica, Ecuador, Georgia (twice), South Carolina, Colorado (twice); bought a commercial building to move my practice into and renovated the building; welcomed a beautiful niece into this world and have enjoyed watching her grow; one of my brothers got married so also welcomed another sister-in-law to the family; spent a lot of time with my wonderful family; welcomed a lot of new practice members into the Cafe of LIFE; welcomed a lot of new little ones into the practice since we see a lot of pregnant mothers; took doula training; ran the Detroit Half Marathon for the 2nd time; finished the CRIM 1o mile for the 5th time; dated a super neat guy; made some new friends and deepened some existing friendships; enjoyed a few sweat lodge ceremonies; intensified my commitment to my yoga practice; healed from a nasty shoulder injury; started coaching chiropractors again; started playing soccer again after my 15 year hiatus; and so many other wonderful things too numerous to list here. Looking back on your year, what fond memories have you created?

Some of my friends and I come up with a slogan for the year...like last year was "Life is Zen in 2010"...which for me, really didn't pan out so well (not in a bad way, just not quite what you would call "Zen0. So this year we are talking "Life is Heaven in 2011" but I am not sure sure I want to have quite that high of an aim (no pun intended)...so I am thinking "There will be Seven in 2011". Seven what you might ask? I will be asking the same question and I look forward to finding that out. I kind of dig the mystery of what it might mean... we only get one chance...make your 2011 the best year yet!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

WISH TO YOU...

"Wishing you a slower pace, some private time, a dreaming place, and all the things that make a happy heart"...

LET IT SNOW!!!

The snow is here!!! Come on people, it is inevitable that it was coming. How much more sunshine and warm weather could you handle? Sometimes I just get so sick of the sunshine!!! I'm only kidding, who doesn't love the sunshine. I really look at snow like it is a little touch of sunshine. I absolutely love when everything is beautifully covered in the white stuff. It really isn't the holidays without snow so I think December 1st is the perfect time for it to start flying. Of course many of you know that to me, snow means SNOWBOARDING!!! One of my most favorite things to do. My happiest place is anywhere strapped to my snowboard. Since I could walk, my parents had me on skies (and prior to that, I was in a backpack on their back while they skied). Getting to play in the snow like that from such a young age makes for growing up with a great appreciation for winter. I have 3 brothers and together we were busy-bodies. The 4 of us were born within 5 years (my parents were going for 10 kids, stopped at 4 thank goodness) and my parents would get us involved in things that would wear us out. In the summer we would swim 4-5 times per week and in the winter we would ski 4 days per week out at a little private ski place called Kandahar on Foley Rd. (anyone remember Kandahar?). We would ski Wednesday nights, Friday nights, all day Saturday and Sunday would make for 4 very tired children (they were smart parents). About 14 years ago, I took up snowboarding and have not turned back. In fact, every winter I watch skiers and wonder what it would be like to be going down the hill facing forward with feet strapped to their own planks. It seems like such a strange thing. I am sure I would just pick it right back up, but it has been years and years. Big Sky, Montana is my most favorite place I have been, then Vail, Colorado and Alyeska, Alaska would have to be third. People are happy on the slopes, everyone is in a good mood and some of the world's greatest conversations are had on the chairlift. To me, it is meditative, it is peaceful and the closest thing to flying. I will be hitting up Mt. Holly a little bit this year as well. Maybe I will see you on the slopes. :)
Pictures are me in Colorado last March. First one is at Keystone and the second one is smiling on the chairlift at Vail.