Archive for May, 2011
Left at Albuquerque!
Bugs Bunny is nothing if not famous for uttering the line, “You know, I knew I should’ve taken a left turn at Albuquerque.”
Ok, so that line is no where near as famous as his, “Hey! What’s up Doc?”, but it’s famous none-the-less! And since I was driving through A-town on the way to Phoenix, Brian and I couldn’t help but bust-out our best Bugs Bunny impersonations. Ah, sometimes it’s the little things that make life!
Thee important thing to take-away from Bugs Bunny’s antics is that even though you may take a “wrong turn” (or as I prefer to say it – a longer journey), you need to live in the moment and enjoy the experience! Take the longer journey in stride and appreciate the situation you’ve released yourself into. Trust that you’re meant to have that moment. Learn from it and then move towards your destination.
Just look at what I experienced by taking the longer journey from Wisconsin to Arizona:
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK – ESTES PARK, CO. This is a shot of the highest point I reached. It’s two miles above sea-level and this picture just simply does not do it justice! In person, this view is absolutely terrifying and wonder-filled. You experience this sense of amazement – it’s that “You made it!” feeling. You know the one!!!
GARDEN OF THE GODS – COLORADO SPRINGS, CO. Do you see the kissing camels? And of all things, while walking through the park, I overheard a Green Bay Packers conversation. Needless to say, I joined in! Turns out a guy from ‘Sconnie was visiting his parents for Mother’s Day, and they had struck up a debate with a young professional from Washington, DC. Soon we turned the conversation into a discussion on local breweries. And wouldn’t you know it? The good son brought up Leinies and asked if I was going to take a picture for their newsletter. Sure enough, I had a six-pack of Leinie’s Red in my trunk for my soon-to-be roommates. Although we didn’t take the picture (I declined to sneak booze into a family-friendly park), I now have a few new friends in Colorado Springs. Happy day!
ROYAL GORGE OF THE ARKANSAS – CANON CITY, CO. After driving through a parade route for Canon City’s 73rd Music & Blossom Festival (where every middle school and high school marching within a 100-mile radius was performing) I made it to the natural wonder that is the Royal Gorge of the Arkansas. I was (AGAIN!) blown away by Mother Nature and Modern Man. As in the Rockies, the combination of human ingenuity and nature is beyond marvelous. The second-highest suspension bridge in the world, 955 feet above the Arkansas River that you can (if you so choose) drive a car across. A 45-degree rail cart up and down the side of a cliff. An aerial tram from one side of the gorge to the other. The World’s Scariest Sky Coaster. Really! Just absolutely incredible!
So here’s to taking ownership of the “wrong turn” or as we’ll call it, “the longer journey”! Embrace it and appreciate the time spent experiencing it. Then, move enthusiastically towards your destination refreshed, enlightened and at peace.
Are you ready for the journey to begin?
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!
A little David Bowie reference for you today. You’re welcome! (But, truth be told, I didn’t even know it was Bowie until this YouTube link showed up as I was Googling “ch-ch-ch-ch-changes”. What can I say? Pop-culture references prior to the ’90s elude me. Honestly, people have gone out of their way to make lists of 1980s movies for me so I can catch up. Really.)
Anyways…
Regarding change.
Two weeks ago I did something bold. I moved to Arizona. From Wisconsin. I drove more than 2,000 miles in four days. Exhausting – yes. Emotional roller coaster – yes. Worth it – absolutely! I hiked the Rockies, walked through the Garden of the Gods, explored the Royal Gorge of the Arkansas, and saw the country. (Well, except for Nebraska. I drove through it primarily in the dark.) When I arrived in Tempe, I was immediately greeted by my new roommates Bill, Tiff and their soon-to-be eight-year-old son, Kai. Over the next few months, the four of us will be living in the amazing home of an ASU professor who is currently on sabbatical. Change is good!
View Directions to Tempe, AZ in a larger map
Change is also hard. A lot of people ask me how Brian and I can handle being so very far apart. (That’s right. My best friend of 12 years/husband of four years and I are 2,000 miles away from each other.) Well, we’ve had some practice being in a long-distance relationship. Back in our early days, I spent three semesters at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, while he was studying at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. But the real reason we’re able to make this work is two-fold. First, we trust each other completely. Second, we know that being a part now will serve us well as a couple in our future. And what I mean by that is this time spent in Arizona is allowing me to focus on bringing my work/business/career aspirations to fruition so that we can live our lives and engage the world without the limitations that come with working for some one else.
How goes the change in your world?
P.S. Regarding the literary fiction idea from this post…currently it’s on the waaaaay back burner. While I think it would be incredibly rewarding to write literary fiction – memoirs, stories of the past and present – I’m finding it difficult to imagine myself putting all my eggs into one basket until the piece of fiction is complete. For now, I’ll focus my writing on developing content for this site.
