Because of Snowboarding

Snowboarding. Most people think of this as just a sport. Ok... a really awesome sport.  For me, this word means so much more.  Snowboarding is what motivates me, what inspires me, what relaxes me, what gets me more hyped up than any drug or energy drink could even come close to.  It IS my drug. My therapist. My outlet.  My passion.  My love. My life. Instead of defining snowboarding, it is what defines me. 

I consider myself one of the luckiest people in the world to have found something that I am so passionate about, as some less fortunate will never know what it is to have something be such a driving force and influence in their lives.  Snowboarding has taken me to places I only dreamed of going, inspired me, gave me the courage to move to a place where I didnt know a soul, led me to friendships that i will carry with me for the rest of my life, and more amazing memories than I can even begin to count. 

Because of snowboarding, at the age of twenty I packed my gear into a bag, hopped on my first solo flight and headed out to Park City, Utah.  I was invited on this trip by friends that I had met in Cancun, Mexico on vacation who lived in Los Angeles and New York City.  It was because they knew how much I loved snowboarding that I got invited on this trip of a lifetime.  When I arrived in Park City, I was greeted by a heavy down pour of Utah's famous "best snow on earth", as well as a welcoming hot tub on the deck of our plush six story condo in Deer Valley.  It was on this trip that I realized I had to be somewhere where I was free to do this anytime I wanted.  My life was not complete without this element in it. 

It wasn't long after that trip that I applied for a job at Breckenridge, which is now the one place in this world that holds my heart.  I have traveled to so many beautiful places, but THIS place, this is my haven.  But without snowboarding, I would have never found such an amazing dot on the map.  Because of my love for snowboarding I moved to a perfect ski town, one comparable to anything a Hollywood studio could dream up, filled with people from all around the world who share the same passion as me.  Because of snowboarding I was given the courage and strength to leave all things familiar.  I gave up all the luxuries of a normal life and job, because to me they were no longer luxuries.  I lived off of ramen noodles and peanut butter and jelly, hopped on a bus at 6 am in extreme temperatures, and shoveled snow all day for tourists.  But I wouldnt trade any of that for the feeling that I get whenever I am able to snowboard every.single.day.

So. What is snowboarding to me? It's that anticipation in fall, knowing that winter is just around the corner.  It's a trip up the mountain with a car full of gear, good music, and great friends.  It's the butterflies you get in your stomach when you first get off the lift and hear the clicking of bindings being strapped down to boots and knowing what comes next.  It's finding just the right song that makes the ride that much better.  It's disconnecting from the entire world, just you and the mountain, and forgetting about everything else in life, because nothing else at that moment could possibly matter more.  It's a side trail that so few know about, weaving in and out of trees, and just stopping to take in the beauty, silence, and scenery that is all around you. It's pillowtops that can only be described as shimmering clouds of snow, that if you landed on you would surely sink forever. The mountain is like a canvas, and you are the artist, and you have so many natural elements to use as your paintbrushes, to paint an amazing new picture each and every run.  I am never more myself than when I am snowboarding, and if I have my way, I will snowboard until I can't anymore because I was given the talent to do something that has blessed my life in more ways than I could ever have imagined. 

Because of snowboarding... I am me.

until next time...

peace&love

It's the simple things in life...

OK. New goal: to write in this blog more often! I have done so much in the last five months, and then rack my brain of ways to spill all these things into one blog.  But that's exactly what this post is going to be about.  Taking time to slow down and REALLY enjoy the things that truly make you happy & sharing it with others around you!
Living in San Diego is wonderful!  Being surrounded by so many things to do, not only in this city but in California in general, the possibilities are endless.  I have said many times that I could spend the next 5 years of my life exploring California alone and be perfectly happy. However I have found the things that I have enjoyed the most throughout my recent adventures, often come down to the simplest things in that moment making me smile. 
In the past few months I have been to Hollywood, Las Vegas, attempted surfing, ate at some of the best restaurants this city has to offer, been to a live taping of Chelsea Lately (one of my favorite tv shows might I add, she is fabulous!)... I could sit here and list things for days and days of all the "glamourous" California-lifestyle things that I have done, and I am grateful for them all.  But when I think about some of my favorite moments, it's not about the glitz and glamour and expensive restaurants or Las Vegas shows or ANY of that. 
My fondest memories have been those moments where I realize "Wow. My life is amazing. This is beautiful. THIS is LIVING.  And I am SO thankful."  To me, my favorite moments include a beautiful sunset on the beach on the fourth of July with the company of great friends.  Riding a bike and pulling your friend on a skateboard to the beach at 2 am just to sit in the sand and enjoy the waves.  Driving down the freeway and even though you are in the midst of rush hour traffic, thanking God for giving you the desire to follow your dreams, and realize you are living them, and you are exactly where you want to be at that moment.  A day of hiking along the cliffs of the Pacific Ocean and being in the company of what will surely be a life long friend who shares the same rare sense of adventure.  Endulging in that yummy dessert (or pint of ben & jerry's!) that you know is the best part no matter how sinful it may seem later.  A night in with the girls with good food and good wine and knowing that we are all equally grateful for having each other in our lives.  THESE things are what makes life worth living. 

So that being said, I wanted to share a few of my recent adventures, but also leave you with the challenge to stop and be thankful for the things that TRULY make you happy.   "What if you woke up tomorrow with only the things that you thanked God for today?"  What would you thank HIM for? What makes your life worth living?

A little piece of heaven: a latte. a fruit&yogurt bowl. and a beautiful garden <3

A mimosa. A harbor view. And a hometown friend.

Gorgeous flowers at a Farmers Market

Watching surfers at the Wave House

A beautiful sunset on the fourth of July with amazing friends

Banana fosters dessert from the melting pot, with great company

A ferris wheel on the pier in Santa Monica

Site-seeing in La Jolla

a hike to the Hollywood Sign and the amazing views

Hiking the cliffs in Del Mar with a best friend




Until next time...

Peace&Love,

Summer-To-Do-List

Ah! How many times have I saw something AWESOME that I wanted to do, or had some insanely brilliant idea (ahem... i'm quite good for that!)... that i forgot about 10 minutes later because I didn't write it down? I lost count. With all this talk of new adventures, finding new hobbies, or just doing things to bring out my creative side... I lose focus after I come across idea # 637,924! 

Well... time to focus! If I am ever going to start crossing things off my list, I suppose I should have....um, a list. So, I decided to break it down.  While I have a bucket list a mile long of epic adventures I want to embark on throughout this crazy life... I also need short term goals (isn't that what they taught us in like elementary school?)  So it is my goal to make a physical list of goals, that i can cross off as I do them... and hopefully when the summer is over I will look back with the satisfaction of seeing all of my plans marked off.... and the amazing memories to go along with them!  

Thanks to a new favorite website, I found some inspiration for my to do lists!  Here's what I found, I hope they inspire you like they did me, and I can't wait to finish my own to share! (oh, I also included a few things that are on my list!)

Love this. What a great way to mark off things one by one! 

Make a bulletin board that you can tack things to as you come across them.  Include newspaper ads, restaurants, flyers, or just sticky notes that you make as you think of ideas.  Pull them off as you go, but be sure to save them all in a safe place so you can look back on all you have done! 

Definitely at the top of my to do list: paddle boarding. 

an area of mine that needs some improvement... but a goal by the end of summer! 

Well... I DO live in California. Wine tasting is a MUST!

Do I need to say more here? Who doesn't want to be a surfer girl? 

This is numero uno on my list. Buy an amazing camera. Take photography classes. Take amazing pictures.

Pics of my to do list... coming soon! 

peace&love

my oh my, how things have changed.

Well. I suppose it is time for a new blog, being as a LOT has changed since my first and only blog.  My location, my relationship status or lack there-of, but most importantly my state of mind.

In my last post I spoke of being happy and content with where you are and what you have.  Which I still do believe... to an extent.  I must confess that when I was writing that post, I felt like I was trying to convince myself more than anyone else that is what I truly believed.  In reality I was not being true to myself at all. So this post is about being true to yourself. Following your dreams. Not living your life based on what someone else thinks is the correct way, but on what you truly feel is the right path for your life.  Don't ever be CONTENT... with your life. Be HAPPY. LOVE your life.
Anyone who knows me knows that i'm well.... sort of a gypsy.  I haven't managed to stay in one place very long,  and I'm ok with that, but I was always looking for something else.  Since I was 16, I have always had this "gut feeling" that I belonged in California.  Corny, I know. My personality, and the things i enjoy doing are ABUNDANT in this state... why would i NOT love it here.  But I kept taking detours, ending up in different places, and ignoring said "gut feeling"... which we all know how those detours ended up.  It is sad that it took such a violent shove to get me to follow my dreams, but I finally am living my life for ME, and I am where I have wanted to be the whole time. The point I am trying to make is... listen to yourself.  Tap into that voice or instinct inside you that is telling you what you really love & where you really need to be. Never, ever lose yourself and what makes you, you. Be unique. Follow your passions.  Do things that scare you.  Do what people tell you you cannot do.

"No one can save us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path". 

So to update... I am in sunny, beautiful Southern California. The weather is perfect. EVERYTHING is beautiful. There are more things that i love to do here than I could have even dreamed.  Amazing, friendly people.... and this is just the first 2 weeks.  I am sure there will be many more exciting adventures to share with you in the near future.  But in the mean time I challenge you to ask yourself... am i happy or am i content? Am I doing what i LOVE? what are your dreams? what is something you have always wanted to do? What steps are you taking to make that happen?

oh, and i promise not all my blogs will be these deep, life lessons.  adventure. hobbies. and music all to come!
until then...

Peace&Love

"Home is not a place, it's a state of mind."

Well, for the last 4 months of my life, I have been trying to implement this phrase into my life.  I have always lived in such BEAUTIFUL places, that i often took them for granted.  The mountains of North Carolina, to the beaches of South Carolina, and all the way to the mountains of Colorado.  When my fiance,who is in the air force,  found out he got stationed in KNOB NOSTER, MISSOURI... well, let's just say there are no mountains, nor beaches. So I have really been trying to make this place feel like home.  Which can be difficult for a new couple in a new place.  The apartment we are currently in is certainly temporary, so it makes it hard for me want to make it "home-y", which is difficult for the interior designer inside me to accept! So, I have decided to be patient, and in the mean time look for the underlying message to be learned from our situation.  "Home is not a place, it's a state of mind".  You make your own little paradise, wherever you go.  You just have to stay true to what you are passionate about, things that make you happy in your every day life, and DO THEM. Find NEW passions. I have a whole LIST of new things that I want to do, that I can try no matter where I live. Also, LOVE the people who are around you and mean the most to you.  They are what makes your life special, not the zip code you put on an envelope.
That being said... I've decided to dedicate my blog to things i love.  

• Traveling.
• Crafts & DIY.
• Snowboarding.
• Photos.
• Music.
• Cooking.
• Health&Wellness.

I am in the process of making a list of things I want to do... more on that later.  What are some things you want to try? What are you waiting for?

Hope you enjoy....

Peace&love.