“I don’t think this plant will bounce back by spring,” my husband said as he gestured to the potted plant next to our outdoor table. We both laughed, looking at the stick leaning over with broken branches dangling from it. Some things, I thought, just don’t bounce back. It made me think of the peace lily that was sent to me four years ago…

The team I manage works in Sprints. This means that at the start of a two week period, we have a meeting to plan out everything that we hope to get done in the next two weeks. We look to our backlog, a list of small projects that help us reach our larger goals, and assign out items to each person. We size them, estimating how long they might take, and…

I sat at the table across from him, nervous about what he would say. Everything up until this point had been theoretical tests and written papers. He would be the first person to give me feedback on my performance in the classroom. Does he think I have what it takes to be a teacher? Sitting at that table, I had no idea that what this man would tell me would not only influence Graduate School grades or what I would do next with my 8th grade Science class, but it would be something I would still remember many years later.

This week's post is very short, because I am giving myself permission to rest. I needed a break so I'm taking one, and I hope this short blurb is a reminder that you can take one too. You can be driven, and accomplished, and have high expectations for yourself, while still taking time for your mental health.

The African Unicorn is one of the oddest looking animals I have ever seen. The first time someone described it to me, I thought - no way that exists. When I looked at the Zebra striped legs and the Giraffe-like head, my logical mind started to work out how this could happen…

It's getting to that time in the year when, if you set a New Year's Resolution for yourself, you may be at the breaking point. If you are, this is probably the reason why: you reached too high. The image above is one I saw on social media at the start of the year. 22 goals for 2022. While I'm a sucker for alliteration, this is the worst set of goals I have ever seen…

15 minutes ago, I was sitting on the couch staring at my phone. It was around 8am on a Saturday. A Saturday that I had carved out to write and had a goal of finishing a chapter by the end of the day. Every part of me wanted to sit there with my coffee, and just enjoy the morning. I didn't want to get up. I didn't want to write. Frankly, I didn't want to do anything. There was nothing good on my phone, and even though I knew that sitting at my desk writing would make me happy, I still didn't want to do it. Do you know what got me to move? A few weeks ago…

I cling to comfort. So much so that it is embarrassing to share. I should be brave and courageous and not think twice about trying something new. Those that only know me from a distance may make the assumption that I am a daring extrovert always game for the next big thing. But the truth is… I have to gather emotional strength just to move my laptop to a different location in my own house.

A few weeks ago, I learned an amusing anecdote about Charles Darwin. Apparently, he enjoyed collecting beetles. Like, really enjoyed it. Dude was obsessed. You know how I have exercise goals and writing goals? Well, this guy had beetle goals. And hey, I ain’t judging. To each his own. Although there is one moment in this story that I do judge a little…

I wrote that poem when I was 8. It was the first thing I ever wrote, but it wasn’t the last. My journey from that 2nd grade classroom to 2022 is one I decided weeks ago I wanted to tell you about. I wrote most of it in November, then in late December I set it aside in a queue of mostly finished pieces. What I didn't realize was that…

Several weeks ago, Facebook shared a memory with me of a trip to Budapest. It was in 2019, just before Christmas, just before the world changed forever. I was supposed to be there for work Monday and flying home Friday, just in time to attend an annual Christmas concert that I hadn't missed in 8 years, as well as a weekend away for a friend's birthday. Long story short…

The first time I stayed at the Home 2 Suites in Lehi, I saw this little card next to the front desk. It highlighted a nice path nearby where I'd be able to walk or run. I wanted to grab it and go explore, but the part of me that doesn't like to try new things talked myself out of it. I thought about it every morning when I woke up. I thought about it the next time I was there too. But instead of taking a risk with the unknown, my anxious self-talk talked me down and I stuck with the treadmill in the small hotel gym.

In this picture, I'm standing on top of a ledge that I would have never even thought about climbing if it wasn't for Bryce.

It was getting closer to 3pm. I had told myself that I was going to get back out on the trails by 4 and so I started to gather my things. I finished my lunch, got my backpack, and was ready to head out when Chad told me about the forecast.

Last week, or in my time-line 30 seconds ago, when I wrote about following the trail, I couldn't help but think about the people that laid down the rock towers. Before I ever set foot here, who was the person to see a giant rock that looked like a whale and decided to try and climb up? And not only did they climb up, but they laid down a path so that they could climb up again.

A few days ago, I had taken a wrong turn after work and found myself at Cabela's. On a whim, I went inside to see if I would be inspired to buy any last minute supplies for my trip. Medium story short, I bought a map of Moab. I didn't actually think I would need it, because phones and GPS and Trail Apps and all that, but it was there and I was there, so I bought it. I figured it would be a good souvenir. Fast forward to a very large national park, no cell service, and my souvenir map becoming my best friend.

Every year, one of my friends sends out a letter for Christmas. She types it out and spends lots of thoughtful time updating her friends and family on everything that is going on in their lives. As a family that lives in a different state without internet or cell service, these letters and our occasional land line phone calls are the only time I get to catch up. I cherish getting the letters and reading them. It’s like I’m taken back to a time and place where…

I was driving down a local highway, switching through radio stations, when I landed on a song I have heard a million times. This time, though, it took me back to a different place…. Some will win… some will lose… some were born to sing the blues… Oh the movie never ends it goes on… and on… and on… Suddenly I'm standing there with Kyle and Morgan.

Something I love about marathoners, and perhaps runners in general, is that we aren't afraid to celebrate. When you cross that finish line, a special thing happens. You are handed your medal, you put it over your neck like everyone else, and you celebrate the big thing you just did. At the finish line, it doesn’t matter how fast you ran the race. It doesn't matter…

It was about mile 7. Or maybe it was 8, when I first saw him coming up next to me. He hung there for a while, matching my stride, then falling a little behind when I would get some bursts of energy. Then, nearing mile 10, when I started to hit the wall, he edged far enough in front of me that I could see the back of his shirt. It read: Iron Sharpens Iron.