I’ve gone hiking 3 times in the past 12 days. For some it doesn’t sound like much, but for me it’s huge! The last few years, exercise has been inconsistent for me. In the past, I’d feel this drive inside of me at times, but it was often fueled by seth-loathing and vehement hate for my body. I would run full speed ahead into whatever I felt would “fix” me, but it often left me feeling drained afterwards. Motivation bred in hate doesn’t lead to very satisfying outcomes. So over time, I would give up. Crawl back into my hole, disgusted with my body’s inability to “keep up” with whatever I was trying to do to it. In beginning to heal my relationship with myself, I’ve been trying to find ways to move my body that truly bring me joy. Yoga has been a huge help, even doing it for 10 minutes a day, but I was ready for more. Then, two weekends ago my friend Katie invited me to a hiking group event. Now, this wasn’t any old hiking group. It was a SINGLES hiking group. And if you don’t know, I’m m

Happy Father's Day One and All! Especially to those who have lost their father's, don't have a father figure, have lost a child, or one of the very human experiences many of us face. Certain holidays are a joy for some, while a sad reminder for others. Or a little of both. For me, it's always both. I want to focus on the happy memories. So for this Sunday, I am thankful for the many wonderful men in my life.  My Dad: The first man I ever celebrated Father's Day with. He's is a gentle, loving soul who would do anything to help those he loves, be it road tripping to visit grandpa. He is meticulous and thoughtful, with a quick wit that makes me smile. My happiest memories are our various road trips where I can trap you in the car and talk for hours. That uninterrupted alone time is so precious to me. Love you Dad! My Grampa Paulson:  My Grampa Paulson was an amazing man. A Prisoner of War in WWII. A family man of 6 awesome (& rambunctious) kids who I proudly c

I recently went on a trip with my dad to visit my grandparents. We hadn’t seen them in almost 2 years. They live about 5 hours from us, and as I graduated from college and transitioned into the “adult” portion of life, it was harder and harder to find the time to visit with them. It was usually once or twice a year at most. My family was planning to see them Memorial Day Weekend of 2020…. and then good old COVID rolled into town.  Now that we are all fully vaccinated, I jumped at the chance to road trip with my dad to see my grandma & grandpa. They had been left to their own devices, and I wanted to see with my own eyes how they were doing. The days leading up to the trip, I was so anxious. Working in senior living and home health care has made me a bit cynical, always assuming the worst because I’ve seen it. Cockroaches jumping out of kitchen cabinets. America’s elderly living off meager scraps. Struggling to afford their medications. It’s gut wrenching.  My grandparents aren’t in