On My Mind
Posted on January 20th, 2017
I note the obvious differences
in the human family.
Some of us are serious,
some thrive on comedy.
Some declare their lives are lived
as true profundity,
and others claim they really live
the real reality.
The variety of our skin tones
can confuse, bemuse, delight,
brown and pink and beige and purple,
tan and blue and white.
I’ve sailed upon the seven seas
and stopped in every land,
I’ve seen the wonders of the world
not yet one common man.
I know ten thousand women
called Jane and Mary Jane,
but I’ve not seen any two
who really were the same.
Mirror twins are different
although their features jibe,
and lovers think quite different thoughts
while lying side by side.
We love and lose in China,
we weep on England’s moors,
and laugh and moan in Guinea,
and thrive on Spanish shores.
We seek success in Finland,
are born and die in Maine.
In minor ways we differ,
in major we’re the same.
I note the obvious differences
between each sort and type,
but we are more alike, my friends,
than we are unalike.
We are more alike, my friends,
than we are unalike.
We are more alike, my friends,
than we are unalike.
Maya Angelou
Thinking of my entire human family this weekend. As my mama always says, make good choices.
Disney Favorites
Posted on January 18th, 2017
While the marathon was absolutely the cornerstone of our most recent Disney World experience, we couldn’t fly all the way across the country without getting in a little playtime, too. We stretched our visit into a long weekend, arriving on a red eye at 6am on Saturday and leaving Tuesday afternoon, so we were able to fit in many of our favorites.
I was fortunate to go to Disney World with some regularity growing up, and while I think it is always important to visit a range of new places, I’m also glad I keep finding excuses to go back. The Disney World experience resonates particularly well with me for a few reasons: 1) I love the merging of logistics and creativity, and there is no better organization than Disney to marry the two 2) I love sunshine and warm weather 3) the four year old child set is one of my key demographics.
There is always something new to love at Disney World, but here are the things to which we always seem to find our way back:
Favorite Place to Stay- Grand Floridian. Nothing beats being on the monorail! We’ve had wonderful experiences at the Polynesian, too, but I prefer the light, bright Grand Floridian aesthetic and the band that plays in the lobby in the evenings.
Favorite Restaurant- California Grill. Their sushi is delicious, and the views and sunsets are spectacular. On this most recent trip, we watched the fireworks one evening from their rooftop deck– and witnessed a marriage proposal!
Favorite Drink- Pineapple drinks at Ohana. They’ll serve any cocktail you’d like in a pineapple, so that’s a no brainer!
Favorite Ride- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. So hard to pick just one, but I love that it combines the {relatively tame} roller coaster experience with a little classic Disney dark ride action.
Favorite Souvenir- Christmas Ornament. I tend to think this is the best souvenir no matter where I’m traveling, and Ian and I have gotten Disney ornaments with each of the last two years on them to commemorate our Run Disney races. They’re affordable and compact for traveling, too!
Favorite Moment- Watching fireworks in the Magic Kingdom. My passion for fireworks knows no bounds, and it’s even more special to watch them in the happiest place on earth.
I’m not sure when we’ll be back, particularly since there are so many places we want to visit, but I do know that the Wine & Dine Half Marathon is on my very shortest list of races to run…
Honeymoon Countdown
Posted on January 16th, 2017
One month from today, Ian and I will be leaving on our honeymoon!
We always knew we wanted to defer our honeymoon until after football season when the weather here is particularly dreary. When Ian and I were first thinking about our honeymoon, we were all geared up to check a super remote and exotic place off our dream vacations list. Bora Bora! Thailand! Australia! …but then we did a little research. Did you know it takes more than 24 hours to travel to Thailand from Seattle? Paid time off days do not grow on trees. Someday, we’ll be crazy world travelers, but not today. So we reeled it in a bit and looked closer to home.
On the other side of the spectrum, it is astonishingly easy to get to Hawaii from Seattle, so we decided to take advantage of that to see a gorgeous part of the world. Neither of us have ever been, but I think it will be the perfect balance of active adventures and tropical relaxing in a gorgeous and unique location.
Since I handled most of the wedding planning, Ian is swooping in to manage a lot of the logistics for this escapade. The plan is to break the trip into two chapters– we’ll have our active adventuring in Kauai for half of the week (staying at the St. Regis Princeville), and then island hop to Hawaii for a few days of lounging at Four Seasons Hualalai. SO stoked.
So turning it over to you guys– for those of you have been lucky enough to have a Hawaii getaway (or two!) under your belt, do you have any recommendations I can pass along to my husband travel concierge? Anything we absolutely shouldn’t miss?
Friday Five
Posted on January 13th, 2017
*shirt link here, other cities available
Watching… football. The Seahawks play tomorrow, so the Seattle 12s are decked out for Blue Friday. We’re assembling our squad of transplants to watch the game at a bar. Trying to blend in!
Planning… for a quick trip to San Francisco. My parents have to be in San Francisco for business at the end of the month, and they invited me down to hang out with them. I have spent very little time in the Bay Area, so I’m excited to explore. Any recommendations?
Crying over… true bromance at its best, and the internet’s interpretation. Even watching the coverage on the Today Show this morning made me a weepy mess on the treadmill. So much of politics is divisive, and it’s a wonderful reminder that sometimes these shared experiences can bring people together and forge deep bonds, too.
Shopping… for swimsuits. More on this later, but wish me luck. I have about a month to pick a winner, and between now and then I’ll model more swimsuits {in the privacy of my own home} than a Victoria’s Secret angel.
Listening… to Hamilton. When I see a new musical, I like to have a clean palette and no expectations, so as much as it pained me I refrained from listening to the Hamilton soundtrack on Spotify before seeing the show in December. The wait is over, and I can indulge in the pop culture phenomenon and bask in the intellectual creativity of Lin-Manuel Miranda like a normal millennial.
Enjoy your weekend!
We Could Go the Distance
Posted on January 11th, 2017
A full marathon is in the books! Ian and I ran the 2017 Walt Disney World Marathon on January 8, an unforgettable experience. Months of training and careful collection of tips and advice prepared us physically, but we knew that only living it ourselves would give us insight into the psychological battle waged during a 26.2 mile run.
As it turns out, the run wasn’t even the hardest part. The weather in Florida has been gorgeous so far this winter and is getting back to its gorgeous self in the second half of this week, but as I watched the forecast in the days leading up to our trip, I noticed an undeniable dip in temperatures and sunshine levels only for the specific days of our visit. In fact, by the time we were packing our bags and boarding the plane, our fate was clear: temperatures would be in the 30s during our FLORIDA marathon. Oh, and did we mention there would be LOTS of wind?
The temperatures by themselves aren’t so bad—in fact, a lot of people prefer slightly cooler temperatures when running—but Run Disney events have an extra complication that makes that really difficult. Due to the sheer size and complexity of the event’s logistics, runners have to be in their corrals about 90-120 minutes before they actually start running. Standing still with the wind blowing, this would be immensely cold. I was completely terrified of it—dread absorbed me Saturday.
Fast forward to Sunday morning. It’s 4am, it’s pitch black, it’s 36 degrees with a 25 degree windchill. Ian and I are wearing the cute couples costume we had planned, but they are hidden by layers of clothing we plan to discard as the race kicks off and we warm up. We have handwarmers in our gloves, and we’re both wearing massive black trashbags on top of the whole ensemble. We’re huddled on a back road on the Disney property near Epcot, crouching as close to the cold ground as we can get without sitting on it, and we’re surrounded by tens of thousands of people in the exact same position. When the wind howls, our collection of 25,000 trashbags and heat blankets snap and billow and crackle against the frigid air. And this lasts for 90 minutes before we cast aside our trashbags and cross the start line.
I had often felt pumped up and resilient before our longer training runs back in Seattle, but on Sunday, I felt broken. I didn’t feel like I could walk a 5k for the promise of a latte and a cinnamon roll, let alone run a marathon. It wasn’t until we had run two miles that I started to be able to feel my toes again, but once that happened and I was no longer worried I would trip I regained a little confidence. The thick turtleneck sweater I had planned to discard in the corrals stayed on for an hour, but I tossed it right as we entered the Magic Kingdom.
The kitsch of the Disney Marathon is that you run through each of the parks, and that first run through the Magic Kingdom (the same as I had experienced in each of my two Run Disney halfs) was the most exhilarating moment of the whole event. You enter the park through a back service road, rounding the corner to race up a Main Street lined with cheering people is so romantic. Amped up from the experience, we saw our personal cheering section (my parents and brother) outside the Grand Floridian shortly after, and we felt amazing. This continued around the back roads, into the Animal Kingdom, and back out to the highway.
Around mile 18, I realized two things. On the one hand, I could definitely do it. I was definitely going to finish without walking, and I was pretty excited about that accomplishment. But on the other hand, I wasn’t really having fun anymore. I wasn’t injured, but my body was starting to feel uncomfortable. I was looking forward to being done, but I wasn’t looking forward to running for about 80 more minutes first. Everyone tells you about “The Wall,” and maybe for me, this was it. I put my head down and continued to put one foot in front of the other.
Things picked up a smidgen around mile 23 when we ran through Hollywood Studios and continued along the sunny boardwalk into Epcot. My amazing parents had come to Epcot to cheer us on for the final push, so we got to give them kisses (and pose for a picture with Belle) at mile 24. Naturally, spectators throughout the course try to be supportive, and no matter where you are in the course you hear various combinations of “You’re doing great!” “You’re almost there!” “You’re looking so strong!” At this point, the middle one sounded like it could actually be true, and the last one was clearly a flat out lie. (The physical discomfort persisted, and I’m pretty sure I ran through Hollywood Studios with a big ol’ grimace and my arms wrapped around myself in a hug.)
BUT we ran around the world in Epcot, out the side gate, around the corner past the famous gospel choir, and we were there. We finished our marathon like we had trained for it: side by side, holding hands. When the first friendly volunteer said “Congratulations,” Ian honestly wept.
The feeling of setting a goal, pursuing it through measurable milestones, and achieving it is a universally satisfying experience, and the fact that we got to do it while supporting Team JDRF made it all the better. In fact, our national JDRF team of runners raised more than $125,000 for type one diabetes research this year! But while it is a given that I will continue to support JDRF and will continue to run, I haven’t decided how I feel about the idea of doing another marathon. For now, I’m slowly tapering my mileage back up to help heal my body, feeling proud of my mental toughness, and feeling grateful for a body that allows me to stretch its limits.
We all ran happily ever after.
2017 Themes: Connections
Posted on January 9th, 2017
Hello from Disney World! We are winding down an incredibly meaningful trip, but are currently snuggled at the hotel watching the Alabama/Clemson game in our pajamas, so I thought I’d sneak in another quick New Years post.
While I take no issue with others making them, I tend not to go in for the traditional New Years resolutions. There are several reasons for this, not the least of which is that I’m already a neurotic crazy lady and am not looking for more reasons to encourage this tendency. I also believe every day is a new day with new choices and the chance to be the kind of person you want to be. That being said, I still like to use the new year to reflect on my priorities and what I can do to match my actions to my intent. Looking forward, a few big themes come to mind. One of these is the idea of connection with my tribe.
When I reflect on my happiest memories, they’re all centered around people. I spend a lot of time investing in my relationships with others, but that’s because they bring me so much joy. This year, I want to make sure I continue creating opportunities for connecting and being together. Some of this carries over from last year; some are new initiatives.
- Send 30+ birthday cards- I’m already pretty good at this one, fueled largely by my love for buying stationery. Three sent so far!
- Text my brothers more often- My parents and I talk on the phone very frequently, but now that my brothers are older and living their own lives, keeping up with my parents doesn’t guarantee I’ll be up-to-date on their lives. I want to make sure we have strong relationships moving into our adult lives– but we’ll see if they text me back!
- Travel somewhere new to visit friends or with friends- Ian and I value the experiences travel brings, and they are always enhanced by sharing them with your favorite people. Living so far away makes this an even bigger area of opportunity.
- Take it to the next level with an acquaintance- You know those people you always see and say “we should get drinks sometime!”? I want to actually do that at least once!
- More low key entertaining- We love to have people over, but at times I get a little too invested and overwhelmed with bring the perfect hostess and creating the perfect experience. I’m trying to remember that the time together is the important part, not the exact timing of the canapés I put out during the football game or that the meal is nutritionally balanced. If doing more potlucks or more mini-catering allows us to have more relaxed and enjoyable gatherings, I will try to welcome it with open arms.
- Just check in- I want to keep the dialogue open and the sense of support and connection alive by just saying hi! Whether via text, a phone call, or a dinner date, there’s no substitute for saying, “how are you?” and actually listening to the answer.
Unlike scary intimidating new years goals, these are all things I’m excited about– it sounds fun!– so I feel set up for success. I know focusing on relationships has potential to bring joy to the me and the people I care about, so I’m hoping for a win-win situation and for many, many more happy memories with others.
Friday Five
Posted on January 6th, 2017
Packing… for Disney World! Ian and I leave on a red eye tonight to fly from Seattle to Orlando, and we’re meeting my parents and youngest brother there (so happy to have a cheering section!). After the marathon on Sunday, we’ll be recuperating in Florida until Tuesday. I’m a little lot bummed about the unseasonably cold weather, but nothing can ruin the happiest place on earth!
Happy New Year!
Posted on January 2nd, 2017
So far, the most stressful part of the year has been trying to decide what pen to use on my new Erin Condren planner. I couldn’t decide, so I went with all the pens. New year, same me.
I love this whole “observed New Years Day” thing giving us an extra long weekend, and I’m not feeling ready to rejoin the real world tomorrow. Neither is Ian– he’s insisting we keep our Christmas tree up “just one more day.” Check back in in April to see whether it is still collecting dust in the corner. We took long walks, I made the traditional New Years Hoppin’ John, we watched so much fabulous football, and as the clock struck midnight on New Years Eve we were watching fireworks over the Space Needle on the street in front of our building while wearing pajamas. We were in bed by 12:10.
As the holiday season comes to a close, I hope you’re feeling recharged, inspired, and rejuvenated by the love and goodness around you, whether that comes from time spent with family and friends, extra good champagne, or the promise of new beginnings in a new year. I look forward to sharing mine with all of you!
The Year of More
Posted on December 30th, 2016
2016: the Year of More. When I compare 2015 to 2016, it looks like 2016 just copied off of 2015 but with an order of magnitude. And since 2015 was already quite a year on its own, that was no small feat. A handy illustration to demonstrate this:
See what I mean? But not to be wholly unoriginal, 2016 packed its own punch, too. My parents moved to New York and our family home was torn down. I celebrated my grandmother’s 80th birthday at our Michigan house, had an unforgettable bachelorette weekend in Charleston, and spent my first ever Christmas outside of St. Louis. I became a devout Bar Methodist to balance my running routine, and started making my own lunch (small change, big impact). My faith and optimism were shaken through a rocky election season. I threw what feels like a billion dinner parties and baked a zillion cookies, cakes, and other sweets. I actually formulated a 20 year plan—subject to change, of course.
Most of it was happy; some of it was hard. All of it made me a better human, and took me closer down the path of the kind of person I ultimately want to be.
No matter how you slice it, 2016 was a lot. I’ll be sharing more about the upcoming year in future posts, but it is safe to say I will not be attempting to match this year’s drama—nor would I want to. 2016, thank you for turning up the volume, teaching me lessons, and giving me stories to tell.
The Beekman
Posted on December 29th, 2016
My parents’ apartment on the Tribeca/Financial District border is a great size for the three people + one puppy who usually live there, but when all six of us descend on New York, there isn’t enough room for us all to be there comfortably. Ian and I were annexed, if you will, at the Beekman Hotel, the newest in the Thompson hotel group. When you’re staying in a hotel for six nights at Christmas, you’re definitely looking for a comfortable home-away-from-home space with character. From the moment we walked in at 1am on Thursday morning and were greeted by name, the Beekman delivered.
The hotel is such a cool space—an recently revived building from the 1800s that had been sitting vacant in disrepair for much of the later half of the 20th century. I always applaud the choice to restore rather than rebuild, and the property is a perfect example of how it can be managed gorgeously. From the original old staircases to tons of velvet upholstery to huge, well-styled dark wood bookcases, the space has a warm, moody feel but jewel tones and unexpected art pieces add a whimsical touch.
The true pièce de résistance is the 9-story atrium, bordered by hotel rooms all the way up and with the stunning, swanky hotel bar at the ground level. Again, such a blessing to have a space like that in the hands of a group that doesn’t think of a 9 story atrium as a waste of square footage.
The room itself was much larger than those you find in so many boutique hotels, and since the space is older the ceilings were higher, too. The bathroom was gorgeously appointed in marble, and our king bed was cozy and framed by a big headboard and handy end-of-bed bench. We were on the 7th floor in a room off of the main atrium, which kept things quiet.
The downtown location is a bit odd unless the World Trade Center Memorial, City Hall, or the Financial District is the focus of your stay, but the Beekman does have the advantage of being less than a five minute walk from nearly every subway line, which makes a trip uptown or into Brooklyn a breeze. Otherwise, the wifi was free, the reservation came with an Equinox membership, and the room offered bathrobes and slippers. Set for life. We didn’t get a chance to try the Beekman’s restaurant offerings, but with the influence of restaurateurs Tom Colicchio and Keith McNally, they are definitely worth a look. It pains me I didn’t get to try a Pink Lady in the Bar Room. Next time! Because there will definitely be a next time.
